Here is an interesting plea just received at www.drydrayton.net, and checked out as genuine.

Author : Andrew Abbott (IP: 81.136.225.137 , 81.136.225.137) E-mail : andrew.abbott@matchlight.co.uk

URL    : http://www.matchlight.co.uk

BBC DOCUMENTARY SEEKS CONTRIBUTORS

IS AN ELDERLY RELATIVE OR FRIEND OF YOURS A DANGER BEHIND THE WHEEL?

 ARE YOU FACING THE DILEMMA:  SHOULD YOU TAKE AWAY THEIR KEYS?

 Hello – I am making a documentary for BBC1 exploring the dilemma facing the families of many elderly drivers – are they safe behind the wheel or should you take away their keys? 

 I’d love to hear from anyone who is currently wrestling with this issue, and who might be interested in participating in our documentary.

 For many senior citizens, getting behind the wheel is perhaps the activity that most maintains their sense of independence. But the Department of Transport’s own statistics show that drivers over the age of 80 have more accidents per mile than any other age group.

 Would you intervene to prevent an elderly relative, whom you consider to be a danger, from driving?

 When is the right time to bring up the subject, and how hard is it to confront a relative about it?

 Or are you an elderly driver who feels pressurised to stop when you don’t feel it is necessary?

 If your family, or someone you know, is dealing with this issue now, we would love to hear from you. Calling wouldn’t commit you to taking part, and anything discussed would be held in strictest confidence. You can email me on keys@matchlight.co.uk or call 0131 225 1711.

 Many thanks, Andrew Abbott, Director

………..

Message ends

It’s that quiet season in Dry Drayton at the moment. It’s hard to pick up news in the village. People are turning more to indoor activities. For example, Dry Drayton Ladies are to be found buying preserving jars in Cambridge kitchen shops and allotment holders are stripping their plots of anything worth pickling. So – as you turn to your kitchen to make your chutney and pickled onions, why not post your grandmother’s chutney recipe on the village website so that others can benefit from it? Or do you have other recipes or local food sources you are willing to share? Please E-mail webmaster@drydrayton.net any material you would like to add to the site.

DryDrayton Chutney

Today members of Dry Drayton Friendship Club enjoyed a day at Southwold; Pam Ducker organised the trip. We are grateful to Fred Northrop for sharing some photos of the trip with the rest of the village. Click here for a slideshow.

The new Cambridge Central Library opened its doors to the public today as a soft trial for their official opening on Tuesday 29th September. The library is on three floors – the first, second and third floors of the Grand Arcade. After around two years of closure, visitors were pleased to find a bright and well furnished space, well stocked with books and other materials in an interesting layout.

In addition to loan books and a reference collection, the library houses the Cambridgeshire Collection (the local studies library) a children’s library, learning centre, cafe, meeting rooms, numerous terminals with internet access and the BFI Mediatheque. The Mediatheque is bound to be a popular offering. It is a room with a number of comfortable multi-seat booths where you can view free of charge a huge collection of film and television material from the British Film Institute’s National Archive. The collection has some real treasures with footage from Cambridge’s past.

Below are a few pictures to give a flavour of the new Library. There is much more on the Library’s own site

We spoke to Chris Jakes the Librarian in charge of the Cambridgeshire Collection. They are still unpacking some of their materials after moving back to central Cambridge from their temporary home at Milton Road Library. They are open to bookings for organised visits to the collection by local groups, with talks on local materials.  Anyone who organises programs for local groups might like to arrange a visit before their diary fills over the next few weeks.

The adult fiction area

Non-fiction too

Work areas

Dry Drayton books here - Cambridgeshire Collection Store

Chris Jakes - Cambridgeshire Collection store with material awaiting unpacking

Well after an Indian Summer weekend there are some things to look forward to during the week ahead. Even book lovers will have been astounded to learn from the Guardian that on ‘Super Thursday’ this week there will be around 800 books published – all competing for places in our Christmas stockings. This week will also (we hope) see the re-opening of the much awaited new Central Library in the Grand Arcade. Finally – the October Dry Drayton Newsletter will be dropping through your letterbox. Not a bad week then.

E-cops have notified us that Cambridgeshire Police Authority and Constabulary are asking the people of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough what they think police should focus their efforts on next year.

For the first time ever a ‘People’s Priority’ will be included in next year’s Policing Plan, meaning that local people will get to decide what they think should be a priority for policing in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

Read more about how to register your views by clicking on the link below -
The People’s Priority – your chance to have a say The deadline for responses is 23 November 2009.

So – residents of Dry Drayton – let them know what should be their policing priorities for the year ahead.  If you are not sure what to suggest to them, here are a few examples emerging from the Dry Drayton Village Plan:

• Better enforcement of speed limits on the C193 through the village
• Action to reduce the very real threat to cyclists from speeding motorists on the Dry Drayton to Madingley and Madingley to Cambridge roads
• Supporting CCTV in villages
• Better communication between the police and the community – and this might include actually making the e-cops communication channel two way and answering e-mails that they receive via that route from the public.  

Great news - The Black Horse is having its very first Pub Quiz. It will be held on Wednesday 9th September 2009 starting at 7:00pm, 5 members per team. The winner will take away 2 bottles of their house Merlot/Chardonnay or Rosé.

There may be disruptions to post later this week – there is a 24 hour all out strike within the Mail Centre on Clifton Road Cambridge on Thursday. Morning deliveries will not be affected on Thursday, but their may be a reduced amount of mail on Friday. The strike commences on Thursday 18th September at 6am until Friday 19th September at 6am.  

The agenda for the next Parish Council Meeting has been posted on their Site.

For village bibliophiles, further progress is being made with the new Central Library in Cambridge – as you can see from the photo below the wooden hoarding has been removed from the library entrance on the first floor of the Grand Arcade.

Entrance to the new Lion Yard Library

Tonight my partner and I tried out the food at the newly opened Black Horse pub in Dry Drayton.

The Milton ale was excellent.

We were given a very pleasant welcome by the new team and a discreet table for two just off the main bar area. A good range of food was on offer – we went for the chicken and smoked haddock dishes, not quite knowing what to expect. The food was served promptly and was beautifully presented. It tasted as good as it looked, and both our dishes were full of flavour, perfectly cooked and absolutely first class. Portions were a good size for real cuisine, leaving us with room only to share a sweet. The creme brulee was served with fresh fruit and cream, again looking and tasting delicious. 

The new team have clearly taken on an excellent chef. Our advice – visit soon. In a few weeks when word gets around about Dry Drayton having a gastropub and what is on offer here, you will only be able to get a table by booking up well in advance. We couldn’t recommend a better village pub for an evening meal. Brilliant.

It’s ten o’clock at night. The streets are quiet and dark. There are lights blazing on the bus shelter – a welcoming pool of light offering a safe haven for those waiting for the next bus. An excellent safe environment in the neighbouring village of Oakington – but this is a bus stop on the misguided busway, and you will probably have to wait there for at least another hundred days before you can catch the next bus. An interesting green initiative.

A local landmark has disappeared from the Village Green. Did anybody see thepassing of the old red phone box? Is this a permanent loss? A sign of the times at BT gets rid of its last remaining uneconomic community focused facilities? The other box is still in place on the Oakington Road.

Where once the red phone box stood