CCC - Cottenham Community Centre

THANKS A MILLION!
The Cottenham Community Centre (CCC) trustees would like to extend a heartfelt thank-you to all of the people from the Fen Edge villages who phoned in to support our People’s Millions campaign last November. We were disappointed not to win against the Rowan Gate primary School in the TV head-to-head, but we were philosophical that we hadn’t a chance against their wonderful appeal to improve the hydrotherapy facilities for their disabled pupils.

However, disappointment was short lived. A few days later we were contacted by ITV to say that we had won the highest-placed runner-up prize. Not only were we the highestplaced runner up, we were also the second-highest-polling entrant in the Anglia region and in the top ten polling organisations in the whole of the UK.

If you are not familiar with the CCC, we are a charity which was formed to take on the old Methodist Church in Cottenham (opposite the Co-op on the High Street). Our plan is to convert the old church itself into a community coffee shop which will be available to the people of Cottenham and surrounding villages as a place to meet and socialise. The building complex also consists of two halls and some smaller rooms which will be available for hire for community use.

Since winning the People’s Millions money we have obtained planning permission from South Cambs. District Council for the change of use of the building and we are now in a position to negotiate a lease with the Methodist church which will allow us to use the building for a long period.

Once the lease is agreed we can begin to spend the money we have won from the People’s
Millions to make the community coffee shop a reality. Our plan is to have the coffee shop open for business at the beginning of September this year.

But that is only the start. As with all old church buildings, the roof is not in great condition and needs a lot of work. There are lots of other things that need to be done too. We will have to continue to work hard to raise money to do these things as well. However, the People’s Millions success gives us heart to continue the work.

Once we are open we would love to see you for a coffee whether you are based in Cottenham or passing through.

Eddie Murphy
Chairman, CCC Trustees.

Family Festival Party Weekend - 27 - 29 Nov
Fen Edge Community Association and CCC held a party weekend on 27-29 November and with the People’s Millions success for CCC it became quite a celebration. On Friday the band Mind the Gap were super and 200 people danced the night away at Cottenham Village College.

On Saturday lots of youngsters had a great time with Sheila Gosling doing Art and drama at CCC and they certainly have the largest Thanksgiving Turkey in the Fen Edge. On Saturday evening at CVC Siobhan and Tim Lihoreau’s singing groups Big Mouth and Vox Pop sang most beautifully and with infectious enthusiasm.
World Musik Makers – a really great African drumming band, followed them. The evening finished with an impressive disco.

On Sunday 50 people enjoyed a wonderful Turkey dinner at CCC arranged by Julie Percival. The ministers from All Saints Parish church, Salvation Army and the Baptist Church enthused young and old alike with a beautiful nativity story employing super knitted dolls and a presentation on a screen so everyone could see really well. A real
ecumenical event, especially bearing in mind this was in the former Methodist Church!

Cottenham Brass band were super and had everyone singing carols. Parents and their youngsters fi lled the hall for the disco and were no doubt “sore amazed” at the Winter Wonderland with Santa’s Grotto, Fireplace etc. designed and built by Nik Percival in the former chapel. Thank you to The Corner Shop for sponsoring all this. Then those that
braved the rain proceeded to Oakington Road to see the wonderful lights switched on and meet father Xmas again.

Many thanks to Wane Borg of FECA without whose ideas and dynamic approach this weekend would never have happened.

And for future FECA events do keep an eye on the website and also sign up as a supporter so you receive regular messages of events. The next big event will be Textiles in Focus in February.
Many thanks for your interest and support.
Mike Smith

Fens’ Fantastic Family Festival 2009
If you missed this year’s Fen Edge Family Festival in June, you were probably living on another planet – or at least, out of the country for several weeks. The biannual event – the largest so far since it was first held in 2005 – saw around 150 events taking place over four days from Thursday 18th to Sunday 21st June, and crowds of up to 12,000 are estimated to have attended – not only from the five Fen Edge villages of Cottenham, Willingham, Rampton, Landbeach and Waterbeach – but from across the eastern region and far beyond.

The majority of events took place at the Village Green and Cottenham Village College, but the Former Methodist Church, which has been converted to become the new Cottenham Community Centre, hosted a number of children’s activities. Events also took place at the Baptist Church, Salvation Army Hall and All Saints Church, and on the Sunday afternoon, around a dozen of Cottenham’s most stunning private gardens were opened to the public to show off their impressive views.

