Huntingdon Town Council.bands in the country. They have supported Jools Holland, Ian Dury, Atomic...

In this issue...

Who’s who at the Council 2Forthcoming events 2Town Clerk's Chat 3Last Night of the Proms 4Top Community award 5Fusion 6GCSE Success 7Coneygear Park 8New church wall 9Oxmoor in Bloom 10Green Santa 11Recycling centre closes 12Continental Market 13Energy Doctor 14Food and DrinK festival 15Pantomime time again 16Youth Film Festival 17Olympic Success 18Christmas services 20

Huntingdon Town Council News Issue 42. December 2008

About T WNHuntingdon Town Council News Issue 42. December 200

AboutT WNAboutT WNWN

Page 5Youth trip to Hungary

Pages 10-11Huntingdon in Bloom

9Lola’s 50th anniversary parade

About

Olympic Success 18Christmas services 20

Image: Mrs Claire Flynn – winner of About Town’s “What does Christmas mean to you Competition”.

About Town is published by

Huntingdon Town Council.

Produced by LGS, 01487 831459

Editorial: Chairman – Cllr J Sarabia; Cllrs S Akthar (Mayor); D Dransfield; A J Mackender-Lawrence; S M Mulcahy; C J Osborn with Sally Hutchinson.

Layout and design: Austin Bambrook.

Advertising Sales: 01480 388688

Huntingdon Town Council,1, Trinity Place, Hartford Road,HUNTINGDON, PE29 3QATel: 01480 388688Fax: 01480 388686e-mail: [email protected]

www.huntingdontown.gov.uk

2 About Town No 42. December 2008

Town Council News

Forthcoming EventsFriday 5th and 19th December Christmas Shopping at the Farmers’ Market – Market Square, Huntingdon. 8.00am to 2.00pm. Traditional seasonal goods, all locally produced. Friday 5th December Christmas Music – All Saints’ Church 7.30pm. An evening of Christmas Music with “Tapestry” and Hinchingbrooke School Chamber Choir. Featuring well known traditional carols, anthems and motets as well as modern pieces. Entrance is free with a retiring col-lection for the Friends of All Saints’ Church. Tuesday 9th December Mayor’s Charity Performance of “The Snow Queen”. Presented by the Huntingdon Youth Theatre. Commemoration Hall. 7.30pm. Tickets £6 and Concessions £4. Tickets and information from Jenni Jones at the Town Council offices on 01480 388687 or email [email protected] 10th DecemberCivic Carol Service. St Mary’s Church, Huntingdon. 7.30 pm. Further information from Jenni Jones at the Town Council offices on 01480 388687.Wednesday 10th to Saturday 13th DecemberMother Hubbard. Brampton Park Theatre. Presented by the Brampton Choral Society. A Panto with lots of action. 7.30 pm plus Saturday matinee at 2.30 pm. Adults £8 Concessions £6 Children £4. Box office 07974 082604.Thursday 11th to Saturday 13th DecemberHuntingdon Youth Theatre presents “The Snow Queen” – Commemoration Hall. 7.30 pm. Skilfully adapted from the story by Hans Christian Andersen. Gerda, a little girl, searches for her friend Kai after he is bewitched and imprisoned by the Snow Queen. Tickets £6 and Concessions £4 available from The Card Gallery. Friday 19th December“Tapestry” Christmas Concert. St Barnabas Church, Medway Road. 8.00pmSaturday 20th December Craft Fair – Commemoration Hall. 10.00am – 4.00pm.Saturday 20th DecemberHunts Phil – in conjunction with the Royal British Legion. Performing Arts Theatre, Hinchingbrooke. 7.30pm. An evening of choral and orchestral festive music and song with audience participation. Tickets £10 and £6 available from 07711 885795 or 01480 469369.Saturday 26th December Boxing Day Walk – Hinchingbrooke Country Park 11.00 am. Free.Sunday 27th December through to Saturday 3rd January Commemoration Hall. Various times. Its Panto time! Panto ’89 presents Robinson Crusoe. See article on this year’s production on page 16 or check the website on www.pantomime89.co.uk Thursday 1st January RSPB New Years Day Ice Breaker at Paxton Pits. 10.00am to sunset. Further information from 01480 406795Monday 12th January Huntingdonshire Holidays. Annual General Meeting at the Buttsgrove Centre, Huntingdon at 1.00 pm. All are welcome to attend. Further information from Mrs Ann Beevor on 01480 414766.

Who’s Who at the Council Huntingdon Town Council – List of Councillors

Doug AdamsWest. 01767604706

Saeed Akthar (Mayor)East. 07765880806

Gina M CruickshankEast. 435587

Chris DoyleWest. 391148

David DransfieldEast. 07890984563

Paul D HarrisEast. 388688

Laine KadicEast. 388688

Brian J LuckhamEast. 414744

Alan J Mackender Lawrence, North. 394630

Helen S MallettEast. 52067

John T MorganNorth. 454486

Susan M MulcahyEast. 451604

Christopher J OsbornNorth. 52009

Tom SandersonWest. 436822

Jennifer SarabiaWest. 380760

Maggie WheelerNorth. 395487

Town Council News

Huntingdon Town CouncilForthcoming MeetingsPlease note, all meetings commence at 7.00 pm and take place in the Commemoration Hall, High Street, Huntingdon, unless otherwise stated. For further information, please contact the Town Council on 01480 388688, or e-mail [email protected] are open to the public and agendas allow time for representation and questions from the public. Date: Meeting:2008December 11th* Finance Committee

Planning Applications Panel2009January 8th* Town Council

Planning Applications PanelJanuary 22nd Special Finance Committee (Budget)

Special Town Council (Precept) Planning Applications Panel

February 5th Leisure & Community Services Committee Planning Applications Panel

February 19th Finance Committee Planning Applications Panel

March 5th Town Council Planning Applications Panel

March 19th* Planning Applications Panel *These meetings will take place in the Town Hall, Market Hill, Huntingdon.

Town Council News

About Town No 42. December 2008 3

We hope you enjoy reading this latest issue of “About Town” Magazine, which we continue to provide to you

free to your own home in Huntingdon. Your comments and contributions are always welcome. Please send these using the cover contact details.

As your democratically elected local council, Huntingdon Town Council continues to represent your interests and to participate at the local level in ensuring sustainable and high quality public services and standards of living in your town. Our public meetings always provide you with an opportunity for comment and you can see our agendas published in advance of meetings on our website at www.huntingdontown.gov.uk. Legislative changes are happening now designed to empower all our readers as local citizens and encourage you to actively participate in making decisions about promoting the sustainability of your community. Be part of it and get involved. Talk to your local councillors. Come to our meetings and let Councillors know what you think about local services and how they can be improved.

Your Council’s Planning Committee continues to be consulted on local planning matters and has heard about plans to re-develop bungalows at Thongsley & the Whaddons and the surrounding area. Development of a Master Plan for development of the land to the East of the former Sapley Square also received the consideration of Members, who are interested to see if contributions will be negotiated to improve and extend the Medway Community Centre as part of any development. Draft plans for safety improvements at the A141 junction with Kings Ripton Road have been seen and construction is planned for March/April next year.

Finance Committee has approved grants awards totalling around £3500 to local organisations, including the Huntingdon Volunteer Bureau, Huntingdon Community Radio, the Oxmoor Community Action Group and Pantomime 89. Funding has been agreed to provide lighting in the car park of the Indoor Bowls Club; to complete the Primrose Lane Cemetery Extension; and to repair failing cornices in the ceiling of the Assembly Room of the Town Hall.

At the meetings of the Leisure & Community Services Committee, your Councillors have provided comment on development of the Coneygear Park & Riverside Park improvement proposals. Plans to improve the Council’s Town Park are being drafted and some repair and improvement work is planned at the Castle Hills site, home of the Beacon. The Council has agreed to organise a Historic Festival celebrating five eras of Huntingdon’s history, to take place by the Riverside in 2010, with the permission of the District Council. Collapsing Burial Caskets in the St Mary’s Closed Churchyard are to be repaired rather than laid flat as they are considered part of the town’s heritage. Our Allotment Holders Meeting in August was lively and well attended.

The Council is now at the start of its annual consideration of budgets of expenditure for the next financial year and we’d encourage you to approach your local ward councillors, contact details for whom are published on these pages, if you have any comments or suggestions that you think your Council needs to take into account looking at the next eighteen months.

