The Season’s Greetings to everyone!

We have had a good year in Melbourn! We celebrated the 60th Anniversary of the Village College in September; a very successful institution with an excellent academic record. Our various clubs are doing well, including the BMX track at Grinnell Hill, which is visited by many people, and the many sports clubs. Walking Coast to Coast was successful and raised money for the church (see age 49) Our new care home on New Road will be opening in the New Year (see page 13). Unfortunately, we no longer have a Post Office, making it more difficult to obtain cash, and sadly South Cambs Garage at the Cross is set to close after more than 65 years of excellent service (see page7). It’s interesting to see the changes throughout the village since we published ‘Melbourn 2000’ twenty years ago, as sadly we have lost not only the Post Office, but also the Bank, the Bakery, several pubs, a restaurant, a police station and now one of our garages. … continue reading ❱

Celebrating 25 years and 100 Issues of the Melbourn Magazine!

Well, here we are, celebrating the centenary issue of the Melbourn Magazine! Who would have envisaged it still going strong after 25 years? There are many residents who remember, and have indeed collected, all the issues from the very beginning, and have seen the vast changes in design and development over the years. The humble beginnings date back to January 1995, when an 8 page A4 leaflet was first produced, filled with information on the work carried out by the Parish Council and printed on the PC’s copier. The following April, Issue 2 came out, with the inclusion of advertising and contributions from clubs and residents. It had also increased in size to 22 pages. About 500 copies were printed and placed in the library, Post Office and Co-op for people to pick up. Issue 3 (now called Summer Issue) was printed by Hales Printers of Royston. With a print run of 1800 copies, it was printed in black & white with a blue paper cover and delivered to every household and business in the village. At the time, the magazine was sponsored by the Parish Council and TTP at the Science Park. The magazine became financially independent of the Parish Council in 1998 and has remained so ever since, although it still carries Parish Council information when available. Production costs from this point became totally financed by advertising and the continued generous support of TTP. Hales continued to print the magazine until autumn 2000, when The Burlington Press in Foxton (later known as Langham Press, see page 21) took over. Colour was introduced for the first time, although just the front and back cover were in blue and black. In 2005, to help publicise the launch of the history book “A Glimpse into Melbourn’s Past”, full colour was used on the front cover and a few pages inside. The following year adverts appeared in colour, proving very popular. Today the magazine is full colour throughout, with a print run of 2350. We have a great team of volunteers on the magazine, many of whom help to deliver the magazines throughout the village. However, what has really made the magazine a great success are the interesting and varied contributions from residents and active local groups, and helpful advice and news from many important institutions throughout the county. Without any of the above-mentioned volunteers, groups, clubs and individuals there would be no Melbourn Magazine. Thank you all for your support.