Children from Pink and Red classes at Linton Infants School
were loud and lively sheep for the school’s Nativity play, "The Grumpy
Sheep", in December.
However, they all looked very happy to have their photograph taken. And their
parents flocked to see them…
Larger 30mph speed signs are to be placed at entrances to
Linton under a project initiated by the Parish Council a year ago and rubber
stamped recently by the South Cambridgeshire environment and transport area
joint committee
THE last three issues of the Linton News have given considerable space to
residents’ concerns about traffic speed and congestion in the village,
especially in the High Street and on the A1307.
Readers’ letters continue to broaden this discussion. As Jenny Roland and
Chris Griffiths write in this month’s issue (page 2), the A1307 – dividing
the Grip area from the main part of the village – is a proven hazard to local
people.
Although there is concern about the safety of our children in the High Street,
the dangers are not confined to youngsters nor to the busiest hours. Delivery
lorries, buses and cars mount the pavements of our narrow streets at even the
quietest times, as many dog-walkers and daytime shoppers can testify.
Individual action has an effect, as Tracey Russell’s recent campaign in the
village shows (page 2). More than 80 residents responded to her request for
written support at her County Council appearance in December, a figure which
impressed the meeting. There is every indication that a much larger proportion
of Linton residents support the various suggestions for improvements to our road
safety that have been published in the Linton News and talked about generally.
The risk at this stage is that people’s good will, commitment and
determination will dissipate if there is no established focus for action and
debate on these issues.
The Linton News guarantees to publish all articles and letters concerning road
safety in our village, whatever the reader’s point of view – with our usual
reminder that all material submitted for publication must contain the writer’s
full name and address (even if these are not published).
However, a monthly local publication can only do so much, just as one individual’s
efforts are necessarily limited. Is this the time for a new traffic action group
to be formed in the village? How much extra support does the Parish Council need
to maintain some forward movement on traffic management in Linton? What do you
think? We look forward to your views. Sally Simmons
Readers Write, page 2
Traffic forms, page 6
AT Last! The roof has been replaced on the Social Centre—and
very fine it looks, too. Five years on from when it was deemed necessary,
following furious bouts of fund-raising, so many people should be thanked for
their contributions. I will try to name them all but if I should omit any,
please accept my apologies.
The total cost of the new roof has been in the region of £16,500. The Parish
Council have donated £8,000 over four years, with South Cambs District Council
adding £2,000 by way of a grant. The remaining £6,500 has come from the Social
Centre’s own funds and donations from private individuals. The groups who use
the Social Centre on a regular basis—Mrs Pinna Dockerill (Whist Club), the
Linton WI, Linton and District Gardening Club, the Linton Historical Society,
Linton Carpet Bowls—have been unstinting in their fund-raising efforts. The
private individuals, many of whom have not only given their hard earned cash but
also their time and effort, deserve a big thank you from us all.
The Social Centre is a very valuable asset to the village and I am glad to say
that bookings remain very buoyant. One of the financial mainstays is the private
bookings on Friday and Saturday evenings for parties, wedding receptions, etc.
The hall can accommodate up to 220 people and has a Public Entertainments
licence and kitchen facilities. There is also a smaller Meeting Room, currently
used by the WEA and Linton Chess Club, which can accommodate approximately 30
people.
However, as is the case with most things these days, we cannot afford to rest on
our laurels. The Social Centre has to conform to the new Disabled Act by 2004.
This will entail the provision of a separate disabled toilet amongst other
things. So the fund-raising continues! Watch the Linton News for details of fund
raising events and keep the bookings coming.
Once again, thank you to all who have made the new roof possible—and if you
haven’t hired or made use of the facilities at the Social Centre yet, perhaps
it is time you did!
Secretary
IS the Church of England facing a crisis of support? In
Cambridgeshire, the percentage of people going to church on a Sunday has halved
in less than 12 years. Now the total is just 7 per cent.
In Linton, the actual drop has not been as dramatic but – as the Reverend
Julian Thomson, Rector of St Mary’s Church, points out – this disguises the
underlying fall because attendance has not kept pace with population growth.