Karen Cameron, Town Clerk

Town Council News

Forthcoming EventsFriday 23rd JanuarySound Check 3 - Commemoration Hall. 7.00 pm. “A Girl Called Kate” together with local bands and one or two new names! For tickets, at £5, call 01480 455167 or The Card Gallery. www.cremm.co.uk Friday 23rd JanuaryBosendorfer Piano Concert – Performing Arts Centre, Hinchingbrooke. 7.30pm with Masa Tayama, an international multi-prizewinner returning for a third concert at Hinchingbrooke by request. Box office 01480 375678Saturday 31st January“Abbastravaganza” – Commemoration Hall. 7.30pm. Featuring the Super Troupers, one of the first tribute bands in the country. They have supported Jools Holland, Ian Dury, Atomic Kitten to name just a few.Don’t miss this exciting concert of Abba classics. Information and tickets (£10, concessions £9) from Lydia on 01480 455167 or The Card Gallery. Saturday 7th February Sculpture Exhibition – Commemoration Hall. An exhibition of beautiful stone figures by Hilary Manuhwa, the son of the world renowned sculptor Damian Manuhwa. This exhibition should not be missed. Friday 13th February Hot Lips & Chilli Fingers – Commemoration Hall. 7.30pm. Local harmonica wizard Steve Lockwood and rock, blues, slide and ragtime guitarist Chris Newman present a seamless roller coaster ride through traditional music, presenting a mix of original and cover songs from the last 80 years. Information and tickets (£6.50, concessions £5.50) from Lydia on 01480 455167 or The Card Gallery.Friday 27th February “Emma” by Jane Austin – Commemoration Hall. 7.30pm. Another exciting adaptation from Heartbreak Productions. The classic story of Emma, a “handsome, clever and rich” and “slightly” spoiled young woman who throws herself perils of misconstrued romance. Outstanding cast creating an array of colourful characters bringing them vividly to life. Information and tickets (£10.50 concessions £9.50) from Lydia on 01480 455167 or The Card Gallery. Sunday 8th MarchHarmonica Workshop – Commemoration Hall. 10.00am and 2.00pm. This workshop is run by Steve Lockwood who has released more than 60 albums. The class is for anyone wanting to learn to play the harmonica and those who already play and need some advice. Information and tickets (14-18 yrs old £15, over 18, £20) from Lydia on 01480 455167 or The Card Gallery. Thursday 12th March 2009“Roll Out the Barrel” – Commemoration Hall. 2.30pm. This hugely successful show “Roll out the Barrel” has been lighting up theatres all over the UK. With a delightful mix of music and memories, this is a gloriously happy show full of pure musical nostalgia. Terry Bradford and Sussie Arvesen take the audience on a joyous and unforgettable journey. Something for everyone! Information and tickets from Lydia on 01480 455167 or The Card Gallery.STOP PRESS..................Riverside Gala, Saturday 6th June 2009Mediaeval Festival, June 2010 – watch this space for further details.

Town Clerk, Karen Cameron

Town Clerk’s Chat

Do you have a neighbour, friend or work colleague who lives in Huntingdon and does not receive their copy of “About Town” magazine? If so, please let us know their address (house number and postcode) by calling us on 01480 388688. We can then take this up with our distributors.

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Town Council News


Town Council News

A Christmas Message from the Mayor’s Chaplain

On Saturday 20th September the Mayor hosted a Brass Band Concert to raise money for his Mayoral Charities.

Somersham Town Band, led by Bandmaster David Chambers, performed a varied programme of music which included something for everyone finishing with the traditional “Proms” style sing-a-long.

Over £550 was raised for the Mayor’s Charities: Huntingdonshire Holidays, Macmillan Cancer Support and Dreamdrops (specifically for Hinchingbrooke Hospital Holly Ward).

Mayor of Huntingdon’s “Last Night of the Proms” Concert

As I write this in October the credit crunch is well-developed and according to analysts we are just entering a real depression, which is beginning to affect the economy as well as the money markets. Which means that some of you reading this may have lost your jobs recently and most of you will be feeling the pinch in some way or another.

It is very tempting at Christmas time to celebrate in ways we have become used to year on year and to spend just as much if not more than we have done previously, which for some of us was too much already! I know that I dread dealing with all the bills that come in shortly afterwards and often wonder how it amounts to so much.

I hope and pray that for you Christmas will be simply a happy and enjoyable celebration as we think again about the wonderful gift of God in his Son Jesus Christ.

If, however, you find yourself running into debt (and indeed at any time, not just Christmas) there is an organisation called Christians Against Poverty who provide free debt counselling locally through Huntingdon Community Church. Details can be found on page 13.

Andrew Milton

Ken Beaton memorial bench dedication

The Ken Beaton Memorial Bench Dedication was conducted by the

Reverend Mark Savage. On his right Rotarian John Upham spoke on behalf of the Rotary Club of Huntingdon. On his left Kyne Beaton (now 96, in the wheel chair), John Beaton, her son, behind her and his family. Current president, Maggie Galan, on the left, talking to our first woman member and first woman President, Doreen Lewis. The bench is situated in the quietest part of the cemetery of All Saints’ Church, Hartford, where Ken Beaton was Church Warden for 52 years. He was also a founder and member of our Club for over 60 years. The inscription on the bench reads “Ken Beaton 1914-2007 Church Warden and Huntingdon Rotarian”.

Dan Connan, PRO Rotary Club of Huntingdon.

Remembrance SundayRemembrance Sunday is the day traditionally put aside to remember all those who have given their lives for the peace and freedom we enjoy today. On this day people across the nation pause to reflect on the sacrifices made by our brave Service men and women.

This year’s Remembrance Sunday Parade and Service was held on the Market Square, Huntingdon, on Sunday 9th November.

Photograph – RAF Brampton / Wyton


Town Council News

During the six months to September 2008, the search was on for Cambridgeshire

and Peterborough’s top communities of 2008. The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Community Life Awards, sponsored by Calor in association with Archant and others, were launched in February and volunteers, community groups and community buildings across the county busily submitted entries for consideration.

Awards organiser, Cambridgeshire ACRE, hosted a special presentation evening at the Burgess Hall in St Ives on Tuesday 2nd September. All those groups and individuals shortlisted were invited to see the winners presented with their awards by Mr Michael Williamson, the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire and other VIP guests from those organisations that sponsored the awards.

Among the winners was Cllr Doug Adams, who was elected to represent the west ward for Huntingdon Town

Council in May 2007 and who has commendably risen to the challenge of increased emphasis on community participation. He was recognised as giving freely of his time to a number of local charities and organisations and thereby making a substantial and positive impact on the lives of a great number of people.

Chairman of Cambridgeshire ACRE,

John Yates said “This year’s awards have been a huge success. At Cambridgeshire ACRE we have long believed that community spirit is strong across the county and these awards enable us to publicly recognise this and share these good news stories with everyone in Cambridgeshire. We are very grateful to all this year’s sponsors whose generosity has allowed us to do this.”

Winners announced in search for top communities in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

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At 4.30 am on the morning of the 22nd of September, we were all sitting bleary eyed on a minibus to

Luton airport. Our group was made up of six students from Hinchingbrooke school, six students from St Peters and our two teachers. We were all really excited about the week ahead.

After a two and a half hour flight, we arrived in Budapest ready for the hour journey to Szentendre. Our party were the first to arrive at the accommodation. We stayed in cabins on a campsite which sat on the edge of the river Danube. We were joined later that day by students from the twinned towns of Salon-de-Provence in France, Wertheim am Main in Germany and Szentendre in Hungary. Staying with so many people we had never met seemed strange at first but we all soon got to know each other.

During our week’s stay we took part in many events as part of the town twinning youth culture festival 08. Our Hungarian hosts organised activities including museum and gallery tours, social events, mayoral functions, traditional Hungarian dancing lessons and we even had a competition to make our national dishes in the town market square, which caused quite a stir with the locals.

Huntingdon and Godmanchester Town Twinning Association,

Youth trip to Hungary

Throughout the week we made many new friends and really enjoyed the opportunity to get to know people our age of other nationalities.

We would like to say a big thank you to the town twinning association for giving us the opportunity to have an amazing experience in Hungary.

The pupils of Hinchingbrooke School.

Photograph by David Brown

Cllr Tony Orgee, Chairman of Cambridgeshire County Council; Cllr Doug Adams, Huntingdon Town Council and Mr Michael Williamson, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire


Schools & Young People

St John’s C E Primary School hits Grafham Water Centre!

