Soham Community Reports 

 

Community Care Coffee morning

On the morning of Tuesday, May 2, Diane Wheeling welcomed 17 people to the coffee morning in The Pavilion.

While coffee, tea and biscuits were served, everyone chatted to friends, catching up on the latest news.

Diane organised the raffle during the morning. More members would be very welcome at these coffee mornings which are an opportunity to make new friends and enjoy refreshments.Coffee mornings are every Tuesday from 9am to 11am.

Comrades Club

 

On Tuesday, May 2, 25 people got together for games of bingo in the Comrades Club. During the break for refreshments, the raffle took place. New members always welcome, doors open at 7pm for eyes-down at 7.30pm.

Engage

The meetings of Engage in the Soham Library will now take place on the fourth Tuesday of each month, from 2pm to 3.30pm. The next two meetings are on May 23 and June 27.

This is a chance to meet up with friends, enjoy tea and biscuits, and listen to interesting speakers. A donation of £2 will be used for refreshments and towards future speakers.

Over 60s Club

Ruth Ginn welcomed everyone to the coronation tea party on the afternoon of Friday May 5. Several members had come suitable attired for the occasion. Everyone enjoyed a buffet-style tea which was provided by the members.

Diane organised the raffle. Ruth thanked everyone for there contribution to the excellent buffet tea. Members joined in the singing of the National Anthem followed by the closing hymn God be With You.

 

KD Theatre will perform at Cathedral

 

KD Theatre Productions are delighted to be returning to the beautiful grounds of The Dean’s Garden at Ely Cathedral for a fifth season of open-air theatre.

This year’s offering is The Wind In The Willows which will feature a new script by Daniel Bell and original music by Triple Threat Creative.

This exciting and playful take on the tale, directed by Oliver Scott, will feature a professional cast of energetic performers, catchy new songs and, of course, the mischievous Mr Toad.

We are thrilled to be returning to one of Ely’s hidden gems – our very own secret garden, to perform this fantastic family production created especially for our audiences against the stunning backdrop of Ely’s most iconic landmark.

The Dean’s Garden lends itself perfectly to this classic story and we are so excited to be bringing live professional theatre back to Ely this summer.

After the success of last year’s production Alice In Wonderland, KD are once again linking up with Ely Picnic Hampers who will be offering picnic hampers for those wish to purchase one with their ticket.

The production, will run from July 20-23 in beofore emarking on a tour across East Anglia. The gates will open one hour prior to each performance for audience members to bring picnics and enjoy the surroundings of the garden.

Tickets are available at: www.kdtheatre.co.uk or call: 01353 725 026.

Daniel Bell

KD Theatre Productions 

 

Choir at Ely Cathedral

 

On May 13, the London Welsh Male Voice Choir will be performing for the first time at Ely Cathedral in a concert organised by the Rotary Club of Ely, to raise money for the Arthur Rank Hospice charity.

It will be a pleasure to welcome this famous choir who have previously sung in many of Britain’s prestigious concert halls and cathedrals, including Stonehenge and at two Royal Command concerts.

The choir will be joined by Waterbeach Brass, a band who is well known in the area and has achieved considerable attention since it was formed in 1978 and has achieved placings in several brass band competitions.

The rotary club is extremely grateful to our sponsors, especially Gowing and Hunt, without whom we would not have been able to put this concert on.

We would also like to thank the Dean and Chapter of Ely Cathedral for allowing us to have the concert there.

Tickets are still available through the Ely Cathedral Events website.

Ely Rotary Club

 

Free parking protects small businesses

 

It is now 10 years since the Ely Traders’ Association gathered the signatures of over 12,000 concerned local people in support of their campaign against the imposition of parking charges in the city centre.

The care and wisdom of local people in their overwhelming support for this cause continues to be borne out.

It has protected vulnerable small businesses as they have come out of the pandemic and most importantly free parking has allowed the city centre businesses a level playing field so that they can compete against a growing number of out of town developments.

In letters to the ETA, both the Conservatives leader, Anna Bailey and the Liberal leader Lorna Dupre have committed themselves to maintaining free parking.

The leader of the Liberal Democrat group replied by explaining that “..we are committed to retaining free parking for the whole of the coming council term” and the Conservative

group’s leader by explaining that they are “steadfast in our commitment to retain free car parking” adding that this policy was “enshrined in the council’s constitution by the Conservative administration".

The ETA has welcomed both these pledges. However, there are differences in the two parties policies and concerns over maintaining free car parking in the longer term.

Although the Liberal Democrat leader Lorna Dupre was at pains to point out that “Civil Parking Enforcement introduction does not mean car parking charges have to be introduced”, the Liberals “are committed to introducing Civil Parking Enforcement in East Cambs.”

The expense of CPE often encourages councils to charge for car parks in a bid to balance the books and the Conservatives’ leader, Anna Bailey, was at pains to point out that they would avoid this pitfall.

They would instead work with local police to create Road Safety Police Volunteers using S38 of the Police and Crime Act and these volunteer officers would have the powers to deal with “the relatively small number of people that abuse car parking laws in various hotspots in East Cambs".

Andrew Olley

Ely Traders’ Association 

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Is free parking in East Cambridgeshire a long-term and viable aim? Should a small charge be introduced? Email: debbie.davies@newsquest.co.uk.