here - St Neots Town Council

Bands In
The Park
Riverside Park,
St Neots
June and July 2011
2.30pm to 4.30pm
Free music for all to enjoy,
so why not bring the family
and make a day of it!
Friday 20th May
8.30pm
Friday 3rd June
8.30pm
Action on
Retail
Crime
Priorities
St. Neots
St. Neots Town Centre Initiative
St. Neots Town Council
www.stneots-tc.gov.uk
Newsletter of the St. Neots Town Centre Initiative
and St. Neots Town Council working together
June 2011

Priorities
St. Neots
Chairman of the
Town Centre Initiative
John Davies
Editors
Veronica Webb and Helen King
To contact Priorities email:
mail@stneots-tc.gov.uk
© 2011
Priorities Imagery and articles
submitted in this publication are
subject to Copyright from various
sources and no reproduction of any
part of this publication is permissible
without the prior consent of St. Neots
Town Centre Initiative, St. Neots Town
Council and SWF Creative as a whole.
Part thereof does not give permission
for its use.
Designed by:
SWF Creative
Eaton Socon,
St. Neots,
Cambs PE19 8BS
email: studio@swfcreative.co.uk
Printed by: MPG Printwise
Front Picture
Contributed by St Neots Museum
Deadline for contributions
to future Priorities
4th July and 3rd October
Ever wandered around the
Eatons and wondered what
you are looking at?
To the casual observer or visitor, the
Eatons may appear to be a rather
quiet ad-on to the main town of St
Neots, but as the saying goes, don’t
judge a book - or village - by its cover.
The Union Workhouse in 1902
As the Anglia in Bloom judging day
approaches the message coming loud
and clear from the hard-working team
is - it’s not too late to help the town
achieve the glittering top prize.
Judges George Dawson and Colin
Drew will arrive at 2pm on Thursday,
July 7 for a tour of the town, which
will include the sights and sounds
of a busy Market Square, as well as
the more tranquil environment of the
Riverside Park and Sudbury Meadows.
Shop keepers and market stall holders
are being urged to keep litter under
control during the day whilst homeowners
and business premises can
Come and learn about the bats
living on Loves Farm by joining
us on a guided walk
The evening will consist of a short talk
(aimed at the whole family) followed by a
walk around the estate using bat detectors
to search for our nocturnal friends!
Friday 20th May – 8.30pm
Friday 3rd June – 8.30pm
There is a wealth of history to uncover
and explore.
There are four trails around Eaton
Socon and Eaton Ford, which is
researched and regularly updated by
the Eatons Community Association
(ESCA). Take time to look at the
heritage boards and blue plaques and
learn about your history.
You probably know the White Horse,
the Olde Sun, the Barley Mow, Eaton
Oak and all the other pubs in the
Eatons, but do you know where
the Black Horse, the White Lion,
Recruiting Sergeant, the Cock, the
Eagle and The Bell were. Do you know
the Union Workhouse and Brittains
first store was in Eaton Ford?
What about schooling? Find out where
the site of the Eaton Socon Academy
was, the village school and the first
Aiming High
Last year it was silver, but this year the
St Neots in Bloom team are pulling out
all stops and are looking to take gold.
ensure floral displays are looking
their best. The latter is particularly
important as St Neots in Bloom’s own
volunteers will be out in early July to
judge the floral displays of business
premises, as well as visiting entrants
to the Best Front Garden Competition.
Closing date is June 23.
The St Neots in Bloom team are
working hard to ensure that on the
big day St Neots will be wearing its
prettiest dress, so.... Let’s Do It!
For more information about
St Neots in Bloom,
contact Alison Pearson on
01480 374792
Contact Caroline for more
information and to book a place
(numbers limited) - 07969 061638
Trails around the Eatons
secondary school in the area - built
before Longsands came on the scene.
How about the Hail Weston Springs
factory, the pipe factory and Sunny
Smiles Toy factory?
Find out about the once self-sufficient
centre of Eaton Socon village with its
bakers, butchers, blacksmiths, coach
builders, millers, shops, farms and
coaching inns. Must not forget the
Norman motte and bailey castle, the
church that is not as old as it appears,
the medieval village of Sudbury, the
milestone on the Great North Road -
and why there is a village lock-up in
Eaton Socon.