The wonders of Grafham Water!

Grafham Water is not far

from our local area. The

activities at Grafham

are extremely fun and

help build teamwork and

confidence. The activities

are very suitable for kids.

There are activities such

as rock climbing, whammel

sailing, speed boating,

games, problem solving,

mountain biking, raft building, raft sailing, archery,

orienteering and the Grafham Challenge. The Grafham

Challenge includes a blindfolded assault course.

Grafham water persuades children to work well in groups to

solve problems. Grafham Water staff are very fun, polite and

safe. The food at Grafham is very delicious and nutritious.

The rooms at Grafham are good and you get your own en suite

bathroom. Grafham has made a very safe rhyme that goes,

‘If it’s blue, it’s for you! If it’s grey, stay away.’

Grafham is very fun and very

active. It will get your

children into all kinds of

sports and fun activities and

games.Robert and Kiera, Year 6.

St John’s C E Primary School

[Editor’s note: the very safe rhyme refers

to the workshop doors.]

Children from Years 4, 5 and 6 from St John’s School recently spent a superb 3 days at the Grafham Water Centre. This account, by Robert and Kiera, summarises some of the highlights of the trip.

The wonders of Grafham Water!

mountain biking, raft building, raft sailing, archery,

‘If it’s blue, it’s for you! If it’s grey, stay away.’

Grafham is very fun and very

active. It will get your

sports and fun activities and

games.

[Editor’s note: the very safe rhyme refers

to the workshop doors.]

HarvestIn October we celebrated the bounty of harvest with children and parents at a special assembly.

Children sang harvest songs and spelled out the message of thanks for the food we eat using the letters that make up the word HARVEST.

Monies raised are being donated to ‘Seeds for Africa’ and with other fund raising activities this year we hope to raise enough to plant an orchard of fruit trees in an African village.

Yvonne Lamb, Huntingdon Infant School

Thanks to all partners that contributed towards another fantastic summer at FUSION.

Thanks to the financial support from the Town Council, Huntingdonshire District Council, Cambridgeshire County Council ‘Positive Activities for Young People Project’, Lottery Funding, The Police, Oxmoor Neighbourhood Management Team, Community Safety Partnership and Cambridgeshire Fire Service, 385 different young people aged 8 –18 years have been able to access youth work provision between 2pm – 8pm for 5 weeks of the Summer Holidays at Huntingdon Youth Centre and Coneygear Park.

Another great year of organised chaos in a fun and safe environment was delivered !!!! Activities have ranged from Sport Coaching, Arts and Crafts, Archery, Pampering Sessions, Fashion Shows, Inflatable Fun, T-Shirt printing, a Disco, Dance, Drama Sessions, Skate Boarding, Mini Beast – Wild animals @ HYC. The list goes on and on....

Five of our Senior Members have successfully completed their V-Involved Training and a further 10 young people followed in their footsteps by obtaining their CYS Award for 50 hours of voluntary work supporting staff to run activities.

Highlights this year included the Big Brother House, which involved renovating a room at HYC into the BB House. Senior Members then ran auditions, demo sessions and selected 10 young people to enter the House for a week. The project included the real set up of a CCTV camera system to monitor the room, Diary Room entries and loads of fun tasks. The Winner this year of £250 ‘Matt Pond’ has donated the full amount back to FUSION to support some pampering sessions for the young people in Oct ‘08.

Other highlights were the new Outside Graffiti Project, The Hunstanton Trip which included 163 young people and staff enjoying a rain free day at the coast, and the Dragons Den at the Riverside Park with HDC workers and local Councillors discussing possible developments for the area.

This year we have generally seen an improvement in behaviour, and levels of participation. This has resulted in over 100 young people obtaining a learning outcome and 30 CYS accreditation certificates on top of the Senior Member Achievements.

October FUSION funding has already been secured and plans for this work will soon begin.

Thanks again for everyone’s support not only in fanatically backing the project, but also to all the partner agencies that actually attended the trips and days at FUSION to support the sessions.

If you would like any further information please contact Steph Webb, Youth Work Co-ordinator. Huntingdon Youth Centre 01480 375030.

Schools & Young PeopleSchools & Young People


Hinchingbrooke School celebrates achievementOn Thursday 25th September, Hinchingbrooke School

GCSE students celebrated their success in the summer examinations during an event in the Performing Arts Centre. Certificates and Prizes were awarded for individual subject areas and overall performance. Special prizes were given for Community Service, Citizenship and Leadership. Winner of the music prize and the prize for the highest performance at GCSE Matthew Howes, played the magnificent Basendorfer piano and student Megan Tapp performed a voice solo. Ex student Mathew Bullimore, a graduate from Oxford University and national gymnast spoke to the students about his time at Hinchingbrooke and what success means to him. The next morning, in a special assembly, many KS3 students also gained prizes for their hard work in their Year 9 SATs examinations.

At GCSE, one student was especially proud; Victoria Katherine Tyson was amongst the top ten students in GCSE Art and Design: Fine Art, according to Edexcel, the UK’s largest awarding body. Out of 9763 candidates, Victoria Katherine achieved one of the highest overall marks.

Hinchingbrooke, a sports college, achieved a personal

best in GCSE results this summer, gaining 79% five A* - C grades in a cohort of nearly three hundred students. At the celebration, Keith Nancekievill, the Head, told the students,

parents and staff that the success was a combination of their hard work, teaching commitment; an improved ethos in the school and good leadership, both from the Head of Year and the Sports Specialism.

Winner of the music prize Matthew Howes played the magnificent Basendorfer piano.

Far left: Naomi Harwin, Nayera El-Refee, Ellen Thornton and Fiona Mutter.Left: Greg Southgate, Tristan Lawrence, Adam Paton and Andrew Sweetenham.

Schools & Young People

Huntingdon Nursery ran another successful playscheme this year

for children aged 3-8, thanks to the support it received from Huntingdon Town Council. The nursery facilities and resources are ideally suited to play activities for this age range. Children were able to come to the Nursery for 2 weeks during the summer holidays and attend morning or afternoon sessions.

The whole of the nursery was opened up to provide a range of play, imaginative, craft and sporting activities. As the playscheme is organised and run by staff who work at the Nursery it is possible to offer the very highest standard of play provision for children. In addition, older children helped and supported the younger children and this year, football, table football and table tennis was added to the list of activities on offer each day. Children also had

Huntingdon Nursery summer 08 playscheme

the opportunity to partake in quieter activities like craft, games and puzzles and at the end of the sessions were offered a choice of group activity which included singing, parachute games, story and aerobics.

We have always tried to keep the cost to parents for the playscheme to a minimum and were delighted to be able to do so again this year charging £15 per child per week and £12.50 for

an additional sibling. We also offered a weekly saving scheme to help families to budget over the year for the play scheme.

Some of the parents comments include: ‘really good value for money’, ‘why can’t they stay all day’, ‘my child is up and ready to go to playscheme before I am’, ‘he’s very proud of the things he has made’ ‘she tried to make some of the things at home and asked me to save boxes and buy special glue.

Schools & Young PeopleSchools & Young People


Community News

What’s happening at

Coneygear Park

About Town No 42. December 2008

August saw the official launch of the outdoor gym equipment at Coneygear Park with Cllr Saeed Akthar, Mayor of Huntingdon, and Councillors from both District and Town Councils attending.

Some were brave enough to have a go on

the equipment. Members of the Leisure

Development team were also in attendance to

give advice on fitness and were supported by

local Healthy Walks groups.

Rachel Cooper from the Leisure Development

team at Huntingdonshire District Council will be

offering advice to users, co-ordinating activities

and establishing group sessions on the gym

equipment for all abilities. Interested residents

can contact Rachel on 01480 388469 or by email

[email protected]

Outdoor Gym

Raised sensory beds have been constructed on the northeast corner of Coneygear Park opposite Skeels Court. The beds are constructed from pine railway sleepers (supplied from sustainable forests) and hold approximately 16 tons of earth. During the August school holidays the beds were planted up with roses, lavender, hibiscus and other shrubs and plants that were donated by Huntingdon Youth Centre. The plants were planted with the help of several children who attended the Huntingdon Youth Centre’s Fusion summer scheme.

Sensory Beds

The 3rd Apple Fair was held on Coneygear Park on 19th October 2008.

Visitors to the event were invited to sample 15 varieties of apples which are not commonly available. The apples were sourced from the National Fruit Collection at Brogdale, Kent.