Throughout the country, smaller churches are having a difficult time just
staying open and the Church of England is forever looking for new ways to keep
people in the Christian faith.
Religions practised among ethnic minorities are strongly supported and growing,
judged against their potential congregations, and less formal expressions of
spiritual beliefs are increasingly popular. But for most Christians, the church
is somewhere to go for special occasions like Christmas, weddings and funerals.
Julian Thomson surveys the current situation locally on page 3;
Jeremy Bray explains his faith on page 4;
June and John Keeble describe their visits to Chinese temples in Thailand on
page 4. LNT
AS reported in the 28th November edition of the Emmons County
Record, the Linton Chamber of Commerce (North Dakota) held their third annual
light up night.
One of the highlights was a parade of lighted floats. Prizes were awarded for
different categories (Most Light, Most Creative, Best Theme, Best Comedy). A new
feature this year was a horse-drawn wagon giving rides to people of all ages
throughout the evening. Also there was a live Nativity Scene, with children
lining up to have their pictures taken with Santa, and a draw for turkeys every
15 minutes.
In the same November issue of the Emmons County Record, the editor also reported
on the Thanksgiving weekend that his family had enjoyed. Their Thanksgiving meal
ended with the following prayer:
We come to this table today, O Lord, humble and thankful and glad.
We thank Thee first for the great miracle of life, for the exaltation of being
human, for the capacity to love.
We thank Thee for joys both great and simple –
For wonder, dreams and hope;
For the newness of each day;
For laughter and song and a merry heart;
For compassion waiting within to be kindled;
For the forbearance of friends and the smile of a stranger;
For the arching of the earth and trees and heavens and the fruit of all three;
For the wisdom of the old;
For the courage of the young;
For the promise of the child;
For the strength that comes when needed;
For this family united here today.
Of those to whom much is given, much is required. May we and our children
remember this. Amen.
Wise words, which I think are appropriate as we officially begin the 21st
century (January 1st 2001).
The Record’s editor, Allan Burke, ended with a footnote regarding the sack of
oranges his wife had purchased for the Thanksgiving celebrations. On noticing
that they were from Florida, he asked her to take them back and demand a
recount!
Thanks to Allan for cheering me up whenever his paper comes through my door.
Family values are very important in Linton, ND and the town is clearly very
close as a community.
I will continue to report snippets of their news when space in the Linton News
allows.
TW
Dear Editor
I would like to thank everyone who supported my campaign for ‘Safety on our
Roads’. I received in excess of 80 letters from residents and visitors to
Linton.
These letters were extremely useful in the preparation of my speech to support
my petition to the South Cambridgeshire Environment and Transport Area Joint
Committee meeting on the 5th December.
Mr David Brace, from traffic management, was sitting on this committee and I
persuaded him to accompany me to school, the day before, to experience our
problems first hand.
The congestion was exacerbated by the poor weather conditions. Speeding cars
down Horseheath Road and poor visibility at the Balsham Road/High Street
junction was noted. One delivery lorry was parked outside the Co-op thus
preventing other large vehicles passing unless they mounted the pavement.
Another delivery lorry was parked on the pavement, close to the wall, between
Green Lane and Mill Lane.
A postman cycled on the pavement up one side of the High Street, then returned
on the other pavement.
Buses and cars were mounting the pavements in abundance. The step in the High
Street, broken by a lorry, was pointed out, as was the sign bent by several
lorries outside Mill Lane.
The brewery lorry missed a house by half an inch and then drove about 20 metres
along the pavement outside the school.
We were forced into the school driveway by a double decker bus driving on the
pavement.
After the peak parking time had passed we observed that there were only six
spaces available in the Coles Lane car park.
Mr Brace returned on Tuesday 5th December to observe pedestrians, including
infant school pupils, attempting to cross the A1307 from the Grip.
As a result of my petition, the committee has launched an investigation into our
traffic problems. I will attend their next meeting in three months time and
update you on any progress.
If you experience any incident that you feel threatens your safety in Linton
(not just the High Street) I urge you to write to: The Parish Clerk, Linton
Parish Council, Social Centre, Coles Lane, Linton.
A summary of the points raised in your letters and a copy of my speech are
available on application to Gill Barker, the Parish Clerk.
