I HAD a large hole in my ignorance plugged last week. (Don t worry, there s still plenty of ignorance left to be going on with). Together with a town councillor and a chap who knows about mainframe computers I caught the Soham leg of the East Cambs Distr

I HAD a large hole in my ignorance plugged last week. (Don't worry, there's still plenty of ignorance left to be going on with).

Together with a town councillor and a chap who knows about mainframe computers I caught the Soham leg of the East Cambs District Council world tour when it called at Beechust Hall. As with all formal meetings there were times when only the inner circle had any idea what was going on, but at other times it all seemed quite logical and orderly. The two political parties on the council sat in their separate groups and appeared to agree on most things. The independent cross-benchers sat between them and were fairly independent.

Soham's two independents showed their concern over the church hall by proposing and seconding a motion requesting that the church consult with the locals on the future of the site. They also want to know what external funding is available for the hall site. This was carried, so there may actually be an outcome that keeps everyone happy one day.

There were three presentations to the meeting. The one that was most relevant to us was from the chairman of Cambridgeshire Horizons. Cambridgeshire Horizons is a quango concerned with building as many houses as possible around Cambridge. He was quite taken with the proposed massive settlement near Longstanton and was pleased with the excessive number of houses being built in Ely and Soham. When one of our independents asked him where all these people were going to work, he said that it was nothing to do with him and his job was to get the houses built. He was interested in transport, though; the guided bus is a wonderful thing, apparently, but no news on a station for Soham. They are also involved in making Wicken Fen so large it reaches Cambridge. That should improve things in the future. The 'fen ague', or malaria, was very popular in the past, and it will be nice to revive some of the old ways.

One reason that Soham station isn't on the agenda could be that Cambridgeshire Horizons is suffering from the same problem Tesco had some months ago. Soham doesn't appear on their map.

Spelling trouble

A CHAP I know is getting a bit frustrated. He runs a driving school (rather him than me!) and is annoyed in the mornings when he finds that his L-plates have gone missing. He is now having to remove them himself at the end of each working day. All I can think of is that certain people in his part of town are trying to learn to spell. Not wishing to tax what goes as a brain in their case they are only spelling words composed entirely of 'L'. This could just about work in parts of Wales, but wouldn't be too successful in Soham.

Having got bored with this they have reverted to their old ways and are breaking things again. Just around the corner from the driving school is an old flint wall that marks a medieval boundary. Only part of it marks it now as a fair bit has been pushed over.

Meanwhile, a lady who lives at the other end of town has had part of her fence broken off.

Can anybody think of some words these idiots should learn to spell?

Carols and more

LATE night shopping again tomorrow (Friday). All the usual stuff will be happening in the centre of town, hopefully with a little less crazy string this time. One innovation this year will be an exhibition by local artists. This group sprang out of an evening class at the college. They decided that perhaps they were blocking the way for other aspiring painters by attending year after year and branched out on their own. You can see their work in the Viva Centre on the night.

On Saturday, there is a carol concert from Wicken Coronation Band with vocals from Lizzie Footer at the Victoria Hall in Fordham. This event, organised by the Fordham Charity Group, will raise funds for the community bus that takes patients to the Staploe Medical Centre now that the surgeries in all the villages have been closed.

(Ticket details in story on this page).

On Wednesday, there is a charity Christmas quiz and raffle at the Carpenters Arms in Brook Street for the Chernobyl Children Lifeline. Starts at 8pm.

The Rotary carol concert in the cathedral, this year in aid of Milton Hospice and its partners in EACH, is being held on Friday, December 22, not the 8th as reported elsewhere. Tickets from the cathedral box office.