Dry Drayton Did You Know – No 1

Did you know that Cambridgeshire Libraries and Cambridgeshire Primary Care Trust are running a Books on Prescription Scheme. Your GP can prescribe selected books to help with several common problems ranging from overcoming anxieties to giving up smoking or controlling your blood pressure. Over 60 specially selected texts are available. To find out more about this great idea visit www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/bop

Dry Drayton, Madingley, Cambridge route

A campaign has been started to improve cycle facilities between Bar Hill, Dry Drayton, Madingley and Cambridge.

In the meantime something needs to be done to improve safety for cyclists on this route. Between Dry Drayton and Madingley and between Madingley and Cambridge there are several blind bends, poor road surfaces and crumbling road edges. On most occasions when driving along this route you can expect to encounter between 2 and 6 cyclists. Given the nature of the road, motorists need to leave a minimum of 6 feet between themselves and a cyclist when overtaking. So why is it that whenever you travel this route and drive at 40mph, a safe speed for the circumstances, there is always some clown wanting to overtake and drive at 60 mph?

Shouldn’t there be a clear 40mph speed limit on this route? Dry Drayton residents can help keep traffic speed down by driving at 40mph themselves.

Let’s hope the new campaign for the cycleway brings about the desired effect. Good luck to the campaign.

A busy weekend, and something to look forward to

Take care out there on the roads in the village for the rest of the week. A veritable army of workers in fluorescent jackets with heavy plant swept through the village today resurfacing the main road in double time. However, this much needed improvement comes at a cost. Be careful to drive slowly through the village while there are loose chippings everywhere. Let’s hope everyone is acting in a similar fashion, or there will be a number of broken windscreens.

And the something to look forward to – Cambridge Open Studios, every weekend in July. Free programmes are now available from libraries, art galleries and many other sources in and around Cambridge. Four glorious weekends of art on our doorstep.

Programmes now available

Dry Drayton not quite in the News Tonight

There are two interesting stories in this evening’s Cambridge News relating to the village. Former Dry Drayton resident Peter Tingley is among the group of leaseholders who have just won £15 million worth of freeholds from the University. It’s not been a good day for the University – the first case of swine flu allegedly confirmed in the University today, and they have given Bill Gates an honary degree. The other piece of Dry Drayton related news is that South Cambs District Council are allocating 20 travellers pitches to the proposed new settlement at Northstowe and 10 at Cambourne.

New Sites Established

New sites have been set up for the Parish Council at www.drydraytonPC.org.uk and for the School and Village Association at www.drydraytonSandVA.org.uk .

Anyone running activities in Dry Drayton can have a free page at www.drydrayton.net – please e-mail webmaster@drydrayton.net with your requirements.

How insular should we be?

Here’s an interesting thought. Shall we have a series of entries in the blog about good causes to support – even if outside the village?

I’m prompted to suggest this after bumping into a very dedicated and interesting chap standing with a placard outside the Royal Courts of Justice in the Strand today. His good cause is stopping the promotion of smoking through its depiction in films and TV shows. He’s there for the duration, and has been there from 18 March 2009. Whenever there is one of those big news stories about some major legal case reported from outside the courts, you’ll see him in the background edging into the picture to get his placard in front of a wider audience. I reckon he deserves our support and I gave him a cheer when I saw him on the News tonight behind the servicemen with their case relating to atomic weapon trials. You can read more on his blog at ActorsSmokingFilmsTV.blogspot.com . He kindly allowed me to include his photo here.

Campaigner outside Royal Courts of Justice 5 June 2009

Second day of Village Open Gardens

The second day of the Village Open Gardens was a great success. Congratulations to the organisers and to all the friendly residents who opened their gardens. We are reliably informed that the weekend made over £1425 towards the Church restoration. Brilliant.

Foxgloves in a Dry Drayton garden

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a peaceful place to sit