Although my emphasis is on children, I am campaigning for the safety of us all,
regardless of route or method of travel.
TR
Dear Editor,
Having recently had a meeting with David Brace from the Highways Department at
Cambridgeshire County Council to discuss our problems trying to cross the A1307
at the top of Linton High Street, I was intrigued to read Terry Bear (Linton
News, December) refer to the refuge island as a sheep pen.
It doesn’t exactly sound like a protective area for adults and children to
seek protection from speeding traffic.
He also said that the refuge would not be repaired again as it was uneconomical,
which I think we would all agree with, but what is done instead? He has passed
the problem onto the engineers’ department, but will they bother to contact
the people that actually use it? Or will they blindly spend more money on
something that is equally unsuitable?
Traffic thunders through the village on this section of road at more than 40mph
and no one seems to take any notice.
The problems being experienced in Linton as a whole are partly due to the
unchecked speeds on this section of road. People turn off into the High Street
and do not realise that they are travelling at the wrong speed for a built up
area.
If I had my way the traffic on the A1307 through Linton would also have a speed
restriction of 30mph, as there is just as much potential for accidents here as
anywhere else in the village, if not greater, due to the volume of traffic.
We have already sent a questionnaire to residents on the south side of the A1307
and have been told by David Brace that if we had the names of all those who
replied on a petition, then we too would be allowed to speak at the transport
committee meeting, as Tracey Russell has just done concerning the High Street.
The questionnaire has revealed some interesting views and is much more useful
than a list of names, but we will be asking people to sign a petition and will
hopefully have our views recognised, as at present they do not see our point of
view.
How would you feel if you were offered a sheep pen as a form of protection from
the rush hour traffic on the A1307, which is bound to become worse with the
building programme in Haverhill?
JR
Dear Editor
Everybody seems to think they know the answer to Linton’s traffic problem.
A one-way system worked well when the new kerbstones were being laid, and I don’t
think we could improve this system.
I suggest that the High Street starting from the Green Hill end should be one
way up to the fire station. This would ease the traffic outside the Infants’
School and make it safer for the lollipop man and children crossing the road at
this point.
So everything is going one way, easy to get to Symond’s House, the Health
Centre, the Co-op and to Balsham Road.
Coming down Balsham Road one could turn right to Hildersham, or turn left to the
Heights school in Wheatsheaf Way.
Oh! You are thinking how do we get ‘out’? Well, if coming up the High
Street, branch right after the fire station and follow it along until it meets
the A1307.
Now this is the crunch – at this junction there is a lot of land on each
corner making it quite easy to put in a new roundabout.
This would have quite a few benefits:
1) Easy access out of the Horseheath Road onto A1307;
2) Easy access out of the Bartlow Road onto A1307;
3) Slowing traffic approaching Linton from Haverhill and a 40mph sign here;
4) At the Hadstock Road junction change the 40mph to 30mph.
Do we wait until someone is seriously injured or killed before a decision is
made?
At the top of the High Street there is a ‘sheep pen’ which seems to be
crippled every few weeks – a set of ‘pedestrian lights’ may be a good idea
here. It could save a mum and child from injury or worse.
I know you can’t please all the people all the time, but possibly we could
please some of the people some of the time.
CG
Dear Editor
My daughter, Sylvie Briscoe (LVC and Hills Road) is working in Uganda managing a
sanctuary for orphan chimpanzees. The chimps are mainly the victims of the wars
in East Africa or the bush meat trade.
The sanctuary is based on the island of Ngamba in Lake Victoria. It is here that
young chimps are weaned, introduced to the older established chimps and taught
how to cope with jungle life without the benefits of a mum to teach them how to
survive. The sanctuary workers, both paid Ugandan and foreign volunteers, find
it difficult to keep in touch when out in the jungle with the chimps.
If anyone is hoping to replace their mobile phone this Christmas, or if someone
has a digital phone languishing in a drawer and would be happy to donate it to
the Ngamba Chimpanzee Sanctuary, I would be delighted to hear from you.
They are looking for a manual typewriter too!
DB
Dear Editor
How useful to have a local newspaper giving details of local tradesmen – or it
would be if it were possible to get some response.
