Letters to the Editors
Winifred Theobalds
Dear Editors,
Friendly folk at the "Red Lion" handed me a copy of the Swaffham Crier, and so here we go. I would like to find out a bit more about the sister of a great grandmother. According to our records Winifred Theobalds of Steeple Morden married a Joseph Burgess in London on 13 May 1825. They had 6 children and according to the 1841 Census Winifred was living at Horse Green, Swaffham Prior and a Publican. Any further information would be much appreciated. There is more background information on the website of Richard Burgess.
Quy Traffic Calming
Dear Editors,
Thank you for your recent email concerning the above traffic scheme (see Jan Crier. Eds). I note the concerns being raised over traffic patterns which have been brought to our attention in the past.
The calming measures implemented in Quy village were the subject of a review last year and minor changes to the scheme were implemented. The concerns raised from other villages along the B1102 over the impact on traffic using the route were made known to Quy Parish Council at that time and the option of removing the measures has been considered on several occasions but rejected by the Parish Council.
Alternative measures have also been considered such as speed cushions but the costs involved would be considerable and funding is not available at this time. More recently, officers visited the site with County Councillors Nick Clarke and David Brown, along with a Parish Council representative to consider the current situation and it was agreed to continue to monitor the accident record to assess the effect that the calming measures are having on safety in the village. Some minor measures to tidy up the signing for the scheme were also agreed.
Councillors Nick Clarke and David Brown will be kept informed of the monitoring and no doubt this information will be circulated to other parishes along the route in due course.
And our reply.....
Dear David,
Thank you so much for this reply, which we will publish in February Swaffham Crier. It appears we will have to infiltrate the Quy Parish Council then. Alas, it is only we outsiders that are the guinea pigs accidentally participating in the accident measuring experiment proposed, because it is surely only once in a blue moon that any resident of Quy will be obliged to drive through the whole of it.
One of the things the guinea pigs can never understand though, and this applies to Swaffham Prior too, is why the speed limit is not simply reduced to 30mph. One potential counter-argument (that these disobedient speed-hog piglets would simply ignore it) surely fails on two counts. Firstly, there is now a different culture (doubtless in part brought about by speed measuring devices, especially the newer ones that say "Thank-you" in our case, they always say this, of course) and secondly, that the other form of road-hogging, the "lane-hogging" mentioned in our previous email, must surely have far more disastrous consequences. Surely it is the relative speed that is important: with the current measures, 80mph.
Perhaps some kind resident of Swaffham Prior might write a letter to Jackdaw Chatter (the Quy village magazine, email: billwatts@stowcumquy.co.uk); they are always wanting more copy! Eds
Channel Swim - Sponsorship needed for MAGPAS
Dear Editors,
My name is Lloyd Clarke and I am in training to swim the English Channel, with my pilot boat booked for the 1st -10th July 2010. I am swimming the Channel for two reasons; firstly it has always been a dream of mine since I was a boy, secondly I want to say thank you to M.A.G.P.A.S., who saved my life when I was a baby, and raise money for them.
When I was a few months old my Mother thought she heard a noise coming from my bedroom and raced upstairs. My Mother found me with a blue face and purple lips, so if I did make a noise I was doing pretty well! My Mother screamed and my Father came and gave me the kiss of life whilst my Mother called the Doctor. Dr Silverstone arrived, resuscitated me and I breathed again.
Dr Silverstone has built on his out of hours call outs and it is now an amazing organisation called M.A.G.P.A.S., helping thousands of people each year who without that rapid response help may well not be here, just like me. So far my training has consisted of morning swims at Bottisham pool, coached evening sessions with Ed Williams (from Cambridge Swimming Academy who has swum the Channel himself, and is very helpful) and two open water swims. My first open water swim was on the Isle of Wight which was 1.8 miles taking 54 minutes, my second was the Lynne Regis memorial swim, in Kings Lynne, which was 3 miles taking 1 hr 32 mins. This year I plan to step up my training with more open water swims, acclimatising myself to the temperature and distance involved. If you know of any local outdoor swims or swimmers please let me know. This is a huge thing for me and I am honoured and grateful to be able to say thank you for my life by swimming the English Channel. If you are able to I, and lots of people throughout the region, would be very grateful if you were able to help the cause by sponsoring me for M.A.G.P.A.S.
All sponsorship monies are going directly to M.A.G.P.A.S., I am paying for training and swimming costs as it is my dream. I pay for the cost of the pilot boat etc through my work, which is Landscape Gardening. If you do need any help with your garden please get in touch or have a look at my website, it also has details of the swim and some history of M.A.G.P.A.S.;
There is a link on my website for sponsorship, or you can go straight to;
http://www.justgiving.com/Lloydswimmingchannel
Also you can have a look at the M.A.G.P.A.S. website at;
If you have a phobia of computers, as many do, there will be sponsorship forms at Bottisham Doctors surgery.
I hope to keep you informed with my progress over the next six (or by the time you read this five... (or possibly four! Eds)) months.
Dear Editors,
Thanks for the picture of Mary.
She's just what I had in mind!
I'm sorry if this verse is too late,
But I've only just seen Feb's Deadline Date.
For we rely on the post
And it's not their proud boast
That - "Tomorrow, it'll be next to your plate".