Other activities on the day included apple pressing, a fruit shy, apple trail and badge making.

Besides being very windy and chilly the event was once again a great success.

Apple Fair

Community NewsCommunity News


Community News

Repairs to the St John’s Closed Churchyard Wall on Huntingdon’s High Street has been completed,

following a 12-week programme of work carried out by local contractors Haymills.

Funded and managed in partnership by Huntingdon Town and Huntingdonshire District Councils, the aim of the £30,000 project has been to address safety concerns brought to the Town Council’s attention by Conservation Officers in 2006 and to ensure ongoing stability of the wall, steps and gates whilst improving the appearance of this High Street amenity.

The Church of St John, where eight of Oliver Cromwell’s children are known to have been baptised, was demolished towards the end of the 1650s and the Churchyard remaining is a small part of the original grounds. Whilst still in the ownership of the Diocese of Ely, the small green area offering respite for town centre visitors between 69 and 70 High Street is now managed and maintained by Huntingdon Town Council.

Works involved raking out, re-pointing and repairing, together with the replacement of a substantial number of bricks & some stonework using locally sourced quality materials, where possible reclaimed, such as Cambridge white & red handmade bricks, together with cut stones and moulded copings from the Clipsham Quarry at Oakham, Rutland.

Town & District Councils are extremely pleased with the works, which are near to completion and which have

Churchyard Wall gets a facelift

exceeded expectations in terms of improvement to the wall’s appearance. Huntingdon is a rapidly developing town, with new and modern structures dominantly featuring around the ring road forming the boundary to its historical centre. Local authorities are pleased to play a part in ensuring the conservation of important heritage sites such as the St John’s Closed Churchyard for local townspeople and visitors alike in tune with this climate of change & improvement.

Would you know where to go to report a Hate Crime or even what a Hate Crime is?? Many Hate Crimes go

unreported each year leaving victims feeling isolated, fearful and unsure as to where to turn for help. Many victims feel unable to go to the police for many different reasons and this can often mean they will be at risk of repeated incidents. So what is a Hate Crime?

A Hate Crime is any criminal offence committed against a person or property that is motivated by an offender’s hatred of someone because of their:• race, colour, ethnic origin, nationality or national origins • religion • gender or gender identity • sexual orientation • disabilityWhat forms does it take?• physical attacks – such as physical assault, damage to

property, offensive graffiti, neighbour disputes and arson • threat of attack – including offensive letters, abusive

or obscene telephone calls, groups hanging around to intimidate and unfounded, malicious complaints

• verbal abuse or insults - offensive leaflets and posters, abusive gestures, dumping of rubbish outside homes or through letterboxes, and bullying at school or in the workplace

What can you do about it?In Huntingdonshire we have a scheme

entitled Open Out. Open Out is a third party

Would you report a Hate Crime?

reporting scheme which provides victims and witnesses of Hate Crime with the opportunity to report incidents in complete confidence. The Open Out co-ordinator, based at Huntingdonshire District Council, works with the victim or witness to develop an action plan to resolve the incident/s. Many different organisations work together to produce a positive outcome these include Huntingdonshire District

Council, Cambridgeshire Constabulary and Housing Associations such as Luminus Group and the Muir Group.

If you would like more information about the Open Out Scheme please contact: Anne-Marie Waterston on 01480 388262 (office hours) or e-mail [email protected]. For out of hours assistance please contact Cambridgeshire Constabulary on 0845 4564564. In an emergency call 999.

Cllr John Davies, Chairman Huntingdonshire District Council; Cllr Saeed Akthar, Mayor of Huntingdon and Barry le Bailly, Architect, Huntingdonshire District Council.


OPEN OUT!

Well done everyone! A second Silver Gilt Award for the

town and a Nomination for an Environmental Quality Award, together with a Nomination for Hinchingbrooke Country Park for Conservation were presented to the Mayor, Councillor Saeed Akthar at the annual Anglia in Bloom awards ceremony held at Gorleston-on-Sea on 9th September and passed on to the Town and District Councils on 8th October at Hinchingbrooke Country Park. The Cromwell Park School which was visited by the Anglia in Bloom judges and was presented with a Special Award for their Garden Club.

The judges reported that Huntingdon has made a great effort to enhance the town for the benefit of visitors and residents alike and the sense of pride is shown in cleanliness and floral decorations of the town.

Peter Jackson, the Chairman of Huntingdon in Bloom said that “The committee is pleased with the result which represents 2 Silver Gilt awards

Moor In Bloom

Oxmoor Community Action Group - Moor In Bloom are delighted to have achieved a Silver Gilt award this year which was received at a presentation on the 6th November 2008.

If you are interested in becoming a member of the group in 2009, which begins meeting in February, please contact Jill Watkin-Tavener on 01487 823082.

Many hands will make the flowers grow.

Best Front Garden – 1 The Glades, Hinchingbrooke Park.


Community News

Huntingdon in Bloom

Best Hotel or Pub – Marriott Hotel.Best Hotel or Pub – Marriott Hotel.

The Medway Centre

Moor in Bloom judges with Brian Gardner, Park Ranger at Coneygear Park; Jill Watkin-Tavener, Chairman Moor In Bloom; Cllr Chris Osborn.

From left-right back row Cllr John Morgan; Sally Hutchinson, Huntingdon Town Council; Paul Smith, Huntingdonshire District Council; Peter Jackson, Chairman Huntingdon in Bloom, Front row Wendy Allen, Cromwell Park School and pupils; Karen Cameron, Town Clerk; Sooh Boocock, Countryside Services and Cllr Saeed Akthar, Mayor of Huntingdon.

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Green Santa and Christmas

Tree shredding!at Hinchingbrooke Country ParkSunday 11th January10.30am – 3.00pm

Bring your Christmas tree for

shredding and take away some chippings

for your garden AND add any unwanted presents to Green Santa’s sleigh.

They will be donated to local charities. For more information contact Cambridgeshire Community Reuse and Recycling Network. Tel: 01354 742300 www.choose2reuse.org.uk

Valuable suggestions for future development were to continue working with the business sector and schools and to continue to keep on top of the vandalism we have experienced this year. For example, damage in the Town Park, theft of hanging baskets in the High Street and the destruction of a willow tree planted in April along the riverside at Hartford to launch In Bloom for 2008.

Green Santa and Christmas

Tree shredding!at Hinchingbrooke Country ParkSunday 11th January10.30am – 3.00pm

Christmas tree for shredding and take

away some chippings for your garden AND add any unwanted presents to Green Santa’s sleigh.

They will be donated to

On a rainy Saturday afternoon, Primrose Lane allotment

holders held their tallest sunflower competition.

Roger Heathcote won the first prize – his sunflower bloom measured 10ft 2ins. Violet Coleman was second with her sunflower measuring 8ft 5ins.

Of the seventeen people attending, seven were children who had a great time. Thankfully the rain had stopped in time for the fabulous job of judging by Gerry Myhill.

Everybody thoroughly enjoyed themselves, despite the weather, and are already looking forward to the competition next year.

in succession and would like to thank everyone who contributed to the success including the Town and District Councils, schools, community involvement, local businesses and business sponsors. The nomination for Environmental Quality proves that our town is one of the most tidy in East Anglia and that is down to local residents and businesses”.

The judges were particularly impressed by• The floral displays for summer and

the spring displays shown in the portfolio.

• Commercial support for the campaign, particularly the floral displays such as Cox Clothiers, the George Hotel and Gathercole and Ward and the sponsorship of hanging baskets at Huntingdon Railway Station.

• The sustainable planting in the car parks and recycling facilities available.

• The standard of private gardens.• The carpet bedding celebrating 90

years of the RAF in the Riverside Park.• The allotments and cemetery in

Primrose Lane• The Riverside Park. • Litter picks involving the Girls’

Brigade.• Public awareness with In Bloom

posters, press coverage and the school poster displays on the theme of the railway station.

Could you participate in 2009? The judges are looking for more community involvement. If you are in a group connected with your Church, School or a club and have a project or would like to do a litter pick, or with neighbours would like to enhance your street or community area then let us know – you can make the difference to gain those few extra points for the Gold Award for 2009.