Earlier this year, in need of some external decorating, I called one of the
advertisers, leaving a full message on their answer machine. Response to date
– nil.
More recently, in pursuit of somebody to undertake some non-urgent plumbing
work, I called another advertiser, again leaving a message on the answer
machine. Response to date – nil.
After 10 days of waiting I called another advertising plumber, and once again
left a message on the answer machine. Response to date – nil.
I am loath to adopt a "name and shame" approach. Suffice to say that
my business has gone elsewhere, probably to the detriment of local tradesmen’s
bank balances, and certainly with considerable damage to their public relations.
I wonder whether others of your readers have encountered the same indifference?
CWA
Dear Editor
Isn’t it great to have the extra recycling facility in the car park? I used to
collect my junk mail, white office paper, greetings cards, etc, and recycle them
in the car park at Simsbury's, Haverhill. When that collection point was
taken away, my rubbish bags grew noticeably.
Now we have the new facility, I have been very exuberant about clearing out
cupboards and drawers, getting rid of old Christmas and birthday cards that I
thought I ought to keep, and I manage to reduce my mail delivery by over half
most days.
Trouble is, I have been a bit too exuberant, and I may have inadvertently
recycled a letter that should have appeared in this month’s Linton News, that
I had collected from the Post Office box.
I send my sincere apologies to the author, and I am sure we will find space in
the next edition if the subject is still relevant.
Yours in disgrace,
TW
Typesetter, Linton News
IN
1979, 13.4% of Cambridgeshire people went to church on Sunday. Today that figure
has fallen to 7%.
Nationally 3.7 million people come to church every week, and 8 million people
come at least once a year.
The number of children attending Sunday school has halved in the last 20 years,
from 1.4 million to 700,000.
Here in Linton there is no room for complacency.
Taking the three congregations together, Anglican, Free Church (URC) and Roman
Catholic, 8% of Linton people are in church each Sunday. And of that 8% a
quarter are children.
Numbers have not dropped significantly since 1979, but the population of Linton
has grown in the past 20 years.
So, Sunday by Sunday about 335 people (250 adults / 85 children) go to church in
our village.
December is the complete exception each year however. From the Christingle
Service through to the Christmas Day 4pm Family Carol Service the number of
extra worshippers rises to 1,400. And that is just St Mary’s. Over the
Christmas period 20% of Linton goes to church.
Do these national and local statistics provide any clue as to whether the
Christian Church has a future?
Although there are notable exceptions, small rural churches are finding it more
difficult to keep open, pay their annual bills (say £5,000) and find money to
keep their church in reasonable repair.
Larger Anglican church communities must create sufficient depth of lay
leadership and all-age work with families in order to ensure that a rising
generation of people are nurtured in the Christian Faith. For without young
people being taught and catching faith the Church has no future.
But the Church is not a building – the Church is the people. The church
building is where they happen to meet.
I do believe that the Church must always be the servant of the people. And for
the Church of England, thankfully, the
The Rev Julian Thomson: ‘the Church is the servant of the people’ people
means the whole community.
It is my great joy, and a responsibility, which I happily share with many gifted
and committed laypeople, that I am the pastor, the vicar, for everybody within
the civil parish of Linton. Should that ever cease in the future it is my belief
that you and I would be much the poorer.
(The national statistics are taken from the 1998 English Church Attendance
Survey. The local Linton figures are ones supplied by each denomination.)
Faith today, part 2: What do today’s worshippers get from Christianity? Jeremy Bray explains his personal reasons
ON the face of it molecular biologists are a reductionist
lot. We are "nothing but" bags of genes which use us for their own
purposes to propagate themselves.
Such "nothing buttery" might be taken to characterise the dominant
faith of molecular genetics which is now our basic industry on this side of
Cambridge.
But that conceals an excitement and enthusiasm which knows we tread on holy
ground, which knows we have made a mess of the faith of our forebears and does
not want to make matters worse.
Karl Rahner, the Catholic theologian who had such an influence on Vatican II,
said that the incarnation, the birth and life and death of Jesus, can be brought
into positive relation with the perspective of man’s growing knowledge of
himself and the world. There is a unity of spirit and matter which have a common
origin in God.