The trails are available from
• St Neots Museum
• ESCA - 3 Collingwood Road,
Eaton Socon, St Neots, PE19 8JQ
2
Priorities June 2011

The Chairman’s Column
The Chairman’s Column
A message from John Davies,
Chairman of St. Neots Town Centre Initiative
As I write this column we are a
week away from the start of the
St Neots Music and Arts Festival.
The organising group had put together
an interesting and varied programme.
They are a talented group of local people,
including representatives from local
performers, who have worked very hard on what was the
10th annual event. The event was very well supported
by the News and Crier who have become a true local
paper, and kindly give me a monthly column as well. Our
hard working Mayor, Cllr Gordon Thorpe, has also been a
member of the Group, reflecting the support of the Town
Council for the event. The Initiative provide people support
and some financial and administrative support. The Parish
Church, in Church St, makes a superb venue and the
Rev Paul Andrews and his own team are the core of the
Festival planning. Its success or not, as ever, is down to
the support we receive from you, the public.
We promoted the Festival in Priorities but also received
other valuable support. The About My Area(PE19) Web
Site has become a valuable partner for many of our
activities; their Joanna Oxenham, as well as running a
very professional commercial operation, also goes out of
her way to help local groups and activities. New to the
scene is the Lovely Moon, whose editor Ted Bruning,
is new to the Town but already making his mark with
this interesting new local magazine. He has also been
working closely with the Initiative. All this network is
During the summer from July
20th to September 3rd, St Neots
Museum will hold an exhibition
about ....Summer Holidays.
The exhibition called ‘What We
Did On Our Holidays’, will include
photographs, information and objects
connected with the summer holidays
enjoyed by our parents, grandparents
and great-grandparents.
channelled through our Promotion and Tourism Group.
This Group also includes ESCA, EVA and the Loves Farm
Residents Association, who all have their own newsletters.
Collectively we now have a very good communications
network and we all support each other activities.
The Initiative has been involved in the Connect 2 Project
which was the local steering group for the building of the
new and very welcome pedestrian/cycle bridge. It is now
to be called the Willow Bridge, a name provided by a local
pupil in the St Neots Community College. The work on
the new Bridge, that will link Eynesbury and Eaton Socon,
started in mid-March and hopefully will be completed by
end August or early September.
On the retail front we would like to welcome the new
Manager at Waitrose, Darran Welsford. Darran has already
taken a strong interest in the local community and has
attended one of our Redevelopment and Environment
meetings on the Town’s growth plans. Last month we
featured one of our longest serving retailers, Brittains
Furnishing. In this edition we give news about Boots
refurbishment and about the thriving business community
in the Cross Keys. Recent news is that Westgate will
become part of the Beales Group. The local Manager, part
of our Retail Club, will keep us informed.
That’s all for now. A lot is happening in the Town and I will
tell you more next time.
John Davies
Summer Exhibition at St Neots Museum
It will tell the story of how from the
Edwardian age - when St Neots itself
was a popular riverside holiday spot,
particularly for Londoners - they
enjoyed railway outings to seaside
resorts like Yarmouth and Skegness
in the years in-between the two World
Wars.
The exhibition will feature family
camping and caravanning holidays
in the 50s and 60s (even in the rain),
donkey rides on the beach and fish
and chips, until the era of foreign
package holidays began and seriously
dented the ‘Great British Holiday’.
The museum has been collecting
information and exhibits from local
people to help create the exhibition.
It is still not too late to include your
items and memories. If you have
something to contribute - whether
its an old holiday postcard, seaside
souvenir, photo from the family album
or a vivid memory of a past holiday
experience, just contact Anna Mercer,
the Museum Curator, on 01480
388921.
Throughout the summer holidays
there will be family activities linked to
a holiday theme every Friday - from
making a windmill toy to mixing a
holiday soundtrack.
There is no need to book.
