GEOFF also pays tribute to the street cleaner who has retired and shares details of a mystery trip.

SO LONG

NEWS this week of two retirements; one last Monday, and another in a couple of years.

Long-serving MP Sir Jim Paice has announced that he won’t be standing at the next general election. Whether you support his party or not Sir Jim has been a pretty good constituency man, helping many people over the years.

The other retirement happened on Monday. Our much appreciated street cleaner, Mr Burgess, has finally hung up his grab and parked his barrow for the last time.

He really redefined “a good job well done” and the people of Soham acknowledged it by voting him townsperson of the year on three occasions.

He will be sorely missed and will be a very difficult act to follow, presuming he will have a successor and the streets of Soham do not fall victim to council budget cut-backs.

Thinking of it, if Sir Jim would like to keep in touch with his constituents he could do worse than have a couple of days on the barrow each week.

USEFUL

JAKE the spaniel is pleased to see that someone has finally found a use for the lonely bus shelter in Townsend.

It’s not a great deal of use as a bus shelter as it’s nowhere near a bus stop; another triumph for the planners!

Jake doesn’t really have a problem with this. As long as there are some interesting smells about he’s not bothered if it’s any use or not - and for some reason there’s always a few very interesting smells wafting about in bus shelters!

No, the Townsend bus shelter stands lonely and unused no longer. It is now being used by the fly-posters to advertise a circus, still not what it was installed for, Jake reckons.

NOSH AND NATTER

SOMETIMES it’s all too easy to close the door and withdraw from activities that you would otherwise enjoy.

Anyone with a couple of hours spare on a Thursday could do a lot worse than force themselves out of the house and join in with the Salvation Army lunch club that runs from noon-2pm.

You will need to book a place by calling Iris on 01638 577386.

What could be better than a good meal and, possibly more important, a good chat?

MYSTERY TRIP

WHENEVER I find out about an event I write it down in a diary cum folder together with a note about what’s going on.

This week I have made a note for Saturday saying “Open day, Pavilion, 10–3”.

Unfortunately I don’t seem to have left myself a note, so I can’t say whose open day it is or what it will be showing off. The only way to find out will be to nip along and have a look.

Not the most exciting quest, perhaps, but it will make a change.

NO EXCITEMENT

IF you are at a loose end on Tuesday evening, and you need to be at a very loose end in my opinion, the Neighbourhood Panel will be meeting in the Village College Performing Arts Centre (where the tennis courts used to be) from 7pm.

If you’ve never been to a neighbourhood panel meeting I can only describe it as an experience. Loads of councillors from Soham and various villages around come and “listen” to the concerns of the locals.

These invariably involve anti-social behaviour, speeding traffic and unlit cycles.

If you have any concerns, possibly involving anti-social behaviour on unlit, speeding bicycles, you can bring them up at the meeting or, if you can’t get there, you can call 01353 665555 and talk to Alistair McKie.

FOLLOW JAKE

THIS week Jake is making his way along a street named after a large room. Which business has three Christmas lanterns on display?

Two weeks ago Jake was walking across Angle Common when he came across a railway crossing called Mill Grove.