It is almost impossible to list the ‘highlights’ of the event, because there were so many, and those attending might have a considerable challenge agreeing on a shortlist as there were numerous events for every age group and interest. Among the most popular though must have been the 3 seconds or so that it took The Red Arrows to fly across the Village Green and Village College (thankfully, we weren’t paying their fuel bills!), and the amazing concerts by the Galaxy Big Band, Batanai African Band and singers from the Children of the Kingdom Gospel Choir. However, if you were aged 13 or over, then the ‘Drive A Car’ event will no doubt have been better by far than any
other event. That’s right… a rare opportunity for teenagers to get behind the wheel of a real car and try their hand at driving – without breaking the law. For the younger (and in many cases, older) folks, quad bike racing must have been the favoured event. I only know this because I could see the saucer-shaped hole that was being dug ever deeper by the endless circuits being gouged into the formerly beautifully manicured school playing field over the weekend! For those who enjoy retail therapy, the 100 or so market stalls offering food, drink, nick nacks and gifts could have meant spending the entire weekend shopping. Fortunately they also had the opportunity to take part in
many other events such as the world’s slowest bike race and the Olympic-reject event, carrot-flinging. If being competitive with a carrot was not your thing, perhaps you took the Monster Sculpture Competition challenge? Rosettes were awarded and the standards this year achieved dizzy new artistic heights. Animal lovers did not go away disappointed – Sunday saw a range of penned farm animals and also a visit by the Petwise mobile petting zoo. This year for the first time, a pet blessing took place, courtesy of All Saints’ Church Rector, The Reverend Kylie Hodgins, and judging by the number of animals in attendance, the Fen Edge villages ought to reconsider branding
themselves as a safari adventure park!

Of course, putting the Fen Edge Family Festival together was no mean feat of achievement. A small team of volunteers worked over many months to get the ball rolling – planning, event booking and co-ordination, management, market stall sales, marketing and publicity, finance, fundraising, health and safety planning… the list is endless. As the Festival came nearer, a far larger group of volunteers was recruited to help undertake the stewarding, setting up and taking down of events, cleaning, Traffic management and so on. Then there was the amazing generosity of our sponsors who provided both cash and support in kind – in seemingly ever-increasing amounts – and all this despite the very serious recession which has affected every local supplier. So for all these people and the many local organisations who have provided their time voluntarily, as well as money, products and services to the benefit of the Fen Edge Family Festival, we must say a huge THANK YOU and we look forward to the next Festival in June 2011. We’ll be looking for even more volunteers and sponsors next time, so if you’d like to help or even to find out more about what opportunities there are to be involved, please email festival@fenedge.co.uk. If you cannot wait until the summer of 2011, then keep your eyes peeled for the various local networks and the Fen Edge News, because the Festival team just might have some exciting news about other events in the meantime.

Oh, and finally… if you want to stay in touch and see the highlights of this year's Festival, visit the website at www.fenedgefestival.co.uk and see the hundreds of photos at www.flickr.com/fenedgefestival

FUN RUN 2008

The 2008 Fun Run took place on Saturday 10 May in glorious sunshine, with over 200 entrants. The overall winner was Leon stone in the very fast time of 24m 21s, which I think (looking over results of recent years) might be a personal best. Thank you to everyone who took part and to everyone who helped with the publicity, marshalling, registration, scoring and sound system. The latest revised 2008 results are available here. Please let me know at loveluck@ntlworld.com if there are any errors or mis-spellings that you would like corrected in the final version

The 2007 results are still available if you wish to compare your times

Eco-friendly Design Visit

The Cottenham Village Design Group invited members to a visit to Renewable Energy Systems Limited (http://www.res-ltd.com/) headquarters at the former Ovaltine Egg Farm Lane ecological headquarters building in Kings Langley near Watford. Details for your own educational visit can be found at http://www.beaufortcourt.com/.

The trip was a fun day out for members and family. The event included sustainable low-carbon architecture such as natural aquifer water cooling throughout the building, rather than energy hungry air-conditioning. The building incorporated shading and planting to reduce solar gain, and an on site windmill for power. Elephant grass is harvested twice yearly and turned into pellets to provide winter heating and hot water. Less productive measures such as a solar heated water storage 'lake' were also demonstrated, giving a balanced overview of the considerations of eco-friendly design. The event ended with a group pub visit. The trip was enjoyed by all.

