Pop up Picnic

Pop up Picnic

Social media Pop up Picnic

 

For 10 solid years we have held a midsummer picnic in the Jubilee Wood come rain or shine and the abiding memory is rain and not much shine.

This year, 2014 rather than a fixed calendar date for the “Summer Picnic” we take a view on the weather and when it looks settled for a few days ahead everybody twitters, texts, emails or facebooks (not sure how to pluralise facebooking) for a particular day or evening.

Yes not everybody will be able to come, but that happens anyway. All you need is a picnic hamper ready to roll.

We will still aim for June but the exact day will have to be determined by http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/forecast/sawtry-cambridgeshire#?tab=regionalForecast&fcTime=1390089600 .

Comments please.

The National Byway

The National Byway

You may have seen the signs but did you know that the National Byway is  a 3,300 mile rural cycle network and is a completely entity  from the National Cycle Network.

Luckily we have both networks passing through our Parish and even sharing the same road for a couple of miles. The National Byway is all about cycling on modestly quiet rural roads and byways and bypassing the busier urban areas. Some market towns are on the route, Oundle is our nearest.

Maps for all the National Byway regions are available from the website.

The Village Produce Show

The Village Produce Show

The Annual Produce Show will be on Saturday 7th September.

Latest posts first, scroll down for show schedule.

June 2013

Only 3 months to go and the pressure is on. The weather is at last trying to help and plants are in catch up mode.

Latest concept in bird detterents Veg in raised beds The allotments holders are setting the pace

 

April

 SHOW SCHEDULE

Vegetables and Fruit

1      Carrots                                 3

2      Potatoes (white)                     5 on a plate

3      Potatoes (coloured)                5 on a plate

4      Courgettes                            2

5      Shallots                                5

6      Onions                                  3 – each under 225 g

7      Onions                                  3 – each over 225 g

8      Runner Beans                        6

9      Longest Runner Bean              1

10    Leeks                                   3

11    Dwarf French Beans                6

12    Beetroot                               3

13    Sweetcorn                             2

14    Tomatoes                              5

15    Cherry Tomatoes                    8

16    Vegetable marrow                   1

17    Apples (dessert)                    5

18    Apples (cooking)                    5

19    Pears                                   5

20    Plums                                   5

21    Collection of cut herbs, 4 varieties in one container

22    Biggest Pumpkin

23    Largest Onion

24    Largest Marrow

25    Top Tray, collection of 3 kinds of vegetables on a tray, selected from the following, number as indicated in brackets.  Onions(3) Potatoes(3) Runner Beans(6) Tomatoes(6) Carrots with tops(6) Parsnips with tops (3)

 

Plants and Flowers

1       Three decorative Dahlias

2       Cut Chrysanthemum – single stem

3       Five cut Roses

4       Gladioloi – 3 stems of same variety

5       Gladioli -5 stems of any varieties

6       Vase of Crocosmia – 3 stems

7       Agapanthus single stem

8       Cactus or Succulent – 1 specimen

9       Best Pot-Plant

10     Top Vase – between 5 and 10 stems of at least 2 varieties

Jam and Chutney – made since 2012 Village Show

1      Jam              Any fruit

2      Jelly             Any fruit

3     Chutney        All ingredients to be listed on label

 

Baking

 

  1. 1.  Apple Cake
Ingredients

  • 225g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
  • 450g cooking apples
  • Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • 225g caster sugar, plus extra for dredging
  • 3 large eggs
  • 225g self-raising flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 25g ground almonds
  • 1 tbsp demerara sugar

 

 

METHOD

 

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas4. Grease a deep 23-24cm springform cake tin and line with baking paper. Peel, core and cut the apples into 1cm pieces, and toss with the lemon juice.

2. Using an electric hand whisk, cream together the butter, caster sugar and lemon zest in a bowl until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, adding a little flour with each addition to keep the mixture smooth.

3. Sift the remaining flour and the baking powder into the bowl and fold in with the ground almonds. Drain the apple pieces well, then stir into the mixture.

4. Spoon into the prepared cake tin, lightly level the top and sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Bake in the oven for 1 hour or until well-risen, brown and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. If the cake starts to look a little too brown, cover with a sheet of baking paper after about 45 minutes.

5. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the tin and place on a serving plate. Dredge heavily with the extra caster sugar.

 2       Fruit cake – any size /type of fruit3      Plain Scones      5 on a plate4      Cheese Scones   5 on a plate

5      Sausage Rolls    5 on a plate – shortcrust pastry

6      Bread –  5 White rolls,made by hand

7      Bread – Wholemeal loaf made by machine

8      Shortcake              5 on a plate

 

Craft Section

1      Knitted  handicraft item completed since last year

2      Hard handicraft item completed since last year[woodwork/pottery/metal]

3       An item of patchwork or quilting

4      A hand-made greetings card.

5       Any sewn item, including clothes

 

Miscellaneous

1      Six Brown eggs

2      Six White eggs

3       Bottle of Home made wine

4       Bottle of home made sloe gin. Made in last 2 years

 

 

Children’s Section (under 15)

 

1a    Tallest sunflower                              Age up to and including 10 years

1b    Tallest sunflower                              Age 11 and over

2      Animal made from vegetables and/or flowers

3      A scarecrow (as big as you like)

4      A decorated cup cake    Age up to and including 10 years

5      A decorated cup cake made by entrant   Age 11 and over

6      A decorated hard boiled eg

7      Something made from a kit eg. Woodwork,models,

Soft toy

 

 

March
All the details to follow.