God did not merely create the world but he himself is the perfect fulfilment of
the world through his self-communication. The "divinisation" of the
world and the incarnation, are two correlative factors of God’s one free
self-communication to the creature, the latest step in evolution which we are
beginning to explore in all its aspects.
I have spent my life in the stormy cross currents of science, politics and
faith, and find that faith celebrated by the community in St Mary’s. It is a
faith that is being fulfilled throughout the world and it is a privilege to
share in it here.
A
pierced ma song; and,
on the procession route, a medium offers a pineapple as a symbol of good sight
in body and spirit
IN the soft, dawn downpour, the Chinese community in Phuket Town in southern
Thailand was stirring, ready for another day of rituals and processions
welcoming their gods and asking for a good year ahead.
The food stalls outside the Bang Neow temple were already alive with Hokkien
congregants, dressed in white, eating a purifying vegetarian breakfast – this
was Day 4 of the nine-day Chinese Vegetarian Festival.
And, in the lifting gloom at the front of the temple, were the first of the ma
song – the ‘entranced horses’ whose faces and bodies had been pierced in a
ritual that lets the gods enter and take on the ills and problems of the
individual and the community.
Within an hour, the temple grounds were heaving with people as the blaring
discordant music frightened off the evil spirits and the heavy fragrance of
incense wooed the nine emperor gods.
Within two hours, the thousands-strong Chinese community was on the streets
,either in the parade or lining the route — not just as observers but as eager
participants when priests, ma song and mediums gave blessings and symbolic gifts
as they passed. In comparison to an English town or village, where few still
look to Christianity for their needs, the fervour and sheer numbers of such
events are stunning.
Almost every Chinese family and business with a property on the route had put
out a shrine – the bank, 10 times the size of Linton’s Barclays, left its
junior staff on duty while the senior staff waited at its shrine outside; nearby
a big city centre hotel had set out a huge shrine for itself and a party of
Chinese staying overnight for the procession; and along the road a tiny
opticians had a modest shrine, with fruit and tea for the holy men and women,
looked after by one little old woman.
We joined the Bang Neow congregants as dawn struggled against the monsoon gloom.
We were welcomed into the temple and allowed to see the rituals in the three
most important shrines deep in the crowded compound.
In one, offerings of flowers, candles and incense were being made; in the next,
the "possessed’’ – the men and women taken by spirits – were being
calmed and dressed in ritual clothes for the procession; and in the third, the
Chinese heavenly rituals looked like Christian hell with the ma song having
their faces and bodies pierced.
It was in the compound that two other rituals began: some of the
"possessed" had swords and they swung them from the ground, over their
shoulders and struck their own backs with the blades; and others had knives and
swords, the blades of which they used to scrub their lips and tongues into a
bloody foam.
Later, after the religious rituals in the town’s temples, priests walked on
hot coals and young men climbed ladders made from sharp blades. Everywhere, the
people –young and old, men and women – were praising their gods and asking
for good fortune in the year ahead.
Gradually, the temples had returned to their quiet dignity with the faithful
making their offerings and receiving the comfort of their religion.
The vegetarian festival first began after Chinese tin miners were impressed by a
touring opera company that cured itself of "jungle fevers" in 1825.
Now, walking in the quiet charm of St Mary’s churchyard, the festival seems
extraordinary – as do the eager crowds with their fervent belief in a
religious and moral life. June and John Keeble
Some months ago I wrote to the Linton News to highlight a
problem with youngsters congregating at the Health Centre in the evenings. It
was obvious that there was a perception that the Health Centre was a ‘public
building’ but it is in fact private property and like anyone else the doctors
take a pride in their building and the gardens and do not want them vandalised
and littered.
The response to my letter was very positive indeed. In general, people were
unaware of the difficulties we were facing and the effects on the morale of
staff. Several parents contacted me to offer their support, should their
children be involved in any way.
As readers will have noticed, we installed bollards to restrict access to the
Health Centre car park. CCTV cameras have also been installed. The situation is
very much improved, although youngsters do still hang around the building at
night. On the occasions that we have had to view the tapes, we are always
surprised at just how many youngsters sit on the doorstep drinking and smoking
until midnight and beyond.
