Letters to the Editors
Sale of 5.8 acres of land at Little Fen Drove
Dear Editors,
I would like the opportunity to state the facts regarding the sale of the above land. These are:
- Advised by Cheffins to sell by auction.
- Advertised on Cheffins website with notice boards at the sites of the land.
- When land or property is sold by auction a legal contract is formed when the hammer falls.
- The communities of Reach and Swaffham Prior had at least a month to decide whether or not to bid at the auction and the Chairman of Swaffham Prior Parish Council, Mr Covill was informed by Mr Hamilton of Cheffins that there could be no discrimination of prospective purchasers at the auction.
- There was no communication from either Parish before the auction to ask me to sell to them.
- If I had backed out of the contract as I was being asked to do after the sale, I would have a County Court Order against me and it would have removed my credit worthiness.
- My wife and I sold our land in as fair a way as possible and rumours have been taken in by pillars of society in Reach and Swaffham Prior and subsequently my name has been dragged through the mud, particularly by Mr Everitt's comments in your August and September issue.
I hope that you print this letter in your next issue to give the residents of Reach and Swaffham Prior a factual account of why I was unable to break a legal contract after the sale was completed.
And we would like to apologise for creating a misleading impression last month. Sorry Mr Barton. Eds.
Tall Ships Adventures
Dear Editors,
Is there anyone interested in taking part in one of the Tall Ships Adventures? This would be joining others to sail and work on a traditionally rigged tall ship.
The Trustees of Swaffham Prior Parochial Charities would be prepared to sponsor someone who is interested.
This can only be open to residents of Swaffham Prior and Reach, and must be aged 16 or over. If you feel this is something for you then please contact me in writing.
Parochial Charities Grant
Dear Editors,
Once again it is time to remind all who consider themselves eligible for our Christmas grant that they should apply as soon as possible.
As usual, the majority of these applications will come from our pensioners, particularly those who have to manage on the state pension, but if you are in particular need, or know of anybody who may be in difficulty, but is unlikely to apply on their own behalf, the Trustees will always be happy to consider requests for assistance.
Applications should be sent to me, or to any Trustee, and I stress that this assistance is available at all times, not merely at Christmas.
Fen Droves and Travellers
Dear Editor,
It is some time since I wrote about the Fen Droves in your publication and little has changed in the meantime. The 1ack of attention to the road verges and footpaths is now more accentuated. Scruffy, unkempt and unloved areas seem to attract unwanted visitors, be they youths or caravan dwellers. The open space in Swaffham Bulbeck does not attract these folk because it is looked after well, and games of cricket and football are played there without hindrance.
There must be conclusions to be drawn from this, reinforced by the games played on our ground forty years ago. We are at a slight disadvantage in that that the ground is so far from the centre of the village, and is for the most part out of mind and out of view. Indeed, it is getting more and more out of view year by year. When was the last time the bushes and hedges were trimmed.?
When I came to live here in 1959, all the field behind the school from the school buildings to Driest Drove was a paddock, grazed by cattle and horses, with a small area fenced of as a cricket square, and with a small pavilion in the far corner. All very nice and rural.
When Mr Ambrose retired in 1965, I took over the field, and as the rents had just increase from ten shillings to five pounds an acre, it was agreed that the three acres of the recreation ground be fenced off and let to the Parish Council.
For several years some of my staff kept the ground mowed and played with many others in the team, their wives helping with the refreshments. All was going well, but they did not win many matches! "Better players" were required. They came, but some had to go and become spectators. The new arrivals did not mow the pitch or the outfield, their wives did not make the tea and sandwiches, and in three years cricket ceased.
Later attempts were made at playing football, indeed a shed was procured and water laid on, but it was a half-hearted attempt by a few and failed. And so to the present day. The vans are here in a derelict field; some will say it is rural, and rough grass and unkempt trees are fine, but look at the consequences. In fairness, the parish council have mown the field, but not as often as is necessary to maintain a good looking playing field.
The Fen Droves are access for owners and occupiers of the land they adjoin, so says the Parish Award of 1806. During the war in 1942 the Ministry of Agriculture constructed concrete roadways to enable farm produce to get to the railway or main roads. Previously in the winter these droves were useless for anything other than horses and cart, being wet and made of soft peat. The result of the hard road was that produce could for the first time be grown and delivered when required.
The original droves were a chain wide (22 yards), and being grass were available for grazing. Cattle were driven from the village to grazing areas, and returned home in the evening., hence the name "Droves" for these green access areas. The new concrete road cut down the grass areas so that it was no longer of interest to the cattle grazers.. After the war, when cattle farming began to decline, the lettings ceased, and the whole area of the droves took on a derelict look.
I did not like this, and having cattle to feed decided to take a cut of hay off the droves adjoining the land I farmed. This had several effects. I got several tons of rather poor hay, which did not pay for the cost of harvesting it, but the droves lost their neglected appearance, and the van dwellers, of which there were several, did not stay long as the grazing was insufficient for the horses. It worked well until trees were planted all over the place. I am not against trees , but they ought to have been planted on the framers field edge, not the drove, so that mowing the vegetation would be possible.
What do we find now? From the village down to the station it is a wild with unkempt verges, rampant tree growth, and tatty wire netting; a perfect magnet for the travellers, who see this as a neglected area on which they can do no harm. The ploughing up of the drove edges by the local framers is unfortunate; it is not their property to vandalise, and will serve no purpose except perhaps annoy a few.
I lived with these van dwellers for over thirty years, and found that co-operation was far better than confrontation. Although I feel that the present generation of van-dwellers are more wealthy, and should not be inflicting their style of life on our community. The old generation of gypsies stayed in one location for a short while, and then they moved on.
In this new century, where we expect somebody else to manage our problems, it may be best to give up the recreation ground for the time being to the farmers with the hope that should a real desire materialise it could perhaps be reinstated. The parish council cannot be responsible for running a sports club, it is up to a group of village enthusiasts to take this on, and put some money where their mouths are! I am sure that in time these matters will be resolved.
Bottisham Garage Closure
Dear Editors & Customers,
It was with sadness and regret that we decided to close the garage workshop and forecourt. In recent times trading has been extremely difficult and the supermarket petrol price war has only added to the problems with the local supermarkets selling fuel cheaper than we are able to buy it from Murco. We have also found it extremely difficult recruiting and retaining good technicians for the workshop.
In the light of all of this we decided that we were not able to suffer any more losses and had no option but to close. We would like to thank everybody for their support and loyalty over the years and realise the inconvenience that shutting will cause, especially to some of our older customers. If you are looking for somewhere else to have your car repaired or service locally then E C Autocare (tel. 812357) may be able to assist.
We would also like to thank our staff for their support over the years and the dignified way they took this news.