Pick up a leaflet from the museum
for full details, or check out the
museum’s website on
www.stneotsmuseum.org.uk
June 2011 Priorities 3

Business As Usual at the Historic 18th Century
In the days when the fastest mode of travel
was on horseback, or by horse-drawn coach,
there were many coaching inns and hostelries
in St Neots. Due to its prominent position
on the Great North Road, one of the most
important coaching inns was The Cross Keys
which still retains today a great deal of its
18th Century brick facade.
Approximately twenty five years ago the old Cross Keys
Hotel and courtyard was given a new lease of life when it
was converted and developed into what has now become
a bustling, diverse shopping thoroughfare which gives
shoppers access from Priory Lane - near Waitrose and
its busy car park - straight through into the town’s High
Street.
The shopping mews has more than a dozen retail outlets
which offer a large variety of services ranging from
hairdressers, tattoo parlour, sweet shop,lingerie shop and
much, much more.
Paul Goldstraw, proprietor of Goldstraw Jewellers, said
he had been happily conducting business in Cross Keys
Mews for 12 years. He pointed out that the important
walkway has done a great deal to help create the thriving,
retail community that exists in the mews today. He said:
“The walkway has ensured there is a constant flow of
customers and potential customers walking past our
shops. Obviously this is good for business.”
Paul said that he was ‘very confident and happy’ with the
location of Goldstraw Jewellers in the Cross Keys Mews.
Shop proprietor Barry Hamilton, whose shop sells a huge
range of grocery items, flowers and plants, has been
located in the mews since 1986 - and was one of the first
to move into a shopping unit when they were brand-new.
Barry, who moved his green grocery business from the Old
Arcade which used to be located nearby in the High Street,
said that naturally there had been a change of tenancy
over the years but he had always been very happy and
contented to stay in the mews. He said: “We have lots of
traffic through which is good for business. There are really
not many small places available around here and anyway,
units in the High Street are more expensive.”
So although the sight of coaches discharging weary and
thirsty travellers and the sound of clattering hooves in the
courtyard has long ceased to be, the transformation of the
Cross Keys has ensured it continues to this day to be an
important centre of enterprise and retail in St Neots.
Tourism Award for Barretts
At their Annual General
Meeting early in May,
the Huntingdonshire
Association for
Tourism (HAT)
announced two
tourism awards were
going to St Neotsbased
businesses.
The committee unanimously agreed that the HAT trophy, awarded
annually to a non-member business for their contribution to local
tourism, should go to top High Street store, Barretts.
A brochure display, owned and managed by HAT to help distribute
literature about local attractions and accommodation providers, has a
prominent site in the store, which has been particularly helpful since the
closure of the St Neots Tourism Information Centre.
Also presented at the AGM was the Wyvern Staley Grace Award to
Janice Thompson of New Found Place in Southoe, - a four star gold
self catering development - for her excellent work producing the
association’s new website www.huntingdon-accommodation.org.uk in
association with local firm, Blue Prawn.
In view of Huntingdonshire District Council’s staffing cuts, the
association has agreed for this year to handle all tourism enquiries going
to the HDC call centre and these are now being forwarded on.
4
Priorities June 2011
new look
It happened so quickly that custo
The recent refit at Boots in St Neots High Stre
there was little disruption to customers. Th
The new-look store features a larger dispe
making the service more personal - which is d
collecting prescriptions, also a larg
Since November 2009 the store has been o
10am to 4pm on Sunday, enabling the store t
pharmacy service - from pharmacy prescript
reviews. Boots also offer a repeat prescription
and waiting to
The new-look store was launched by retired p
pharmacist at Boots for many years

Cross Keys Mews
The Cross Keys Hotel
before renovation to
The Cross Keys Mews
The Cross Keys Mews as it is today with more than a
dozen retail outlets offering a great range of products.
Action on Retail Crime
for boots
mers hardly had time to notice!
et was completed within one week to ensure
e main reasons for the refit was threefold.
nsary with more customer-facing points -
esigned to speed up time in completing and
er fragrance range and new tills.
pen 8am to 8pm, Monday to Saturday and
o give a better service to the community for
ions to advice, including medicine check up
service where medicines are in-store ready
be collected.
harmacist, Mrs Christine Reedy, who was a
and store manager, Paul Seaton.