Further information please contact: Ann Colbert, Secretary, Huntingdon in Bloom, Tel: 01487 822591 or email [email protected]


Community News

District Councils, schools, Huntingdon Railway Station

Huntingdon in Bloom

Along the riverside

Best Hotel or Pub – Marriott Hotel. The judges were particularly

Community NewsCommunity NewsCommunity NewsCommunity News

Primrose Lane Allotments -Sunflower Competition


Buckden Recycling Centre closes

Community News

The Gabriel Newton’s Educational Foundation dates back to the turn of the last century, and was founded by Alderman Gabriel Newton to help boys

and girls residing in the beneficial area of Huntingdon and Hartford who, in the opinion of the Trustees, are in need of financial assistance to promote their education, or further education, including educational travel, or to assist their entry into a profession, trade or calling.

A group of Trustees meets to consider applications from young people who have educational needs. Originally this was mostly to assist with the purchase of school uniforms, but as years have gone by requests and needs have changed and now grants are awarded for such diverse issues as books, musical instruments, ballet shoes and other specialised clothing, computers and educational travel.

All requests have to be accompanied by an application form and a letter of support from someone other than a relative (usually a teacher). They are discussed by the Trustees, usually twice a year, and awards are made at the discretion of the Trustees in accordance with the terms of the Foundation.

The Gabriel Newton’s Educational Foundation

GABRIEL NEWTON’S EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONScheme made under the Charitable Trusts Acts(Registered Charity Number 311822)

The Scheme was founded for the benefit of boys and girls residing in the beneficial area of Huntingdon and Hartford who, in the opinion of the Trustees, are in need of financial assistance to promote their education, or further education, including educational travel, or to assist their entry into a profession, trade or calling.

Application forms, together with a letter of support, should be sent to:

Mrs J Nicholls, Clerk to the Trustees9 Glebe Road, Perry, Huntingdon, Cambs, PE28 0DG.

Once again we are approaching the festive season and the New Year, the traditional time to make life fulfilling resolutions. If you would like to improve

your social life and, at the same time contribute to your town’s wellbeing, you could do worse than considering Hinchingbrooke Rotary Club of Huntingdon.

A knockout New Year’s resolutionForget your mental image of bank managers indulging in

long lunches! This club is very much Rotary for the twenty first century.

With a similar number of men and women members, they meet once a fortnight for a Wednesday breakfast meeting at the George Hotel and two Wednesday evenings are dedicated

to community service, from environmental projects to bingo with the disabled, usually followed by a pub meal!

November saw the club’s first Town Quiz which it is hoped could become an annual event. This year’s profits will go to the HInchingbrooke Hospital’s Baby Unit Appeal and towards Huntingdon’s Lisa Kent Trust who are building a school in the Gambia, a venture also supported by other local Rotary Clubs.

Santa has been invited to man his annual grotto in the Town centre and his sleigh is being readied for flying visits to local estates.

Club members have recently enjoyed a weekend walk in Fotheringhay, a ‘Dandy and Beano’ fun afternoon, a guided walk of Kings Lynn, the Ramsey Story Tellers at the Cheshire Homes and continuing environmental work at the beautiful Brampton Wood. There was also a candle lit Georgian supper with a guest appearance by Napoleon himself!

If you would like to know more about Hinchingbrooke Rotary Club of Huntingdon, please call Nicola Rule on 457115 or Mike Humphrey on 436444.

Buckden Recycling Centre in Brampton Road closed on Friday 31 October 2008, when the current contract expired.

For further information on recycling in Huntingdonshire, go to www.huntsdc.gov.uk

For further information on the closure of Buckden Recycling Centre, go to www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/buckden

Dee Wormald-Rotary Club President; Mick Taylor-Cambridgeshire Police Amateur Boxing Club and Rotarian Ken Skinner.



Community News

Funzone Out of School and Holiday Club were delighted to be awarded

financial assistance from Huntingdon

Town Council giving us the opportunity to take the children to Woburn Safari Park during the Summer holidays. The children were absolutely amazed with all the animals they saw, what they ate, how they lived, what the rangers’ job was and why they had to patrol the area. The children were in hysterics when the monkeys climbed on the windscreen of the bus and then onto the roof top, found the sun roof and peered

in! The children and adults also had the experience of Foot Safari round the Wild World Leisure Area where

exciting animal encounters such as: Monkey Business, Australian Walk About, Penguin World, Sea Lion and Parrot show with keeper’s talks

and Birds of Prey flying demonstration were enjoyable as well as educational. The children

also got the opportunity to use the indoor activity centre as a treat!!! We were blessed with a dry warm day.

Funzone Woburn trip

Ronnie – “The animals on the ‘drive thro’ were awesome”

Amber – “The best bit of the day was the sea lion show”

Owen – “I really liked seeing the lions so close especially while they were feeding.”

It was another successful visit for The Continental Market during the

first weekend of October. The market which was brought to Huntingdon for the 7th successful year is organised by Katy Sismore, Huntingdon Town Partnership Manager. The opening ceremony was conducted by the Mayor of Huntingdon, Cllr Saeed Akthar who was shown around the market by Shar Norton the Market Manager.

The highlight of the four day market was Saturday, when the High Street became an array of colours from the stalls and the aromas of cooking wafted down the street – bringing Europe to the heart of the town.

Huntingdon Continental Market 2008

The Mayor of Huntingdon, Cllr Saeed Akthar and Katy Sismore, Huntingdon Town Partnership Manager with Didier Scmidt at his olives and herbs stall.

Free Firework

displayA free firework display organised by Oxmoor Community Action Group and Huntingdonshire District Council was enjoyed by many Huntingdon residents at Coneygear Park on the 5th November. Other entertainment included children’s rides, free glow wands and a competition for the best designed Guy Fawkes

Christians Against Poverty, the national debt counselling charity,

is opening a dedicated debt counselling centre in Huntingdon. Individuals in the town will now be able to take advantage of the charity’s free, specialist advice.

Using its successful combination of practical and sustainable financial solutions, coupled with sensitivity to individual and personal needs, the charity aims to bring hope to those trapped by debt in Huntingdon. The Centre has been launched in partnership with Huntingdonshire Community Church, where it is based.Faith not required

Heading up the CAP centre is Eileen Paul who will work with all members of the local community, regardless of religious belief, negotiating with creditors to work out a realistic budget for clients, which prioritises food and essential bills to ensure they will be debt free within four years.

Eileen and her two fellow debt advisors will also be supported and managed by the charity’s Operations Centre in Bradford, so that they are also able to offer clients a CAP Account and insolvency services should they need.

The CAP Account acts as a simple bank account to help people pay their priority debts and the Insolvency Service provides a solution to those, who even with careful budgeting, would be facing

a life sentence of debt repayments. Matt Barlow, UK CEO, Christians

Against Poverty, said: “We are thrilled to open our latest centre in Huntingdon as the UK continues to battle against the increasing tide of personal debt. Bringing hope

“We aim to bring hope and a free, practical solution to the problem of debt, whilst helping individuals through the often traumatic consequences, which can include divorce, going hungry and even attempted suicide.

“Eileen and her team will be a fantastic asset to us as a charity, as we seek to help even more people across the UK and we have every confidence that the local community in Huntingdon will soon feel the benefits of having a CAP centre on their doorstep.”

Eileen Paul, CAP Centre Manager in Huntingdon said: “Debt is an increasing problem in our society but individuals can receive the help and support they need through Christians Against Poverty’s work.

“The worst thing someone in debt can do is stay silent, so I would urge anyone in financial difficulty in the area to contact us. Being in debt is nothing to be ashamed of and I know we can work together to provide a lasting solution.”

For more information and opening hours, visit www.capuk.org or call on 0800 328 0006.

Debt Counselling Centre opens in Huntingdon



Are you confident you have the best deal available for your gas and electricity? At any one time there are over 600 tariffs available so it can be hard to know for sure.

I hope with the following information you will be more able to answer this question confidently.Savings are available without needing to change your energy supplier.

Duel fuel tariffs; the practice of buying both your gas and electricity from the same supplier, is often rewarded by a discount in the price. Paying by direct debit, paperless billing and” internet only” accounts can also offer further discounts. Households who use pre-payment meters to help budget fuel cost, could find changing payment to direct debit or a payment card account will reduce their bill.Price comparisons

The variety of internet based price comparison sites has now given customers the power to compare different fuel companies. But with so many on the web which are the best to use? The newly formed Consumer Focus (www.consumerfocus.org.uk) brings together Energywatch, Postwatch and the National Consumer Council. Its aim is to campaign for a fair deal for consumers and it has links to 12 accredited comparison services. To get the best from this you will need to know the amount of energy you are using. This information will be on your bill or statement but it can

be estimated from the amount of money you pay. It is worth searching against price and customer satisfaction to get a clear picture of what is on offer. If you don’t have internet access at home just pop into your local library where there is free access for all.