We also have great sympathy with the residents of the High Street and Coles Lane
as increasingly cars are parked in the public car park with radios at full
blast. The noise is such that on one occasion the GP on duty actually walked
down and asked that the volume be reduced as it was impossible to consult with
her patients inside the Health Centre! The volume was turned down without any
fuss but clearly this must be a problem for local residents as well.
Just when we think things are improving we seem to get a weekend of mayhem. Over
the weekend of 9th/10th December the can bank was overturned and all the cans
were strewn around the public car park. Once again we are all extremely grateful
to Colin Tofts as miraculously these were all cleared away by 8am on the
following Monday morning.
Practice Manager
DURING 2000 we continued to have unwelcome visitors to the
Infants’ School, mainly after school hours. The latest damage was a smashed
glass panel in an external door. CCTV cameras have been installed, giving us,
and the police, visual evidence.
New plans were drawn up for our fencing proposals after consultation with the
police, fire brigade, highways authority and other groups. These have passed
through the Parish Council planning committee and onto the District Council. We
look forward to work beginning soon.
Headteacher, Linton C.E. (Aided) Infants School
BRIGHT child, dull pupil–quick thinker, slow learner–high
ability, low achievement. Could it be dyslexia?
Are your children founder-ing on their reading, writing, spelling or maths
skills? If
your child is in every other way bright and intelligent but just does not seem
to ‘get it together’ when it comes to the written word or memorising in
sequence, then this could
be an indicator of a dyslexic problem.
These children very easily start to feel as though they are failing because they
cannot cope as well with their school work as their peer group and because of
the very fact that they are perfectly intelligent, they recognise their own
dilemma. "Why can’t I do it when everyone else can?" "What’s
wrong with me?" "I’m hopeless!" is their conclusion. This is
followed by a loss of self-esteem, which may then deteriorate into depression or
bad behaviour.
But there really is no need for them to fail. The good news is that there is
much that can be done to help and encourage them to reach their own personal
potential. A combination of acceptance of the problem, common sense and relevant
support can make a big difference in their lives.
The following list can be helpful as indications of possible dyslexia.
Enjoys being read to but has no interest in letters or words.
Writes letters and figures the wrong way round.
Confuses b and d, and words such as on/no.
Has difficulty remembering tables, alphabet, etc.
Leaves letters out of words or puts them into the wrong order.
Needs to use fingers or marks on the paper to make simple calculations.
Poor concentration.
Has problems understanding what he/she has read.
Takes longer than average time and tries to avoid doing written work.
Finds it hard to copy from the blackboard.
Problems processing language at speed.
Difficulty with order of days of week, months and confuses dates, times, places.
A poor sense of direction.
Difficulty dressing, tying shoelaces, ties, etc.
Is accident prone.
Cannot manage knife and fork properly.
Gets ‘tied up’ using long words.
Has obvious ‘good’ and ‘bad’ days.
Has a family history of reading/spelling difficulties.
Lacks confidence and has a poor self image.
Is in other ways bright and alert.
If your child has several of these symptoms then it may be worthwhile investigating further and finding out what you can do to help. I am interested in forming a dyslexia group in the Linton area. To this end I am holding a meeting at my home, 34 The Woodlands, Linton at 8pm on Friday 19th January 2001. I look forward to meeting anyone with an interest in these young people.
DECEMBER saw the opening of Linton’s very own Indian
Tandoori restaurant and take-away, and owner Mr Wali Ahmed was overwhelmed by
the village’s response.
"We never dreamt that we would attract so much business in our first
week" said Mr Ahmed. "I thought Linton would respond slowly to us and
that we would have to build our business up, consequently people had to wait
longer for their food than we would have liked. We are now better organised and
hope not to keep customers waiting in future. Generally the public’s response
to us has been favourable."
Free drinks were served to customers whilst they waited. Those seated in the
restaurant also enjoyed free drinks all evening as the restaurant’s alcohol
licence had not yet been granted.
The restaurant in Bartlow Road is open daily for lunch and evening meals. There
is seating available for up to 60 customers, with a waiting area and bar for
customers who are collecting their food. Car parking is available at the rear
and front of the restaurant.