At the end of 2011 the Retail Club did a Business
Confidence Survey in the Town Centre that referred to
a seemingly disturbing level of shop lifting and some
vandalism.
With the number of returns it was only a snap shot and the question was
one of many others about the economic situation for retailers. Business
Confidence was only one of 12 parameters but the whole report was sent
to our local Police Sector Commander, Inspector Mark Greenhalgh.
The latest police statistics, received from Inspector Greenhalgh, do show
an increase in retail crime, up 21% but the success rate in detecting
these offences has also increased from 35% to 47%.
The period covered recorded 66 thefts from shops.
The Police have just produced a new guide on dealing with shoplifting.
This aims to make a store or shop a less attractive target through staff
training and best practice to safeguard the more expensive merchandise.
It lists the tell-tale signs for recognising suspicious behaviour by
an individual or groups working together - for example creating a
distraction. Lastly it advices how to react if you suspect an offence is
about to be committed and how to act after the offence, which is often
the most difficult decision while the police have yet to arrive.
Inspector Greenhalgh will be working with the HBAC (Hunts Business
Against Crime) and their new Co-ordinator, Hannah Hancock, to bring
this guide to the attention of local retailers. The Initiative and its Retail
Club will support this process.
June 2011 Priorities 5

The Giant Returns
The Eynesbury Giant returned on the day the Eynesbury
Village Association (EVA) held their second St Georges Day
event on Eynesbury Green.
With roundabouts, children’s corner stall and a rock group - there was
something for everyone to enjoy. The focus of the day’s event was the
Eynesbury Giant - alias stilt walker Adrian - however James Toller was one
inch taller. Adrian’s appearance gave everyone, especially the children, the
experience on just how tall he actually was.
The association say they wish to thank the 1st Neots Scout Group who
volunteered to erect and dismantle the marquee and also Tesco for support and
sponsorship which extends to their other activities, enabling them to provide
affordable entertainment and a community voice with their newsletter.
• EVA will hold their next community safety evening on June 20 at 7.30pm at
the Church Walk Day Centre where representatives from local agencies will be
present to answer and discuss problems and concerns residents may have.
All Eynesbury residents are welcome.
• Throughout the year, the association will organise social events, table top and
craft sales and an intergenerational meeting. Full details of village happenings
can be found on their website eynesburyvillageassociation.org
Share A Journey
Fed up of forking out - what seems these days - a small fortune in fuel to get to and from
work? Well, now you have the opportunity to cut the cost to your purse or wallet.
The free care-sharing service is a
website provided by Cambridgeshire
County Council and the Travel for
Work Partnership called CamShare.
It allows you to search for other
people around your area who make
similar journeys.
Car sharing refers to two or more
people sharing a car journey, rather
than driving their own individual
cars. With car sharing you have prior
arrangements on how to share the
journey’s cost and how to share
driving responsibility. You can arrange
to car share as little or as often as
you like.
Why should you share a car? There are three good reasons.
• You save money: When you car share with someone you agree how you will
split fuel costs.
• Meet people in your community: It is a perfect opportunity to meet new
people, and with over 2,800 members registered with the free online service,
you are likely to find a car sharer nearby.
• Help your local environment: Everyday there are 10 million empty seats on the
UK’s roads. Car sharing means fewer cars on the roads, less air pollution and
a healthier community.
To join Cambridgeshire’s very own free car sharing service, simply register
your journey on camshare.co.uk and contact those people in St Neots and
surrounding area who share the same journey as you.
Pictured are Damian Hemmings (Climate Change Team Leader)
and Amy Jones (Business Manager).
6
Priorities June 2011

The Lost Archaeological Landscape of St Neots
Mark is the manager of Pre-Construct Archaeology’s Central Office near Cambridge,
www.pre-construct.com and Conference Secretary for the Cambridge Antiquarian Society
www.camantsoc.org
When I first began excavating in St Neots over a decade ago it was well known that the history of the modern town
could be traced back to the 10th century AD when a small Saxon monastery was founded near to an ancient river
crossing in what was then the parish of Eynesbury. The monastery and later town took its current name from the
bones of St Neot, which had been acquired by the local monks. The town went from strength to strength developing
considerably since the late 19th century with a very rapid expansion of the built environment post 1950 which is
continuing today.