Each supplier offers Social Tariffs aimed at qualifying households with a low income, those who are disabled or aged over 60. In addition to enhanced customer service there can be some financial benefit! These tariffs may be extended to include all lower income households so it will be worth looking out for new offers. Green tariffs

For those of you interested in the environmental impact of your energy choices, Green Tariffs are increasingly available. At present, there is no agreed definition of Green Tariffs, but it is generally classified as when some proportion of the energy generated is from renewable energy sources such as solar panels or wind turbines. More detailed information can be found at www.greenenergyswitch.com .

Remember if you do have problems paying you bill contact your supplier as soon as possible. There are also charitable trusts that can help people in difficulty.

Top TipsTo really ensure that you are getting the best deal and avoiding unnecessarily high bills follow these tips:• Check the bill or statement when it comes in, if it is an

estimated bill read the meter and request an accurate bill.• If you are paying by direct debit / standing order increase

payments when the price changes to prevent a debt accruing which will cause a large payment hike later.

• If you are not using a device switch it off!• Use your heating controls to prevent over heating. By

reducing your room temperature by just 1°C you could cut your heating bills by up to 10 percent.

• Call the Energy Saving Trust Act on CO2 helpline on O800 512 012 or visit www.energysavingtrust.org.uk for free impartial advice on the changes you could make to minimise your fuel bills.

Community News

LINk – A stronger voice for better careCambridgeshire residents are being invited to take part in a new government initiative, which will give them the chance to have their say on improving health and social care services.

Cambridgeshire Local Involvement Network (LINk), part of a national initiative to create a network of local people, organisations & groups to work towards better health and social care, launched on Thursday 25th September 2008 in St Ives.

The launch was open to everyone and gave people the chance to learn more about the LINk and the ways in which you can help. In addition to the formal duties of the meeting, two keynote speakers gave details of developments in the health and social care sector.

The LINk will help communities within Cambridgeshire have a stronger voice in their health and social care services. A LINk will:• Ask local people what they think

about their health and social care services and give them the chance to suggest ideas to help improve services.

• Investigate specific issues of concern to communities.

• Use its powers to hold services to account and get results.

• Ask for information and get an answer within a specified amount of time.

• Carry out spot checks to see if services are working well.

The energy doctor writes


Huntingdonshire Food and Drink Festival 2008 was deemed an outstanding success as crowds flocked to the festival’s main event, Food Fest 08, on Sunday

28th September.Around 2,500 people attended the main event at Wood

Green Animal Shelter and over 30 local producers and businesses exhibited their produce and offered samples for visitors to taste. Visitors treated themselves to hog roast, real ales from local brewers and pubs, special homemade fudge, ordered themselves an organic veggie box and tasted a wide selection of cheeses, meats and homemade breads.Good quality local food

The main theme was a celebration of the good quality local food available in Huntingdonshire, encouraging people to buy local and thereby reducing their food miles to help the environment, as well as promoting a healthy diet.

Chefs from the Marriott Hotel took part in a live cookery contest ‘Get Set Go Cook’ with food provided by Waitrose in St Ives which proved incredibly popular along with the wine tutorial, the chocolate fountain and the butchery demonstrations.

Visitors young and old enjoyed the education zone and had a go at milking a cow, the bicycle powered smoothie maker and pressing apples to make fresh apple juice along with the exciting interactive exhibits, competitions and games.

Corrine Garbett, Sustainable Economic Development Manager; “We’re delighted that the festival has been such a fantastic success with both exhibitors and visitors enjoying themselves. This is the second food and drink festival and we are delighted that our visitor numbers increased by around 1,000 this year. Many people commented that they especially enjoyed the demonstrations and learnt more about the farm to fork process.”Competitions and Awards

The young chef’s competition unearthed the district’s cooking talent among 11 to 14-year-olds. The winner

Crowds flock to Huntingdonshire Food and Drink Festival 2008 to get a taste of the action

Charlotte Ward cooked a wonderful meal for two featuring Parma ham wrapped chicken stuffed with parmesan and mozzarella.

The hunt for the best sandwich in Huntingdonshire is over. The three finalists were all young children from nurseries in St Ives, Huntingdon and Ramsey. The three nurseries battled it out on Saturday at the Saxongate Centre, Huntingdon and made their sandwich once again for the judges. In a close final Ramsey Nursery won the overall prize of £150 with their excellent sandwich of ham, chutney and salad.

The Huntingdonshire Food and Drink Awards 2008, run in association with the Hunts Post, aimed to uncover the district’s best in food and drink. The winners were: Charlotte Ward aged 13 years – the young chef award, Fullard’s Farm in Woodhurst – the best breakfast award, The Bridge Hotel, Huntingdon – the best restaurant award, The Oliver Cromwell in St Ives – the best pub award, Top Banana in Buckden – the best independent retailer and Nutty Tarts in St Neots – the best food and drink producers award. These awards celebrated the fantastic range, quality and diversity of delicious food, drinks and great beer there is on offer in Huntingdonshire. All the finalists were treated to an excellent awards evening supported by The Old Bridge Hotel, Huntingdon, in September hosted by the BBC’s Look East News team.

Community News

LINk – A stronger voice for better care

• Make reports and recommendations & receive a response.

• Refer to higher authorities issues where service providers seem reluctant to accept findings & take action.By regulations, LINk participants

will have the power to enter and view service delivery in provider premises but must do so under conditions which reflect the individuals’ rights.

LINk offers 3 styles of participation. Active Participant is for volunteers who have the time to commit to the LINk and will undertake visits & work as required. Interest Participant is for those who are interested in the work

the LINk does & wish to be made aware of progress & work, but have no spare time to physically commit to LINk work. In addition they will be contacted for their views and opinions. Stakeholder Participant is for those who represent or are employed by an organisation with a pecuniary interest in health and social care.

This really is a new way for everyone to have their say in the way in which services should be provided and improved. “We want the project to be a success and give everyone – patients, users and carers alike – every opportunity to improve health and social care” says Mike Cornwell, Host Manager.

For further information and a registration form please contact the office on 0300 365 1245 (low cost) or 01480 465316, FREEPOST RRXK-BLAT-ZXKG, Cambridgeshire LINk, 5 Crown Street, St Ives, Cambridgeshire, PE27 5EB or email [email protected] We look forward to hearing from you.



Performing Arts

Huntingdon Pantomime’89 is back for its 21st season of traditional, family entertainment.

This year we are presenting Robinson Crusoe. Directed by Chris Topham, assisted by Kellie Whitworth, this traditional pantomime is based on the well-known book by Daniel Defoe and this version is by the late John Morley, doyen of pantomime writers. As usual our cast of Pantomime’89-ers includes many new faces and some old ones, ably supported by a troupe of dancers from AJ’s School of Dance.

Come and see Robinson Crusoe and his family, Man Friday, assorted sailors and that wicked Black Patch and his pirate crew all involved in treasure hunting, shipwreck and life on a desert island - even Lord Nelson puts in an appearance.

There’s a Grunting Gorilla as well but you will need to see her/him/it for your self!! The sea demon Oylslick is nasty and twisted but of course the good sea fairy Detergenta will clean him up, won’t she? Oh yes she will!!

Once again Pantomime’89 is supporting East Anglia’s Children’s Hospice at Milton.

Ahoy There! – It’s Pantomime time again

In the years since the small group of dedicated enthusiasts created Pantomime’89 we have raised over £15,000 for local charities through the goodwill and support of local people.

This is our 21st season and the tradition of good quality, family entertainment in Huntingdon continues with Robinson Crusoe. Pantomime’89 is proud to work in association with Huntingdon Town Council, whose continued support plays a major part in our success.

Come and enjoy the show, boo the baddies, cheer for the heroes, laugh at the clowns and join in the songs! Look out for the Grunting Gorilla!!

Tickets (adults £7, children/concessions £5) can be booked on the ticket hotline by calling 07504 358 413 or look on our website www.pantomime89.co.uk for an email booking form. Refreshments, including ice cream and sweets are on sale and a licensed bar is available.There is a range of show dates and times to suit all.