Hopefully the protracted winter will relent soon so that we can get seeds and plants under-way but heading up to Easter 2013 it doesn’t look promising especially for those new potato planters who use Easter as a calendar reference for sowing

Web links that may or may not help you in your quest for produce perfection

Don’t despair take a look at this website for inspiration on how to grow show veg and here for everyday veg

Not to be left out for the cooks amongst you, some baking tips from down under and a taster from Jam World

Michael is runner-up in ‘Green Champion of the Year’ award

Michael is runner-up in 'Green Champion of the Year' award

This year’s Green Heart Community Awards, backed by the News & Crier and organised by Huntingdonshire District Council, took place at the Burgess Hall in St Ives. Judges received more than 30 entries for six categories including: Best Primary School, Best Secondary School/College, Green Champion of the Year, Best Wildlife or Nature Initiative, Best Environmental Project and Best Business Environmental Project. The shortlisted nominees for each of the categories were invited to an evening dedicated to them and their hard work in helping to improve the environment of Huntingdonshire.

Great Gidding Parish Council nominated Michael Trolove for the Green Heart Community award and he came runner up at the awards ceremony held at the Burgess Hall on Saturday 15th June.

The Parish Council’s nomination:

Working with the Parish Council and the wildlife Trust, Michael Trolove has always been a valuable asset to the wildlife of Great Gidding.

In the last year Michael has dedicated a great deal of time to the renovation of two village ponds and installed a dipping platform. He has recently prepared a third pond in the Jubilee Wood and as a trained Newt Officer, Michael has also developed the Great Gidding Newt Trail; popular with villagers and visitors alike.

As a Tree Warden, Michael keeps a full list of trees on site and all of them have been given a numbered tag for identification. He has been in discussions with DEFRA concerning Ash Dieback Disease and spends much time planting trees around the Parish, organising a planting event and pop up coffee shop, enjoyed by all for the Diamond Jubilee.

Michael works hard on the maintenance of Jubilee Wood, monitoring, weeding, planting new trees and mulching and in the last year added some old varieties of fruit tree to the planting scheme, created log piles and built bug boxes to further encourage wildlife to the area.

Michael Trolove is instrumental in co-ordinating the upkeep of the Jubilee Woods, ponds in the area and all the trees in the Parish and demonstrates log-term commitment to protecting and improving open space within the village of Great Gidding.

Well done Michael. Very well deserved.


Michael Trolove – Runner-Up in the Huntingdon District Council Green Heart Community award

Long Distance Walking

Long Distance Walking

Long Distance Walkers Association

If you like walking you may be interested to know about a national organisation that exists to promote walking longer distance as a recreational or challenge activity.

The Long Distance Walkers Association  (LDWA) promotes distance walking through its regional groups. For example the nearest LDWA group to Great Gidding is the Beds, Bucks and Northamptonshire  group who meet regularly on Thursdays for 15 mile walks and Sundays for 20 mile walks in the counties mentioned.

As  stated previously the distances walked  range from 15 miles and 20 miles. There are other organised events where greater distances are covered  and these are regarded as challenge events. The ultimate being 100 miles in 48 hours !

All walks have a leader who is competent in map reading and social skills to ensure you enjoy the walk . They must count you out and count you back in and deal with any on route issue. Start points usually have decent car parking for the rural based groups.

As usual the web site is the best source of information.  To find the group walks start from the LDWA Home Page and drill down the pages thus – Events  – View Events List  –  Group Walks  –  Beds, Bucks & Northants (example)

 

 

Boxing Day walk

Boxing Day walk

Avoid the Boxing day sales, do something you’ll enjoy !

A long distance walk (approx 15 miles) has been organised for Boxing Day which happens to be Thursday 26th December 2013.

Start point is the Village hall car park

Start time 9am

Allow yourselves 5  to 6 hours for the walk duration and bring drink and snack lunch.

This is a reconnaissance walk for a longer LDWA walk in March 2014. I can promise you a modest walking pace, I dont do fast.

For further details use the contact email below.

Recent flooding events around Great Gidding

Rainfall problems around the village

 

The weather in 2012 will probably be recorded  as a record rainfall year and low sunshine levels. In reality since the last week of March its been nothing short of  “bloody miserable”  Everyone has felt the impact, events have been cancelled, harvest’s  ruined, autumn seeding at a standstill and still the weather will not relent. November rainfall has been heavy, that in its self is not unusual, the problem has been rain on already saturated ground and this past seven days has been a good example

Two weather events in the 4th week of November caused local difficulties within the Parish but probably much greater problems further afield

The ground is at field capacity in terms of water, the ditches are flowing, the field drains are running hard. The local brooks are running well. On Wednesday the 21st,  25mm of rain fell quickly the resulting flash  floods in and around the Parish of Great Gidding are seen below.

On Saturday 24th  in the afternnon more rain set in and lasted well into Sunday morning and although steadier just added to the flooding problems around the Parish.

 

Most of the houses escaped any flooding issues, most damage was caused to farmland and growing crops althought the impact of this wont be seen until the spring.

There are some interesting links that  will help you monitor flooding situations locally the first being two links to the flood level monitoring stations on the Alconbury Brook at Hamerton and Alconbury Weston

For Environment Agency Flood Warnings

Show your local playground some love!

Fields in Trust are giving you the chance to show how much you value your favourite outdoor recreational space, playground or park with Love Your Field. If it’s somewhere you enjoy spending time with family and friends then why not help it be a winner?

LOve Your Field logo
The Queen Elizabeth II Field which has the most people showing it some love, will win the ‘Most Loved Field’ award in the first year of the Fields in Trust Awards.

Find your favourite local site by putting your postcode into www.qe2fields.com and then clicking on the Love Your Field icon.

And if you want it to win, spread the word! #loveyourfield on twitter