The archaeology of the town was also
fairly well known thanks in large part to
the work of Peter Addyman in the 1960’s
who went on to achieve more widespread
recognition through his work with the
Jorvik Viking Centre in York.
My own work in the area which involves
checking new development sites for
ancient remains and recording them
before they get built on had less than
promising beginnings.
Whilst the history and archaeology of
the old town were considered highly
important it had long been held that the
‘cold clay lands’ away from the banks
of the River Ouse were inhospitable
and largely uninhabited. Some of this
‘clay’ land next to the Station was being
considered for housing and a new school.
The local countryside was thought to
owe its appearance to the post enclosure
agricultural activities of Adam Love,
who set up a farm there in the 1770’s,
and his contemporaries. Consequently,
when I was asked to evaluate the
area the likelihood of finding anything
interesting seemed fairly remote but then
archaeology always has a tendency to
crop up in the most unlikely places and
this was certainly the case at Love’s Farm.
The Loves Farm archaeological
programme, commissioned and funded
by the developers Gallagher Estates,
eventually became the largest and one
of the most important excavations in the
region. We found the extensive remains of
an agricultural community that had occupied the site for over 700 years from around 200BC to at least 6th century AD.
From the scattered farmsteads of the Iron Age through the enclosed settlements of the Romano-British period and on
into the Early Saxon period successive generations lived on this land, improving drainage, growing new crops, managing
livestock, adding enclosures, buildings, roads (yes the Cambridge Road is over 2000 years old!) and monuments.
We now know that the ancient St Neots countryside was once more densely populated than it is today and certainly not
a barren empty wilderness as previously thought. Perhaps even more surprisingly we now know that farmers such as
Adam Love did not inherit a blank canvas but rather worked within that ancient landscape maintaining and preserving
elements of ancient field systems and track ways some of which may be thousands of years old but can still be seen
today now that we know where to look.
These fundamental changes in our understanding have implications that extend well beyond the St Neots area and are
now making us review much that we thought that we knew about the past. This work has served to highlight current
gaps in our knowledge and is helping us to restore the forgotten past of the Cambridgeshire clay lands.
Mark Hinman, May 2011
Picture supplied by Mark Hinman
June 2011 Priorities 7

Who to contact at the
St Neots Town Council
WARD COUNCILLORS
What’s On At The Priory Centre in 2011
Ricky Valance performs some of his famous hits
including ‘Tell Laura I Love Her’ and many more.
Friday 24th June @ 7.30pm.
Tickets £7.00 Family £25.00
Eaton Ford
Bob Farrer
151a Crosshall Court, Eaton Ford,
St Neots, Cambs PE19 7GB
01480 404014 / 07710 335848
bob.farrer@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
David Harty
10 Sambar Close, Eaton Socon,
St Neots, Cambs PE19 8QG
01480 477202
david@davidharty.co.uk
Colin Thompson
28 Cornwall Court, Eaton Socon,
St Neots, Cambs PE19 8PR
01480 477401
28ck.thompson@vwclub.net
Graham Welton
17 Lottings Way, Eaton Ford,
St Neots, Cambs PE19 7QX
07732 131563
eatonfordgraham@gmail.com
Neal Weston
3 Green Gables, Eaton Ford,
St Neots, Cambs PE19 7SL
01480 403495
nealweston.eatonford@gmail.com
Eaton SOCON
Stephen Davison
31 Viceroy Close, Eaton Socon,
St Neots, Cambs PE19 8DG
07752 264983
