News and events

Hatley Parish Council – Ordinary Meeting

Tuesday, 19th March, 7.00 pm, Village Hall


Graphic for Hatley Parish Council's meetings.
Date Tuesday, 19th March. Time 7.00 pm – the now regular start time for all parish council meetings. Venue Hatley village hall. Subject Hatley...
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What’s on

Events in and near Hatley


March 2024 Scroll down for details of what is happening in Hatley and nearby – don’t forget the regular Repair Cafés too.  NB The...
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Repair Cafés – happening near Hatley

Including Gamlingay in April


Repair Cafés – pop-along events where you can get household things fixed.
You may have heard of Repair Cafés – pop-along events where you can get household things fixed. Brilliant scheme – but you usually need...
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2024 Hatley Pancake Race

The winners!


Start of the 3-legged race during the 2024 Hatley Pancake Race which took place on Sunday, 11th February outside 34 East Hatley.
Date Sunday, 11th February. Time From 11.00 am. Venue Outside 34 East Hatley. Organiser Linda Hudson. A small, but happy crowd watched the 2024...
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Wildlife Trust: news update

A snap-shot of things to come


Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire notes about the West Cambridgeshire Hundreds, news update.
By Rebecca Neal, Communities and Education Officer The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire & Northamptonshire One of our charitable aims is to enhance everyone’s enjoyment and...
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Church newsletters

The weekly newsletter of
St Mary’s church, Gamlingay


Masthead (sans date) for the St Mary's, Gamlingay, weekly newsletter / yellow background.
In the latest (15th March) issue, the Rev’d Hilary Young, priest in charge for our diocese, reports on the visit by Venerable Richard Harlow,...
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Hatley events… 2024

Lots to look forward to and enjoy


Hatley Diary – 2024. All the events so far scheduled for East Hatley and Hatley St George, Cambridgeshire, between January and July 2024 – as, mostly, organised by the Hatley Village Association.
Round up by the HVA committee Big thanks to everyone who gives a helping hand for helping to make these events happen (and clearing...
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Vacancy for a parish councillor

An opportunity to become a Hatley councillor


Advertisement for a new councillor on Hatley Parish Council; closing date for applications: 10th May 2024.
Hatley Parish Council has a vacancy for a parish councillor. The council comprises five members: a chairman, vice-chairman and three others… but currently there...
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The Gamlingay and Hatleys Car Scheme

For when you don’t have the means of getting there


The Gamlingay and Hatleys local car scheme – Mick Marshall with client, June 2018.
Do you need help getting to your doctor or vaccination appointment? The Gamlingay and Hatleys Car Scheme provides transport for medical appointments – including...
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The West Cambridgeshire Hundreds

Ancient woods to explore (while still open)*


The Cambridgeshire Hundreds, an administrative division used from Anglo-Saxon times (circa 800 AD) to the 19th century when (as with most counties in England and Wales) Cambridgeshire was divided into 17 hundreds, plus the borough of Cambridge. Each hundred had a separate council which met each month to rule on local judicial and taxation matters. Picture source: Wikipedia.
By Peter Mann According to the Wildlife Trust for Beds, Cambs and Northants, the West Cambridgeshire Hundreds is ‘a collection of wildlife rich ancient...
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Hatley’s defibrillator – just dial 999

Trained operatives will tell you what to do


The defibrillator cabinet outside Hatley Village Hall. If you need to use it, first dial 999 – it has been registered with the NHS who will provide the code to open the cabinet door and give instructions for its use.
Hatley’s defibrillator (above) is located outside the Village Hall in Hatley St George in a locked and temperature-controlled cabinet. It has full public access...
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Buses

Some notes on local services
plus Park & Ride in Cambridge


Bus in Sawston, Cambridgeshire, March 2013. Photo: Peter Mann.
By Peter Mann and Nicola Jenkins It’s fair to say Hatley is not served well by public transport. Other than the ‘Thursday market day’...
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what3words

A tool for finding and guiding people to a precise location... as is its rival, Plus Code


Hadrian's Wall at Housesteads Roman Fort (Vercovicium), an English Heritage site near Hexham in Northumberland. Its what3words are rental.puzzle.outcasts. Photo: Peter Mann.
By Margot Eagle what3words is the perfect tool for finding and guiding people to a precise location, which street addresses and post codes don’t...
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Gamlingay gym: your local fitness centre