Although he does not anticipate any problems associated with the premises, Mr
Ahmed has introduced a minimum take-away order value to ensure that the
restaurant does not become a local ‘hanging out’ point.
OVER 50 members and six guests, two from Abington WI and two
from Balsham WI together with Mr and Mrs Read, were welcomed to the Annual
Christmas Party by our President, Wendy Foster. The Social Centre looked very
festive with all the decorations, including a Christmas tree. Birthday posies
were made and distributed by Miriam Rixon. The Denman Bursary was won by
Margaret Wingfield and the lucky ticket number draw for a year’s free
membership was won by Peggy Stonecliffe. Everyone then enjoyed a turkey dinner
with trimmings, which was prepared and served by outside caterers. A Christmas
cake, which had been made by past President Eileen Impey, was cut after the
meal.
Entertainment was provided by a past headmaster of Linton Heights Junior School,
Mr Read, who played carol requests on his keyboard while all joined in with the
singing. The evening ended with a rendition of "Auld Lang Syne" and
the raffle (with a large selection of prizes donated by Committee members) was
then drawn.
The next meeting will be at 7.30pm on Tuesday, 2nd January 2001 at the Social
Centre. The speaker will be Mrs Pusskin Gowlett and her talk is entitled "A
charity bicycle ride in Jordan". Visitors are welcome.
THE result of the December K-Club monthly draw:1st (£50) (No. 056); 2nd (£25) (No. 403); 3rd (£10) (No. 155).
Piping in the haggis, supporting the church
"HE loved mankind in general, and women in particular," was said of
Robert Burns.
Few poets are world famous and fewer still have filled Linton Social Centre to
celebrate their anniversary with a delicious hot meal, riotous entertainment and
a chance to try a wide range of the finest single malt whiskeys.
In order to accommodate more people this year, the bagpipes will be piping in
the Haggis on Saturday 27th January at the Village College. The 205-year-old
eulogy will be recited and each guest will come away with a renewed
understanding of the unique contribution that Scotland has made to the world’s
ability to understand and enjoy life.
Proceeds will go to St Mary’s Church.
Tickets are available from Ewen Kellar, John Organ or Liz Hunt
. Liz Hunt
CHRISTMAS has come and gone again with the same excitement and anticipation and the same important reinforcement of values. Christmas is about positive things like family, giving, sharing and for many, a deep religious affirmation. It is also about eating and drinking too much and, for some, wandering the streets late into the night in various states of intoxication. But then that problem is not confined to Christmas or to our village; it happens most weekends and has done so for as long as records have been kept. The ancient Greeks deplored it, the Romans condemned it and I remember my grandmother in Framlingham shaking her head as the ‘louts’ went noisily by the window. Things have changed, however. Those out very late are now much younger. In a late night incident in Linton before Christmas, the police were called to a disturbance in the High Street and were greeted with the shout, ‘You can’t touch me, I’m only fourteen’. What are we to make of this young man and his friends? On whom does blame rest? Not him, he says, and maybe he has a point, though I personally doubt it. Some people turn to the local school and wonder what on earth they teach them up there. Given that children only spend about 15% of their school years actually at school , it seems hardly reasonable to lay the blame there. After all it is not schools that bring up children, it is parents. Our 14-year-old was not out on the streets in the early hours of the morning because his school allowed or encouraged him to be. What we have to ask is what his parents, and the parents of the ten or so others who were with him, some of them girls and most of them intoxicated, thought they were doing. Some years ago, I sent a letter to all Linton parents asking them if they knew where their son or daughter was at a certain time on a particular Friday. This was in response to an incident involving a large number of young people. Of course most parents knew that their child was upstairs in bed and probably asleep, but for many, my letter prompted some awkward questions. It made a difference and the problems ceased for a while. These days the number of young people causing a nuisance is usually fairly small (tell that to those living on the High Street!) and we are only talking about a tiny minority of our youthful population, but the effect they have is disproportionately damaging. Neither I nor any one else should have to send letters to their parents in an attempt to stir their conscience; they are parents and with that title comes some hard and serious responsibility – like it or not. Clive Bush, Principal
SOME say that holiday snaps are boring, but not so at the
December Garden Club meeting, when views from home and abroad made us wish that
we were far from rainy Linton. Club members introduced us to gardens and
landscapes in Yorkshire, Norfolk, North Wales and Spain, plus a seasonal journey
through a picturesque woodland in the Midlands. We were also given guidance on
the show presentation of vegetables and the nurturing of sweet peas.