stephen.davisonintown@hotmail.co.uk
Christopher Duck
2 Anson Place, Eaton Socon,
St Neots, Cambs PE19 8NH
01480 210740 / 07980 668070
chrisduckstneots@gmail.com
Roger Harrison
55 Bushmead Road, Eaton Socon,
St Neots, Cambs PE19 8GQ
07717 666238
harrison.roger@talk21.com
Andrew Jennings
3 Green Gables, Eaton Ford,
St Neots, Cambs PE19 7SL
01480 403495
PRIORY PARK
Robina Hooper
32a Market Square,
St Neots, Cambs PE19 2AF
07915 072162
robina.j.hooper@gmail.com
Brian Allen
21 Childs Pond Road,
St Neots, Cambs PE19 1TU
07902 929754
drbad@hotmail.com
Barry Chapman
6 Kipling Place, Eaton Ford,
St Neots, Cambs PE19 7RG
01480 212540 / 07050 374217
barry.chapman@ntlworld.com
Ian Gardener
5 Haycraft Close, Grafham,
Huntingdon, Cambs PE28 0GA
07970 613498
idg@asc-geomatics.co.uk
St Neots East
Carl Jones
63 Lannesbury Crescent,
St Neots, Cambs PE19 6AG
07771 802566
carl.jones63@talktalk.net
Council Offices, The Priory,
St. Neots, Cambs PE19 2BH
mail@stneots-tc.gov.uk
www.stneots-tc.gov.uk
Town Clerk
Helen King 01480 388911
Finance Officer
Peter Edwards 01480 388912
Operations Manager
Kevin Matthews 01480 407774
Office Manager
Donna Cooke 01480 388916
Mayor’s Secretary/Admin
Assistant
Karen Pollecutt 01480 388911
Office Hours:
9am – 1pm & 2pm – 5pm Monday to Thursday,
9am – 1pm & 2pm – 4.30pm Friday
The fantastic St Neots based Motown / 70’s
10 piece Soul Band return to The Priory Centre by
popular demand. Get your tickets early as this will
undoubtably be a sell out!
Friday 1st July Doors 8pm. Tickets £10.00
Mad About the Musicals.
An extravaganza of showstoppers from the very
best West End & Broadway musicals.
Friday 7th October @ 7.30pm. Tickets £15.00
The Nutcracker centres around Clara and her
nutcracker doll, which magically transforms into a
princely soldier.
Wednesday 16th November @ 7.30pm.
Tickets £18.50, £14.50 & £9.50
Christmas 2011
Bring your party to our party!
The Priory Centre St Neots is
pleased to announce its Christmas Parties 2011
However large or small your group, these nights
allow you to celebrate the festivities with your
colleagues and friends in style. If you would
prefer, you can hire our facilities exclusively for
your own party. Our location in the heart of
St Neots reduces the need for anyone to drive.
Whilst Christmas 2011 may feel a long way off
these evenings are hugely popular so call us
now for more information
DATES AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT DECEMBER
Friday 2nd Saturday 3rd Monday 5th Wednesday 7th
Friday 9th Friday 16th Saturday 17th Tuesday 20th
For more details and to book tickets - Tel: 01480 388922
www.thepriorycentre.co.uk - Email: priory.centre@stneots-tc.gov.uk
If you would like to be notified of forth coming events,
please email us to be added to our database.
THE PRIORY CENTRE, PRIORY LANE,
ST NEOTS, CAMBS PE19 2BH
Bands In The Park
Sunday 12th June 2011
Cottenham Brass
Riverside Park, St Neots
June and July 2011
2.30pm to 4.30pm
Free music for all to enjoy,
so why not bring the family and make
a day of it!
In case of wet weather the Concerts will be held in
the Priory Centre, Priory Lane, St Neots PE19 2BH
Sunday 26th June 2011
Saxology
Sunday 10th July 2011
Split Whiskers
Sunday 17th July 2011
City of Peterborough Band
Sunday 24th July
St Neots Big Band
For further information,
contact St Neots Town Council on
01480 388911
St Neots
27th and 28th August
Bank Holiday Weekend
St Neots Riverside Park
To volunteer to take part,
either as a stage performer
or to reserve a pitch to sell
goods or publicise your
charity, please contact
St Neots Town Council
on 01480 388911,
mail@stneots-tc.gov.uk
or write to the
Council Offices, The Priory,
St Neots, Cambs PE19 2BH
8
Priorities June 2011