AS Joni Mitchell sang, You don t know what you ve got till it s gone. The crowd marching up the High Street on Saturday morning seemed to have a fair idea what they were losing, though. They were losing the church hall which, let s be honest, hadn t re

AS Joni Mitchell sang, "You don't know what you've got 'till it's gone." The crowd marching up the High Street on Saturday morning seemed to have a fair idea what they were losing, though. They were losing the church hall which, let's be honest, hadn't really been used for years, anyway. According to the police there were 65 marchers and with getting on for 2,000 signatories on the petition, several people appreciate what may soon be gone.

At least we now know the position of the Parochial Church Council. They have broken their deafening silence by nailing an anonymous notice to the doors of the hall setting out the reasons for the sale. If it is a choice between a crumbling wreck of a hall or the magnificent church there isn't much of a contest, but losing the site in the heart of the town will quicken the demise of the Churchgate Street area. There always seem to be grants and money available for the restoration of the cathedral, so why not a bit of cash for other buildings? Oh, sorry, I forgot, St Andrew's Church is in Soham, not Ely.

Dilemma

WE seem to have lost the discount shop in the High Street. The door has been firmly locked for more than a week now so we are having to look elsewhere for our nick-nacks and wot-nots. For a non-foodstuff shop it must have had the busiest door in town and all those 50ps mounted up when you bought the five extra things you noticed on the shelves after you only went in for a pen.

The biggest dilemma we all face now is where are we going to buy our plastic boxes? It will have to be in town as, what with the extra Council Tax (not the council's fault, of course, but they will still have to cut services and keep the staffing levels up to millionaire levels) and road charging (nothing to do with congestion, more to do with trying to make using a car as expensive as using public transport) we won't be able to afford to travel anywhere for our boxes.

Fit SNOBS

THE members of the Soham Numb Of Brain Society might not be able to think too much, but at least they can stand up. Let's face it, they have to, especially in the High Street as they have ripped the seats off both the bus shelters. Exactly what they think they have achieved by doing this is anyone's guess. It's not a new phenomenon in Soham. When the brick bus shelter was erected on the King's Parade part of Fordham Road (opposite the paper shop) many years ago it had a wooden bench at the back. Within days the fathers, or even grandfathers of today's SNOBS members had kicked the seat to smithereens and from that day onwards anyone waiting for the bus to Newmarket has to stand. There's no need to go hungry while you're waiting, though. The other day as I was walking past the shelter I noticed a whole twelve-inch pizza lying on the floor. It would take a SNOBS member to order, pay for and carry a pizza a quarter of a mile before he realised he didn't like them.

Nights out

NOW that we've got rid of February (and it did fill the dykes once or twice, didn't it?) we can look forward to a few nights out. The first is tomorrow (Friday) when the Twinning Association and the Festival Society are holding a Race Night at the Soham Lodge Hotel on the bypass. Proceedings start at 7pm. There is an auction, a licensed bar and a buffet supper, all for £10 each. Tickets are available from 01353 720177 or 624932. There is no need to wear a hat or a silly little bit of cardboard hanging from your lapel. You will need your wallet, though.

A week later (March 10) there is another charity event at the same venue. This time it is for the newly-formed Carers Association of Brain Injured Needs, or CABIN which is there to support families of victims of brain injuries. There will be musical entertainment and a raffle for £5. Contact Julie on 01353 669600.

On Saturday, March 17, the Soham St John Ambulance Brigade is having a quiz night at the Comrades Club. Their emergency vehicle has finally given up the ghost and they need to raise money to replace it. When you think of the number of events that could not be held if the branch people weren't there you will appreciate what an asset they are to the area. The quiz is for teams of six (15 years plus) and starts at 7.30pm. The price is £5 each and tickets are available from 01353 720177 or 07968 503028. As the price includes a supper, the organisers need to know numbers by March 13.