If you are interested in the Cottenham Village Design Group or wish to become a member, please contact Alan Leeks, Membership Secretary at info@cvdg.org

Alternatively, visit our stand at the Autumn Show, we will be holding a competition for everyone to get involved, and you can become a member at the event. Membership is £4.00 per year and includes quarterly news letters and invitation to members trips.

Kate Heydon,
CVDG Secretary and Information Officer.

If you wish to submit anything for the latest community news page, then please email fenedge news with appropriate content.

Autumn Show 2010 - Saturday 11th September at Cottenham Village College

11:30am – 4:00pm

Entry: Child 50p / Adult £1

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL SCHEDULE OF SECTIONS AND ENTRY FORM

New this year

• Celebration of Village Life Exhibition – could you contribute?
• Gardeners’ Club – Doctor Green fingers; bring along your sick plants and ruined vegetables for a full diagnosis!
• Children’s Charity Bring & Buy Sale
• Build a Scarecrow!

Many of you take an interest in gardening, growing your own vegetables, fruit and flowers.  We would love to see them on display at the show.  Cottenham Gardeners’ Club is highly involved in this year’s show and will be presenting a special prize to the person who scores most points in the gardening sections. 

This is in addition to the usual prizes awarded by Fen Edge Community Association for the best exhibit in each section, the overall winner in each age group and the family/team prize.  The gardeners’ club will compile some guidelines to help exhibitors in the gardening sections and will be running a plant clinic.  There is also a novice class for people new to showing their vegetables or flowers and pot plants in the show – so please don’t be shy! 

Other sections you may like to enter exhibits include cookery, preserves, wine and beer, art and craft, photography and of course the Just for Fun section. 

A new section this year is a group entry to make a scarecrow – that sounds like a fun thing to do during the summer holidays.   Further details are on the website www.fenedge.co.uk and the full schedule was in the June/July issue of Cottenham Newsletter – bright yellow double-folded A4 sheet.  Copies of the schedule will be in shops in the Fen Edge Villages in August.

Visit our plant clinic (Run by Cottenham Gardeners’ Club)

Coming to the Autumn Show? Then make a point of visiting our plant Clinic.  From 2pm to 4pm Doctor Greenfingers will be on hand, free of charge, to answer all your gardening problems.  What is the pest or disease that is ruining your vegetables?  What plant food would stop your plants from turning yellow?  What is the name of this flower, which puts on such a display every July?  What is this pernicious weed that is colonising your flowerbeds. 

The best way to proceed is to bring along the sick plant, vegetable or fruit for diagnosis.  In the case of trees or shrubs a photo will do.

Who knows? Some good advice this autumn could lead to show winning plants in 2012.

Children will be very welcome at the Autumn Show and we hope many of them will enter exhibits.  Any item completed over the last 12 months of craft/artwork etc that fits into a category can be entered. 

There will be a children’s art workshop running from 11.30 to 2.30, followed by story time for the 7 and under age group.  These activities were great fun in 2008, (remember the cabbage heads?) and promises to be fun again this year too with a different activity.

The Rainbows, Brownies and Guides will be running a Charity Bring & Buy Sale from 11.30am so do come and pick up a bargain.  Donated gifts, books and toys (in good working and complete condition please) can be left on either Friday evening 6:30-8:30pm or 8:30am onwards on Saturday.  For further information please contact Dani Wykes 01954 250324. 

A Celebration of Village Life exhibition will replace the craft fair this year. This will illustrate various aspects of life past and present, looking at how a Fen Edge village has changed over the years, from cheese-making, basket weaving and apple growing to the diverse array of skills and enterprises found in the village today. Do you have a cheese or cider press, an original basket or country skills (wine, cordial making?) or knowledge? If you could contribute to this in any way please get in touch with Sue Colquhoun on 01954 250278 and please come and contribute. Exhibitions and demonstrations from various groups will be on show from 11.30am – 4:00pm.

There will be the usual produce stall - If you have spare produce from your fruit or vegetable gardens, please donate it to the Produce Stall before 11.30am.

Refreshments and lunches will be on sale, all prepared and served by Cottenham W.I.