It’s based at the village primary school


Gamlingay gym reopened on 27th June 2022.
By Peter Mann Gamlingay gym, based at the village primary school in Station Road, has all the equipment one would expect to help keep...
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St Denis’ is an award winning church

First prize in a major competition
for ʻBest conservation’


St Denis' church East Hatley, Cambridgeshire from the south west. The Friends of Friendless Churches has completed two phases of restoration work since taking ownership of the building in 2016 – including (in 2018) new windows in the mediaeval nave and (in 2021) new windows in the chancel William Butterfield built in 1874.
By Peter Mann St Denis’ church in East Hatley, Cambridgeshire, has won a major ‘Best conservation’ award. The Greater Cambridge Shared Planning Service and...
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Rescuing our churches

Articles highlighting the plight of rural churches


By Peter Mann It was a good week for spotting mentions of the Friends of Friendless Churches – and the plight of rural churches...
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St Denis’ re-skinned

Now a significant local asset – and open every day


The south wall in the nave and chancel of St Denis' church, East Hatley. In 2022 the walls in the nave were replastered and (at the far end) the reredos restored. St Denis' is now every day from 8.30 am to dusk. Photo: Peter Mann / Buzz Associates.
By Peter Mann An unexpected grant late 2021 from the government’s Culture Recovery Fund enabled the Friends of Friendless Churches, which owns St Denis’...
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William Butterfield in action

A visit to All Saints, Margaret Street, London – and an important paper on this star architect who restored St Denis' in 1874


All Saints, Margaret Street, London – the interior, looking towards the magnificent altar piece at the east end and dating from 1909.
There can be no question William Butterfield (1814-1900) was, along with Augustus Pugin (1812-1852), Sir George Gilbert Scott RA (1811-1878) and Sir Charles Barry...
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A little less of St Denis

Lost in the great fire at Notre Dame Cathedral


St Denis' statue in Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris. He was beheaded around 250 AD - Notre-Dame was built on the site of his church 900 years later. A relic of St Denis, placed in the weather vane atop the cathedral's spire in the 1830s was lost in the devastating fire of 15th April 2019. [Photo by Thesupermat-CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21763309]
Saint Denis was a 3rd-century Christian martyr and saint – martyred for his faith by decapitation, thus now portrayed carrying his head in his...
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Have you read this?

Mentions we've spotted of Hatley in books


South Cambs magazine, winter 2019 – panel on great places featuring a photo of St Denis' church, East Hatley, Cambridgeshire.
By Peter Mann Depending on where you live, there can be any number of mentions of your locality in books on the countryside, buildings,...
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Rita the meter maid is coming to Gamlingay

Civil parking enforcement on streets near us


A civil parking enforcement 'service agent' putting a parking ticket on a car – part of Cambridgeshire County Council's take over of parking enforcement - March 2023.
By Peter Mann Cambridgeshire County Council is in the process of setting up a new department for parking enforcement, a job currently done by...
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News on nature

Our local, Local Nature Reserve


Red kite – part of the natural scene around Hatley St George and St Denis' church in East Hatley. Photo by John O'Sullivan.
There is a small corner of Hatley which is forever a nature reserve – it surrounds St Denis’ church and is, officially, a Local...
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Someone put a grenade in their blue bin!

Would you believe the things people put in their blue bins?


Found in a blue wheelie bin [4] – a-metal tape measure. Only things which can be recycled easily should be put into your blue bin. SCDC has a list on its website.
A grenade, a toilet seat and disco lights are on a list of items people in south Cambs have wrongly put into their blue...
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Fly-tippers – does you mum still clean up after you?

SCDC’s new innovative sign asks embarrassing questions


'Why are you fly tipping?' – a new SCDC sign which asks fly-tippers if their mum still cleans up after them.
South Cambs District Council is erecting these eye-catching signs which question why people are fly-tipping – including whether their mum still cleans up after them....
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Retired after 15 years

Goodbye to the original Hatley website


Well, that was the website that was. 12th July 2004 to 15th April 2019. RIP. After 15 years’ faithful service, time for a long...
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Someone nicked our children sign

Do you know what happened?


One of the 'Children' signs in Hatley St George, Cambridgeshire – it was stolen on 6th January 2019 and we'd like it back please.
You will have noticed the two original (and a bit worn looking) ‘children’ signs in Hatley St George have gone. The one above was...
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