SOMETIMES it seems that the original idea behind the village college, a school during the day and a community centre the rest of the time, may have been forgotten. Then you see the number of part-time courses available and you realise that it is still the

SOMETIMES it seems that the original idea behind the village college, a school during the day and a community centre the rest of the time, may have been forgotten. Then you see the number of part-time courses available and you realise that it is still there for the rest of us. With the new term just underway you can still sign up for such classes as Gentle Exercise and Movement, Keep Fit for the More Mature and Return to Fitness.

If sweaty leotards and leg-warmers aren't your thing you can exercise your artistic side with classes on water-colours and oils.

INFO: If you would like to learn more about the courses available, contact 01353 722297.

Plenty to do

THERE are lots of events to interest almost everyone next week. On Tuesday, there is professional theatre at Wicken. The Oxfordshire Touring Theatre Company presents the Russian folk story The Firebird at the village hall.

INFO: Tickets £6 and £3 are available from 01353 721611 or 721681. The production, organised by the Village Hall Committee, is suitable for an audience aged six and over.

On Wednesday, there is an American folk tale at The Pavilion. The festival society is presenting its latest cinema offering, The Gunfight at the OK Corral starring Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas as Wyatt and Doc. You've probably seen it before, but it's always good to make sure the Clantons get their come-uppance again.

INFO: The show starts at 7.30pm and tickets are £4.50 and £4.

This brave attempt to bring cinema back to town has struggled a bit as audiences have occasionally fallen short. I'm told that if this presentation doesn't go well the festival committee may have to bring this venture to a close, so let's hope the OK Corral isn't the last chance saloon!

The same evening, there is a Mind, Body and Soul event at the Soham Bypass Hotel. The first one last year raised £80 for the bereavement charity Cruse and the organisers are hoping to better that this time.

INFO: 01353 725076 or 722370.

Let there be. . .

Now we're heading into the new year the evenings are gradually drawing out a bit, thank goodness, but we still need a bit of illumination at the end of the day.

Virtually in the middle of East Fen Common is a post. There isn't really a track, let alone a road near the post, so exactly why there is a light on top of it is a mystery. What seems even more of a waste is the fact that the light on top of the post appears to be switched on for about 23 hours a day. Could this be a left-over landing light from the wartime dummy airfield that sat down the Mere all those years ago? Whatever it is, it's not saving the planet much, is it?

Meanwhile, one of the streetlights along Fordham Road hasn't been working since well before Christmas. Luckily it has a number on it to ring to report faults. We are not sure how many times we need to ring this number before illumination floods out again, but we'll keep trying. Perhaps if it were in the middle of a field it would be working again by now!