“WEST ROAD STORY”
I never met ‘Old Man Cooper’ who built the cavernous triple garage in his back garden, to house his prize Merc. He was, by all accounts, a larger than life chap who desired a suitable home for his pride and joy, back in the early 70s.

Today, it still stands albeit in modifi ed form, behind the perennially deceptive Cottenham High Street, where, each week, it houses our pride and joy : a trio of community choirs which go by the names TongueTwisters, VoxPop and BigMouth. Of late, I think it’s fair to say, their meetings have taken on an added urgency, bringing with them that largely indefi nable frisson that accompanies the preparation for a big gig.

Their biggest gig ever, in fact : West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge. On Sunday the 18th of April, the renowned auditorium, previously host to the great orchestras from around the world, will reverberate with sound of full-force, enthusiastic, 7-part harmony as all three choirs come together. “WEST ROAD STORY” as the posters proclaim, will be essentially a celebration of great musicals, and a lot more besides.

The 40 strong, melting faces of TongueTwisters (where members start from 4 years old) will merge with the teenage choir VoxPop (aged 11-16) and the adults BigMouth (aged: “we’d rather not say”). Had you told us, a few years ago when the fi rst rehearsals began, that we would one day have booked West Road, home of the Academy of Ancient Music, well…I would have told you the rain would sooner fall red.

A FAVOUR!
Show’s you what I know. On that Sunday night all three choirs will have, no doubt, a feeling of pride at how far they have come - and so they should. The delightful children, veterans and one-time Finalists of three Music for Youth Festivals, will have their adorable smiles; the teenagers, a group of talented Britons, will have, in my view, more X-Factor than an entire series of Saturday nights; and the grown-ups…well, they will have first-hand knowledge of the true meaning of the phrase “butterfl ies in my stomach”.

What they WON’T have, however, is a collective name. 40 or so TongueTwisters, 20 or so VoxPops, and between 40 and 50 BigMouths. What do you call that 100+ strong wall of sound? Please give us your suggestions, and we’ll unveil the name at West Road, on the 18th, amidst music by Bernstein, Loesser, Lloyd-Webber, Sondheim, Rutter, Chilcott, et al.

“There’s a bottle of bubby in it if you come up with the winning name. Cheers.”

[TongueTwisters childrens choir, Vox Pop and Big Mouth will be performing at West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge, on Sunday 18th April at 6.30pm. Please come and support us...
For tickets, email sallyvail@uwclub.net or simply buy from Shaun’s Newsagents.]

Siobhan and Tim Lihoreau

FUN RUN 2010 is go!

Cottenham’s annual Fun Run and Market is being held on Saturday 8th May.

Not only will there be the usual 4.5mile course, but NEW to this year is a shorter route for the younger members of the community!

4.5 mile course: Last year there were over 200 runners completing the course. The runners will be starting and finishing at the Village College. There will be a medal ceremony, with awards for the first 3 runners home in each category as well as to the winners in the team events. This will take place at around 12 noon.

2 mile course: New to this year will be a shorter route which will be ideally suited for younger children. This route will start and finish at the Village College, but will also take you around the Primary School field. Don’t forget that this is a FUN run, so bring along the whole family and dress up, run, toddle or walk the course. Every child that completes the run will receive a reward for doing so. IMPORTANT – children must be accompanied by an adult, and although the route will be marshaled, they will remain the responsibility of that adult throughout the race. Thank you to The Ladybird Pre-School for supporting this course.

Sponsorship: This would be a great opportunity for runners to raise money for a charity of their choice. It is up to the runners to arrange their own sponsorship for the run, this will not be the responsibility of the Fun Run committee. (Please note that it is not a requirement to obtain sponsorship in order to participate).

Market: There will also be a market at the college with stalls and refreshments from 9.30 am to keep you occupied while waiting for the runners to come back into view.

Entrance:
Adult runners £5.00
Children and Village College student runners £2.50 (adults accompanying children on the shorter route are free)

Times:
Registration is from 9 a.m. at the Village College
4.5 mile run starts at 10.30 a.m.
2 mile run starts at 10:40am
Market is from 9.30 a.m.