Saturday 27th December 2008 at 7.00pmSunday 28th December 2008 at 2.00pmTuesday 29th December 2008 at 7.00pmThursday 1st January 2009 at 5.00pmFriday 2nd January 2009 at 7.00pmSaturday 3rd January 2009 at 2.00pmSaturday 3rd January 2009 at 7.00pm

The Annual General Meeting of the Huntingdon Commemoration Hall

Charity elected Trustees to its twelve-strong Board at a public meeting at the Hall on Thursday 25th September. Around thirty members of the public

New Board of Trustees for Commemoration Hall Charity

attended, comprising existing Charity Trustees, Members of Huntingdon Town Council, representatives of User Groups of the Hall and other community organisations.

Current Chairman Terry Downing gave a report on the Board’s activities for the year and spoke about hopes and aspirations for Huntingdon’s town centre community hall in the future.

Nominations were received in support of Mr David King, of the Huntingdon & Godmanchester Twinning Association and Caledonian Society; Terry Downing, of the Huntingdon Commemoration Hall Charity and the Huntingdonshire Business Network; John Morgan, of the Huntingdon Drama Club; and Mike Gledhill of the Huntingdon Youth Theatre. Also for Collette Nicholls; John Nunn; Dominic Whitehead & Dee Wormald, who are all active members of the town’s community, but elected in their own right at the AGM.

Among the reasons given for nominations were tireless work for

the community; familiarity with the Hall and its operation; dedication in a voluntary capacity; leadership skills; interest in developing the night-time economy of the town; passion for the performing arts; and enthusiasm and networking skills.

All those nominated were unanimously elected by the meeting for a period of two years. The new board differs markedly from the one established two years ago by the Huntingdon Town Council, which as sole Trustee had managed and operated the building since 1974.

Membership of the board by the appointed Members of Huntingdon Town Council has been reduced from six to four members in the latest of a series of steps taken since 2006 to separate the Charity from Local Authority control. Appointed board Members from Huntingdon Town Council are Cllr Doug Adams, Cllr Chris Doyle, Cllr Dave Dransfield and Cllr Jennifer Sarabia.

Director, Chris Topham leads rehearsals

Performing ArtsPerforming Arts


Film Festival

A small but enthusiastic audience enjoyed a quality evening’s entertainment on Saturday 27th September, at the Commemoration Hall, Huntingdon, at the

Huntingdon Youth Town Council’s first Youth Film Festival.

Attended by the Mayor and Mayoress of Huntingdon, Cllr Saeed and Mrs Tasneem Akthar, ten short films were introduced by Youth Council Officials Jonty Bell, Laurence Kennedy and Natalie Kelsey.

“Creep” by Jade Slator had as backing music Radiohead’s song of the same name and was reminiscent of Bob Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues” video, using key words on cards such as “creep”; “weirdo”; and “belong here” to emphasise teenage angst about conforming and acceptance. “Courage” by Amber Walker featured Superchick’s song about anorexia and expressed in film the pressure on young females to attain a perfect body image as portrayed in the media and self loathing and abuse that can result from feelings of failure to do so. Alex Carson’s “Shade” was a suspense-film, with alternating camera angles between a threatening “Shades” character and a young couple visiting the more densely forested areas of Hinchingbrooke Country Park. And Daydream, by Kelly Seargent, set to I Monster’s “Daydream in Blue”, portrayed a girl’s daydream featuring scenes from Huntingdon’s natural and built environment whilst her apparent focus was on a blank piece of paper.

“Stumped” by Beth Abraham, Emma Chisolm, Jess Homewood and Caroline Parker, inspired by the percussion-

Huntingdon Youth Town Council –

Film Festival 2008 HYTCYouth Film Festival

based performance “Stomp”, featured the four creators making their own rythmns and dance out of sweeping the patio with long-handled brooms. “Denizen of Paranoia”,

by Nathan Rogers, was a trailer for what promised to be a tale of intrigue, cover-ups & violence in the pharmaceutical industry. “Green Days” by Briony Hasseler was a poignant comment on teenage drug abuse. “Joe” by Rachael Pett was a humorous information film warning about the risks of being overweight and the need for a balanced diet & exercise to maintain good health. “A Bad Day” by Kelsey Whittey, Kirsty Doyle and Daniel Livermore, was a tongue-in-cheek look at a girl’s “bad” school day owing to a series of misfortunate incidents ranging from slapstick and ridicule to embarrassment and unrequited love. “Haunted”, by Scott Bray, featured the filmmaker in the leading role of a man spending the night in a newly purchased property, alleged to be haunted and had the audience at just the right level of suspense before its shocker end.

The films were judged according to their technical and sound quality as well as on their overall interest to

the viewer and judges Graham Hammond of the Huntingdon Youth Theatre, Laurence Kennedy of the Youth Town Council and the Mayor had a difficult task to agree first, second and third place winners. In reverse order these were A Bad Day; Courage; and Haunted.

In a closing address, the Mayor praised the film makers and the audience and thanked all those involved in the organisation of what was a very successful event, conceived, planned and presented by local young people and one which the Youth Town Council would like to organise again next year.

Clean Sweep for St Peter’s School St Peter’s School was extremely

proud this week as the talent of its A Level film makers was recognised in the Huntingdon Youth Film Festival. Following their screening to a range of invited guests as part of the School’s Screen First programme, seven students entered their films to the competition. The group are St Peter’s first cohort of A Level Media Studies and the School has state of the art filming and editing equipment for their use. Scott Bray won first prize, £200, with his rather scary film, Haunted. The eighteen year old

Kelsie Witty, Daniel Livermore, Kirsty Doyle, Mrs Ford, Scott Bray and Amber Walker

said “We were all overwhelmed when we won”. Amber Walker’s hopeful exploration of anorexia came second, followed by a slapstick comedy from Kirsty Doyle, Daniel Livermore and Kelsie Witty. Head of English Anni Matthew said: ‘We are extremely proud of all the students who have given us just a taste of what they can achieve – we have high hopes for their A2 projects which will be released in the Spring.” The second cohort started this September and will be inspired by the standard set by their award winning predecessors.

HYTCYouth Film Festival

Film Festival

Youth Cllrs Rebecca Harrold; Laurence Kennedy;

Natalie Kelsey and Chairman Jonty Bell.

Cllr Saeed Akthar, Mayor of Huntingdon, with

Chairman Jonty Bell and winner Scott Bray.


Sports News

I ended my last article in the About Town magazines with the words: The sky is our limit! Little did I know then that a few months on I would be sitting down in front

of my computer to report on the fact that not only did 4 of our gymnasts and 2 of our coaches attend the Olympic Games but that one came back with a Bronze medal – the first Olympic medal for British Gymnastics (BG) in 100 years, another made it into the All-round final – still a junior, and coming in at number 20, and yet another gymnast one of the women’s team who came 9th overall – the best record ever by a BG Women’s team. What a result! Our coaches Paul Hall and Monica Desalermos were out there with our gymnasts, making sure that they were in peak condition to take on this most impressive of challenges. Back home, gymnasts, coaches, parents and friends sat with bated breath and watched the story unfold.

Coming homeI was privileged to go down

to London on the day the Olympians returned and it was a wonderful experience to feel the buzz and excitement of watching the aeroplane touch down and to see Paul and the rest of the team come out one by one. The press was out in their numbers. I now know what it feels like to be surrounded by many whirring and flashing cameras – not to mention the television cameras! And now many weeks after the games, we are still being inundated by television crews, newspaper journalists and requests to host any number of events! For those who may not have heard, I am of course referring to Louis Smith, Bronze medalist on the Pommel horse, Daniel Keatings, 20th all-round finalist and Marissa King,

member of the women’s team. Our fourth gymnast, Kayleigh Cooke was first reserve for the women’s team.Gymnastics available to all

It goes without saying that despite all our international recognition, we still continue with all our existing gymnastic goals – i.e. to make the sport of gymnastics available to all children of all ages and abilities. To this end, our recreational classes are working towards their BG badges and will end off the year with a weeks worth of festive gym sessions. Our other gymnasts are busy making their mark in the county and the region as we clock up more medals at this level.Funding

Many people ask me whether the success at the Olympics have made any difference to the funding situation for our new gymnasium. I would love to be able to report that we have been inundated with offers to finance the gym – but unfortunately this has not been the case. It has however given us a huge amount of credibility and is a good springboard from which to launch our requests for money. I can say with confidence that there are many very important people who know that we need a new gym! In the meantime we have put in an application to the Big Lottery fund for £1 million and hope to hear from them in the first quarter of next year. There is the possibility of more money from other sources which will be looked into over the next few months.