The mulled wine and mince pies filled a very pleasant interval followed by
suggestions of local Winter Garden walks to shake off the indulgences of
Christmas.
May we remind photographers, including non-members, to start thinking about
their entries for the July show. The three categories will be: a flower; a tree
or trees; animals. We look forward to some stunning shots.
Here’s wishing all gardeners a happy and drier New Year.
Saturday 9th December 2000 Illustrated by Maureen Williams
YET more mild, wet and windy weather seems set to bring the year to an end.
Apart from the mildness, this is real winter weather, with downpours of rain,
fierce winds and black skies clearing suddenly to blue, flecked with driven
white clouds, followed by brief periods of calm. A short excursion along paths
through fields and woodland produced almost a dozen plants in full flower. Of
these, only ivy is a real autumn specialist, regularly producing pollen to be
spread by late flying insects before fruiting through the winter. Several of the
others are described as flowering ‘all year’ in mild conditions, including
the common weeds groundsel, dandelion, sun spurge and red dead-nettle, with
white dead-nettle and hogweed generally lasting until November. However, the
remainder definitely seemed to be outside their regular spring or summer
flowering season, with speedwell, alkanet, feverfew and mallow all taking
advantage of the unusually mild season. Is anyone out there still mowing their
lawn!?
At the bird table, starlings are dominant, so that the tits sneak on to the
peanut holder with one eye on the nearby roof, always ready to retreat if
necessary. A squirrel fails to reach the nuts, defeated by the wire cage, but
will doubtless be back to try again. Dunnocks are the lookouts for approaching
cats and at any sign, issue loud warnings from the top of the tree. Rival
blackbirds chase each other away from the food, but even the underdog manages to
return in time. A robin approaches within a yard of the spade to investigate
newly dug soil and is rewarded with a small worm. A party of eight long-tailed
tits passes through the garden, swinging from branch to branch with high-pitched
contact calls. So far this winter, life has been reasonably kind and the
availability of food in gardens is an important resource for birds through the
winter.By the time this diary is published, we will have just passed the winter
solstice, so that days are short and the full moon is a welcome sight. A winter
retreat to fires and food is traditional! We will be on the brink of longer
days, though probably with some cold still to endure.
ONE of the major problems highlighted at the recent Traffic
Working Party meeting was the difficulty parishioners encounter in reporting any
incident which may occur. As a result a proposal put forward by Tracey Russell
was investigated and agreed by all as a good solution. There will shortly be
available, through local shops and the Post Office, a simple form which can be
filled in and left for collection. This information can then be collated on a
monthly basis and used to ensure that the relevant Offices are advised as
necessary. Further information on where these forms can be found will appear in
the next issue of the Linton News. In the meantime, please report any incidents
to the Parish Council office, Social Centre, Coles Lane, Linton, or phone %
891001.
Please note that any incident involving personal injury or criminal damage
should always be reported directly to the police,
THE spring programme containing the usual wide range of
certificated and general interest courses will be delivered to your home
shortly.
Term starts on Monday 15th January 2001.
Further information is available from the Community Offices at Bottisham Village
College 811372; Burwell Village College 741901; Linton Village College 892400.
LEGEND has it that Her Majesty the Queen used our church hall
loo when it stood on Peterborough Showground. The ‘Anglicans’ pop group used
to rehearse there. Linton Chess Club have met there and many church and
community groups have enjoyed the less than salubrious surroundings of the
church pavilion. But now it is unsafe to use, and without considerable expense,
cannot be used again.
Decisions will have to be made about its future and possible replacement in the
New Year. Over £30,000 has been raised towards the future cost of a suitable
replacement. We look forward to the time when Pavilion Mk II stands on the site,
though it is most unlikely to receive the seal of royal approval. Julian Thomson