Contact:
For enquires about entering ring 01954 200309
To book a market stall ring 01954  288751

Farmland Museum at Denny Abbey
Have you ever thought of learning a new craft or creative skill? Or perhaps you are simply
looking for a different way to spend your leisure time.
Then The Farmland Museum at Denny Abbey on Ely Road may just have the thing you’re
looking for. From Spring right through to Autumn you’ll find a range of inspirational adult art and craft workshops available to attend. With knowledgeable tutors, choose from one day or two workshops, and learn techniques in life drawing, painting or even garden willow weaving, basket making and plant-dyeing. Beginners welcome.
Places are limited so pre-booking is essential.
Please contact the museum for further details on 01223 860988.

April 11 and October 10, 10am to 1pm
TUTORED LIFE DRAWING
Ann Biggs, an experienced tutor, will lead this session working with a professional life model. She will provide tutoring to those that are new to life drawing and guidance to the more experienced. NB - Please bring your own materials.
Cost: £13, £16 with lunch included
(Lunch will consist of a selection of freshly fi lled rolls and delicious slices
of homemade cake)

June 5 & 6, 10am to 4pm
WEEKEND ART WORKSHOP
Taking inspiration from the museum, abbey and collections Ann Biggs, a local wildlife artist, will
lead this drawing focused workshop. Experiment using a variety of sketching techniques with your choice of drawing materials. Suitable for adults of both beginner and advanced level.
NB - Please bring your own materials and a packed lunch.
Cost: £27 for both days, £17 for any one day

September 4 & 5, 10am to 4pm
WEEKEND ART WORKSHOP
A second chance to attend a weekend art workshop in the beautiful setting of the Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey with the expert tuition of Ann Biggs. This weekend will focus on painting and sketching techniques.
NB - Please bring your own materials and a packed lunch.
Cost: £27 for both days, £17 for any one day

August 15, 10am to 5pm, £49
September 12, 10am to 5pm, £49
PLANT-DYEING WORKSHOPS
Suitable for all levels, including beginners
Explore the colourful world of the plant kingdom with Jenny Dean
On this course, students will discover some of the sources of rich, glowing dye colours to be found in the plant world. Participants will learn how to apply natural dye colours to textile fibres, using a variety of materials and techniques. By the end of the day, each student will have a personal set of sample cards for future reference and the knowledge to further explore this fascinating ancient craft.

WILLOW WEAVING WORKSHOPS
Discover the wonderful world of willow and the traditional craft of basket-making.
These workshops will be led by Sandra Barker who demonstrates, teaches and works throughout the world. Trained in London and Europe, Sandra is a Yeoman of the Worshipful
Company of Basket-makers, of whom there are only eight worldwide.

MAKE A BASKET IN A DAY! August 28, 10am to 5pm, October 17, 10am to 5pm Cost: Aug 28, £45 (Materials included) Oct 17, £45 (Materials included)
GARDEN WILLOW WEAVING, April 24 & 25, 10am to 5pm Cost: £57 for
both days, £45 for only Saturday
N.B. Pricing of materials not included. Please bring
£5-6 for materials to be purchased on day

DENNY ABBEY, ELY ROAD, WATERBEACH, CAMBRIDGE CB25 9PQ
TEL / FAX 01223 860988(Office).
info@farmlandmuseum.org.uk www.dennyfarmlandmuseum.org.uk
www.cambridgelifemuseums.org.uk

New Five -a- side League at Cottenham Sports Centre

Cambridgeshire FA in partnership with Cottenham Sports Centre has established Cambs FIVES as a way of further increasing participation levels in affiliated football by offering Small Sided Football opportunities in the area.

Cambs FIVES is a professionally organised 5-a-side league offering you weekly competitive games with local teams.

Get fit, keep fit and have a great evening out with your mates. Enjoy hassle free competitive league football, as our organisers are on hand to arrange everything and ensure the evenings run smoothly. All matches are officiated by a qualified FA registered referee. All league fixtures and results are available the website so you can check how your team is doing.
Cost is £25 per night for the whole team.

Cambs FIVES is running both male and female leagues.
Men’s Leagues:
Mondays: 9pm -10pm
Thursdays: 9pm -10pm

Women’s League:
Mondays 8-9pm

New teams always wanted - for further information or an application form please see
www.cambridgeshirefa.com or contact Jo Bull on 01223 209034 or email
Joanne.Bull@Cambridgeshirefa.com