In February this year we were awarded £500 000 from Cambridgeshire Horizons, a housing development fund. The money needed to be used in its entirety for one project and we therefore split our plans into 2 phases in order to accommodate these conditions. Even though there is no visible progress on phase 1, I can confirm that there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes – and we hope to start moving earth before Christmas. Phase 1 will give us a new reception area, a new entrance via Mayfield road and various changes within the building to make more effective use of existing space.Thank you

The only thing that remains for me to say is a big ‘thank you’ to all our supporters who have helped to get us this far! The sky is still our limit!

Erica MacKenzie, Facilities Manager, Huntingdon Olympic Gym Club Ltd

Olympic success

Cup winnersHartford Junior Schools football team who were joint winners of the Hunts District Primary Schools Football Association Autumn Term Large Schools ‘A’ Team Tournament which was held in St Ives, on Saturday, 11th October 2008.

The gymnasts and coaches who went to Beijing: Back row left to right – Sam Oldham, Paul Hall, Monica Desalermos; Front row – Marissa King, Kayleigh Cooke, Daniel Keatings and Louis Smith.

The boys are left to right: back row - Callum Brown, Jamie Harrold, Connor Lewis, Manu Machaya; front row - Fraser Jones, George Smith, Jacob Williams, Travis Nightingill.


Sports News

On Sunday 12 October, an estimated 10,000 spectators packed the streets of Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire to support Lola Cars landmark 50th Anniversary parade

of racing cars. The impressive display of 16 cars represented the marque’s most iconic models from the past half century through to Lola’s all-new 2008 designs.

Some of Lola’s most successful drivers were reunited with the winning line-up of cars supporting Lola’s Golden celebration. The Lola legends included John Surtees OBE, Richard Attwood, Hugh Dibley, Teddy Pilette, Chris Craft, Mike Blanchet, James Weaver, Julian Bailey, Anthony Reid and Peter Ashdown. Current racers included Le Mans Series driver Mike Newton, Malaysian A1 Grand Prix driver Fairuz Fauzy and Danny Watts.

At midday and in brilliant autumn sunshine, Cllr Saeed Akthar, the Mayor of Huntingdon, waved the Union Jack to officially start the parade from Lola’s state-of-the-art headquarters in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. The roadside was packed with spectators from start to finish as the snake of 16 cars travelled up the 1.6 route via the local ring road and in to the historic market square where Oliver Cromwell rallied his troops during the Civil War.

Heading up the parade was the all-new RML MG-Lola LMP2 Coupe dressed in the patriotic red, white and blue livery, followed by Lola’s latest track day car B07/90 which had Jonathan Djanogly, MP for the Huntingdon constituency enjoying a passenger ride with sportscar driver Calum Lockie. Other star participants included a Lola T70 Mk111B that cemented the marque’s status in world motorsport during the 1960’s, Sir Jackie Stewart’s 1967 Indy 500 Lola T92 driven by Lola owner and Executive Chairman Martin Birrane and the

Thousands of fans pay tribute to Lola’s Golden Anniversary

Mark 1, the first car built by Lola driven by James Leslie, son of the late, great David Leslie.

At the end of the route the cars parked up in a specially constructed paddock area that had been assembled in Huntingdon’s historic market square. As the crowd eagerly awaited a glimpse of the first Lola cars to enter the paddock they were treated to a display from the Blue Vision Huntingdon Majorette team and a demonstration from the Huntingdon Olympic gymnast club, that trained Louis Smith who recently claimed a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics.

Motorsport presenter and personality Tony Jardine hosted a number of interviews on the Town Hall balcony overlooking the packed out paddock area, with Martin Birrane and the founder of Lola cars, Eric Broadley joining racing legend John Surtees for an enthralling Q & A session. Lola has been located in Huntingdon since 1970 and continues to be an important business for the local community.

Racing cars representing 50 years of motorsport heritage parade on the streets of Huntingdon

Cllr Saeed Akthar, the Mayor of Huntingdon, officially starts the parade

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Community News

Christmas Church Services in Huntingdon

May I take this opportunity of wishing you my sincere best wishes for Christmas and a

prosperous new year.Over the last year we have seen a

gradual economic downturn in the country by which most of us have been affected one way or another or know someone who has.

I truly hope and believe we can get through this period by helping and supporting each other through our unselfish actions and kind words.

I believe Christmas is not always about giving and receiving big and expensive presents but about a time to think about others and to show some extra love, friendship and goodwill. So perhaps, this Christmas, especially, will be a good time to write those extra kind words and messages inside your Christmas cards to show how much you care about your friends, family and loved ones.

This may not be a material or physical present as we have grown to know, but it would mean a lot to those who are suffering at the moment because of the current economic climate; To know that you have family and friends, who


Sunday 7th December 4.00pm Oxmoor Community Carols, Joint Carol Service

at St Barnabas Church, with Trinity Free Church and Medway Christian Fellowship and pupils from Thongsley Fields, Hartford Junior and St John’s Schools. Refreshments and everyone welcome.

Wednesday 10th December7.30 pm Civic Carol Service at St Mary’s, Huntingdon

Friday 19th December7.00pm Tapestry perform at St Barnabas Church

Sunday 21st December 10.00am “Worship the King”: Christmas guest Service

with Huntingdonshire Community Church at the Performing Arts Centre, Hinchingbrooke.

10.30am Nativity Service at Huntingdon Methodist Church11.00am Family Carol Service with the Medway Christian

Fellowship at the Medway Community Centre3.00pm Christingle Service at St Mary’s, Huntingdon4.00pm Christmas Carols at All Saints’, Hartford6.00pm Candlelight Carol Service at Trinity Free

Church,Huntingdon6.30pm – Carol Service at All Saints’ Huntingdon6.30pm – Carol Service at Huntingdon Methodist Church6.30pm – Service at Huntingdon Spiritualist Church

Monday 22nd December6.30 pm Carol Singing in the streets behind St Mary’s

Wednesday 24th December4.00pm Crib Service at All Saints’ Huntingdon4.00pm Nativity Play with Carols at All Saints’, Hartford6.30pm Mass at St Michael’s Roman Catholic7.00pm Family Communion at Huntingdon Methodist

Church11.30pm Midnight Mass at St Mary’s, Huntingdon

(Preacher Rev’d David Shaw)11.30pm Midnight Communion at All Saints’, Hartford11.30pm Mass at St Michael’s Roman Catholic Church

Thursday 25th December9.30am Christmas Day Eucharist at St Barnabas Church10.00am Christmas Communion Service at All Saints’

Huntingdon10.00am Mass at St Michael’s Roman Catholic Church10.00am Christmas Morning Service with the Medway

Christian Fellowship at the Christian Centre, Nene Road

10.30am Christmas Celebration at Huntingdon Methodist Church

10.30am Christmas Praise at Trinity Free Church, Huntingdon

11.00am Christmas Family Service at All Saints’, Hartford

Trinity Free Church and Medway Christian Fellowship are organizing a lunch and tea for people who would otherwise be on their own on Christmas Day.

Please do not be lonely this Christmas. Do come, make friends and enjoy Christmas this year.

Transport will be available.

Full details and essential booking form from Mrs Pearl Phillips Ogle. Phone 01480-454892.

Guests are invited from 12 noon. We plan to finish about 4pm.

In Huntingdon and Godmanchester

invite you to theirAnnual Christmas Day Lunch and Teaat Huntingdon Medway Community Centre

really and truly care, can be the biggest present of all.

Christmas is also a time to think of God through prayer and remembrance and show how much of a friend you are to him. After all, best friends will always look out for each other during good and bad times.

Since having the honour of becoming Mayor, I have been truly overwhelmed by the number of good wishes and comments by people I know but even more so by people I have never seen or met before. Thank you for all your kind thoughts and good wishes.

Thank you to everyone who is helping me to raise money for my chosen local charities and for everyone who has supported me by attending fundraising events and giving and sponsoring so generously. May God bless you and reward you for all your efforts and generosity.

Lastly, I would like to wish everyone in Huntingdon a happy Christmas filled with peace and love and hope we all have a prosperous new year.

Sincere best wishes,Cllr Saeed Akthar

Mayor of Huntingdon.

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Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all of us at Huntingdon Town Council

Christmas Message from The Mayor of Huntingdon

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