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As we reported briefly last month, a brand new state of the art recycling centre at Witchford near Ely will open its doors for the first time at 9am on Thursday 3 November.

The new Cambridgeshire County Council facility will replace the old, small, open air site at Grunty Fen which will close at midday on Wednesday 2 November.

The new centre will open from 9-6, seven days a week with a late night opening until 7pm on Wednesdays to make it even easier for you to recycle.

It will be under cover so you can use it in all weathers, and split-level which means you won’t have to climb steps to deposit your waste.

The centre, which will be run by AmeyCespa on behalf of the County Council, will offer lots of opportunities to recycle everyday household items from paper, glass and plastic bottles, to less commonplace items like cooking oil, paint and electrical goods.

The new facility is part of Cambridgeshire County Council’s drive to offer the best services for local communities and to increase recycling and reduce landfill.

Councillor Mathew Shuter, lead member for Enterprise and Waste at Cambridgeshire County Council, said:

This brand new facility is the first of its kind in the county and we believe it will change recycling for residents in East Cambridgeshire.

Not only will it make recycling more comfortable and convenient, but it will also help residents recycle things like large rigid plastics,
cooking oil and plasterboard. I want to encourage residents to visit the new centre with their recycling and help us reduce waste going to landfill.

Chairman of the local liaison group, Councillor Bill Hunt, said:

I am really pleased to announce the opening of this new recycling centre. The last three years have been a great example of the County Council doing things “with” the local community not “to” them. It speaks volumes for the hard work and commitment of the local community of Witchford, local businesses, local members and officers from the County Council that this fantastic new building is about to open its doors. I’m sure it will make a real difference for the residents of East Cambridgeshire.

You can find out more information on the new recycling centre and what you can do to reduce waste going to landfill, or go to www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/environment/recycling and follow the links.

Michael Judkins, who as many in the village know, is a keen runner, will be taking part in the Royal Parks half-marathon in London on 9th October.

He is very much looking forward to taking part in a running event in London for the first time, particularly as much of the course follows the route of the main annual full marathon.

He is raising funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation ( JDRF ), a great cause helping those in the younger age group with type 1 diabetes. The Foundation looks to fund research to get to grips scientifically with the growing incidence of diabetes in children, and the finding of an overall cure for the condition itself.

Michael has established a “Just Giving” page for donations to go towards the financial target he hopes to raise and will be very grateful indeed to those who may wish to support the run in some small way.

Remember the evening “A brush with an old vicar” on 15 July 2011? The painting, completed that evening by the Reverend John Sansom, is for sale. The funds raised from this sale will be donated to the Friends of St George’s to help raise money for the roof fund.

Contact Robert Young on 01353649379 for viewing details

Do you have transport issues travelling by car, bus, train, plane or ferry?

A new web site, Fix My Transport, launched recently. They aim to assist transport users by helping you report issues; finding the right transport operator to report to; and help collate similar issues so that problems can be resolved more easily.

Little Thetford residents who use the local bus service may like to remember this site.

This site, fixmytransport.com, sent to us by Kat Dunseath. Thank you Kat.

Dave Fletcher reported some of his finds to us recently. We especially liked five curse tablets, or lead curses, which were found within an area of approximately one acre close to the site of Harrimere Church. Dave has had the large tablet identified by Helen Fowler and two of the small ones by Anne Taylor, both of Cambridge University’s Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology; although none of these suspected Roman tablets has yet been opened.

Read more…

The latest village newsletter is now online. If you’re in the village – a printed copy should have already come through your door.

Norah Bedford

Norah Bedford, who recently celebrated her 105 birthday, passed away on Friday 18 March 2011 following a short illness after a fall. A former councillor, school governor and president of the Isle of Ely Federation of Women’s Institutes, Norah had two sons, John and Denis; six grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. Norah is pictured in this photo of the Little Thetford WI visit to the Wedgewood factory in the 1950’s. Our thoughts are with Norah’s family at this sad time.

Can you help with a Litter Pick around the village on Saturday 9th April 9.30 am.

If yes, please report to the Village Hall Car Park.

Black bags and a supply of equipment will be supplied, but if you can bring gardening gloves, florescent bands or jackets and pickers that would be helpful.

Here’s what we collected after just 1 hour last year:

Local sportsman, John Rich, reports seeing a Hobby (Falco subbuteo) flying over Little Thetford last week. This is unusual as it is normally an April through September visitor, migrating from Africa, Europe and Central and East Asia. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds records only two thousand two hundred breeding pairs in the United Kingdom.

The Birds of Britain suggests this Kestrel sized bird, which settles in isolated clumps of trees around heath and farmland, can fly “… at a speed approaching 100 mph”. The Hobby feeds by transferring insects, often dragonfly, from its feet to its mouth during flight, hunting late into the evening.

See also a BBC wildlife article on the Hobby and a recent BBC report commenting on increasing numbers of birds of prey.

Peter Adolph at first attempted to register the trademark “Hobby” for his 1946 table football game. When this was refused, he settled on the Linnaean species name, subbuteo.

Click to enlarge: