Safari Supper save the date
The fifth Little Shelford Safari Supper will take place on Saturday 18th May 2024 - please save the date.!
The Little Shelford Safari Supper is back on in 2024 and will happen on Saturday 18th May. It’s a night to meet people new to the village and see old friends, travel around for each course and get fed in the process.
The evening will start with drinks together, then main courses and desserts in small groups before reconvening at the end of the evening.
Everyone contributes in some way, and there are plenty of things to do for those who can’t host. There is no need to come as a couple, and dietary issues can be dealt with if known in advance. Please do get in touch with Kate Beaton (katebeaton@me.com) to find out more and register interest.
Posted Nov 14 2023
Is the Navigator under threat?
There is a question mark over the future of the Navigator pub.
Mark Mosley, who has been the tenant for 16 years, has given notice to quit the Navigator by February 2024.
Admiral Taverns have advertised for a new tenant / manager to take over the Navigator.
Part of the reason for Mark's departure are ongoing planning and environmental health issues. The Navigator pub is owned by an organisation called Admiral Taverns who acquired it from Hawthorn Leisure about 12 months ago. It has emerged that Hawthorn made some changes at the pub without permission or consulting neighbours.
The Parish Council has had a couple of meetings with some of the team at Admiral. The Admiral team are showing signs that they want to get the planning / environmental health issues resolved.
It is understood that South Cambs Council will force the kitchen at the Navigator to close by the spring unless the outstanding planning issues have been resolved.
"We should thank Barry for his work during Covid and for everything that he and Mark have done to support the community over the long term," said Parish Council Chair Robin Skinner.
Posted Oct 26 2023
Little Shelford house burglary
A house in Hauxton Road, Little Shelford has been burgled while the residents were on holiday.
"There was broken glass everywhere and a lot of jewels with huge sentimental value gone including my engagement ring, earrings to celebrate the birth of our oldest etc," said Avril Pedley. "No gigantic diamonds but a huge amount of history and very sad."
"They got in through an upstairs window at the back - possibly across the big field- and totally trashed our bedroom and our office.
"The other two rooms they just poked around a bit but did no real harm.
"They managed it although the house alarm was fully activated - who knows how?"
Posted November 1 2023
Thumbs up for 20mph speed limit in village
A majority of people in Little Shelford want to see a 20 MPH limit introduced according to a Parish Council survey.
Villagers were generally in favour of the change according to the summer survey 20 mph but there was a spread of opinion.
Almost 60% were strongly in favour of the change, and 10% slightly in favour. 20% said they had no opinion.
On East West Rail, which will run through Little Shelford if it goes ahead, most people were against it but a handful were in favour.
And on the Cambridge congestion charge, most villagers opposed the new charge although a small number were in favour according to the survey.
Posted Oct 31 2023
New MD for Little Shelford company
Little Shelford company Cambridge Creative have appointed a new Managing Director.
Susana Tsui Fitzpatrick (left) will assume full responsibility for the leadership and development of Cambridge Creative in Whittlesford Road for its next phase of growth to become the leading full-service marketing agency in Cambridge.
Reporting directly to the agency's founder, Susana will also be instrumental in further building the agency's outstanding reputation, leading client growth with breakthrough creative, developing new innovative product offerings and driving better business outcomes through the use of technology and data, particularly within the eCommerce space.
Commenting on the appointment, Cambridge Creative Founder, Jim Gandon said: “I am delighted that Susana Tsui Fitzpatrick is joining us as Managing Director. Susana’s incredibly strong knowledge and experience will be vital as we continue our ambitious plans to grow and develop marketing strategies for our clients. We pride ourselves in delivering great results through our creative and digital solutions for our clients. Susana’s appointment will ensure that these solutions continue to improve through team development and harnessing the latest technologies.”
Susana brings an un-rivalled knowledge of building and operating profitable digital and creative businesses. Susana was the Chief Growth Officer of the UK's largest media agency where she led the agency to success with the year's largest wins, such as Tesco and the Flutter Group.
Before relocating to the UK, she was Group CEO of Dentsu International China and CEO of PHD Asia Pacific, where she led the agency networks' growth strategy by launching new offices in the region, building new product offerings, particularly focused on digital, expanding their client base and elevating brand awareness to new heights.
Susana Tsui Fitzpatrick adds, "I am excited to be part of Cambridge Creative's dynamic and growing team. My passion has always been building successful businesses and servicing the community, so this opportunity is the perfect fit for me. The agency is at a tipping point of doing some amazing things, so I look forward to working with the team and our clients to push creative boundaries to deliver the most innovative and effective work in the industry."
Posted Oct 18 2023
Coronation books now available
Historic mementos of the Coronation week-end in Little Shelford are now on sale.
The lovely historical book of photos brought together by the Little Shelford Local History Society with support from Cambridge Creative is available for £5.
If you would like a copy please contact
Ray and Penny Saich 842737 or
Robin and Sue Fox 842936.
Posted Oct 2 2023.
First book from Little Shelford artist
Little Shelford artists Perveen Tayabali has published her first book.
Seasons of Friendship is set in Bombay in the 1980s. The book centres around two Parsi families living in India.
The cover was also painted by Perveen, who lives in Hauxton Road.
"I felt compelled to write about Bombay, a sort of going back in time for both of us," said Perveen. " My novels focus on the small Parsi community that I belong to and are based on what I know and have experienced. Everything written is factual except for the characters.
"As of now, I have completed three novels. My second one will be published next year and the third a year later."
Perveen has been a working artist all of her life. Many of her paintings are drawn from her Zoroastrian heritage and the Parsi community to which she belongs.
Besides being a portrait artist, she is a storyteller. When her children were young, she wrote stories for them. And after her husband Chotu lost his sight in 2004, she began to write for him too.
The book is available through Amazon.
Published October 3 2023
Cricket club wins the league
Little Shelford Cricket Club has won its league in one of the most successful seasons for the club for years.
Their end of season Festival of Cricket will be held on Saturday 9th September on the Wale Recreation Ground. The morning will be dedicated to the Junior Section with a Softball Competition and a Junior Section inter-club 20:20 match starting at 9.30 am playing for the David Altham Memorial Trophy.
This will be followed by Little Shelford 1st XI playing in the CCA Junior League Challenge Cup Final starting at 1pm. The 1st XI have won the Cambridgeshire & Huntingdonshire Junior League 1 South. They will be playing Chippenham Cricket Club, winners of the CCA Junior League 1 North for the Challenge Cup. This is the first time for several years that they have been in the County Challenge Cup Final.
They want a really fun family atmosphere on the day with lots of supporters present not only to cheer on our 1st XI in the afternoon but also to support the Junior teams in the morning. So, they suggest families bring picnics, deck chairs and drinks for the day.
In addition, and to help create a real family atmosphere it would be great if everyone could make the Festival of Cricket a “bring and share” day. This is where every family brings food for themselves and food to share with others. Spare food for sharing can be placed in the Pavilion from 9.30am. It would be great to see a variety of foods given how multi-cultural our club is, everything from vegetable samosas to cheese and tomato quiche to sausage rolls. Just make sure anything you bring to share is clearly labelled as to whether meat or vegetarian, whether it contains nuts or anything else that should be noted by those who will eat it. They will also have a BBQ offering meat options and they will also be providing tea, coffee and non-alcoholic refreshments available all day.
Weather permitting expect some great cricket and a fun family atmosphere. So, they look forward to seeing you at the Festival of Cricket and hearing you cheer on the 1st XI in their Challenge Cup Final.
Annual Dinner and Awards Evening Saturday 30th September 2023
They will be holding our Annual Dinner and awards evening on Saturday 30th September starting at 7.00pm in Little Shelford Memorial Hall. Supporters of LSCC as well as players and VP’s are all welcome. The dinner is £25 per head including a 2 course Indian Meal from our Junior Section sponsor www.navadhanya.co.uk, one of the best Indian restaurants in the area. There will be vegetarian curry options and for those who don’t like curry an alternative of fish & chips from Winners will be available.
Any questions? Contact their Chairman davidjhjones@btinternet.com or 07711 063722 or 01223 847213.
Remember you can see batting and bowling statistics as well as all their results, fixtures and player statistics at https://littleshelford.play-cricket.com/home.
Posted Aug 29 2023
More unusual moths sighted in Little Shelford
More unusual moths have been spotted in the village.
The fine Jersey Tiger Moth (below left) was observed in the village om 2nd August and has been reported to our Cambridgeshire moth recorder vc29@elymoths.co.uk and uksafari.co.uk
And this moth below right was spotted by John Kingsley-Pallant on August 16.
Little Shelford woman shortlisted for awards
A businesswoman from Little Shelford has been shortlisted for a national award.
Amy Nicholas has been credited by her dad Miles, from Newton Road as the reason why his business is still afloat.
Amy's work has resulted in her being shortlisted in the Meat Businesswoman Award – Independent Retailing in the Women in Meat Industry Awards 2023.
Miles took over the business, Morgan’s Butchery at Baythorne Hall, near Haverhill, last April.
It is Miles’ first shop, and one that he took over five years after having a stroke that left him unable to speak and having to relearn many, everyday basics.
Posted Aug 29 2023
Little Shelford Badminton Club ready for the new season
Little Shelford Badminton Club meets every Thursday night at 19:30 at Little Shelford Memorial Hall for very sociable games of doubles. We have a good group and are always keen to see new faces.
This season will start on Thursday 7 September 2023 with 15 weeks before Christmas and another 15 weeks taking us to 18 April 2024.
New members can come free for the first night to make sure it is for you. Thereafter pay £5/session for up to 6 weeks when we are keen you join us properly and pay the £100 annual subscription that works out at only £3.33 per night! (Students half price at £50.)
In the past we have run coaching session for the juniors and entered teams in the Cambridge league. Not just yet but coming again soon – we hope.
For more information, contact James Newman on 07717 394176 (james@jamesnewman.org).
Posted Aug 16 2023
New village traffic survey
A new traffic survey is being carried out by the Parish Council which could see some speed limits in Little Shelford reduced to 20mph.
The survey includes questions about:
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Village speed limits
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East West Rail's proposals
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The Cambridge congestion charge.
There is also the opportunity to feedback to the parish council about other traffic issues in the village.
The deadline to complete the survey is the end of June.
Posted June 1st 2023
Little Shelford Cricket Club update
Most of our teams are having a great season so far and we are reaping the rewards of the effort to build our teams across the Senior and Junior categories.
The 1st XI is top of its league having won 8 out of 8 games played. Also, our U13 XI won the T20 County Final last week.
Our softball initiative is also paying off. We have been able to enter 2 teams in the recent U11 Girls softball cricket league which is a great development.
Only the 2nd XI Senior Team have been struggling but this has been partly as a result of a reorganisation of the leagues at their level at the end of last season which saw them put into a stronger league than they were ready for. We are confident their performance will improve with time. So, how is this for a set of statistics across all our teams as of 2nd July 2023:
For your diaries – Festival of Cricket and Annual Dinner and Awards Evening
The Festival of Cricket will be on Saturday 9th September on the Wale Recreation Ground with the David Altham Memorial Cup being played for by our Junior teams in a T20 competition at 10am and a Senior President’s XI v Fen Ditton starting at 1.30pm. Do come and watch the cricket and enjoy the refreshments.
The Annual Dinner and Awards evening will be held in the Little Shelford Memorial Hall on Saturday 30th September at 7pm. We will have a lot to celebrate, even based on the seasons results so far.
As a reminder you can find all our Senior and Junior and fixtures as well as match results and statistics for Seniors and Juniors at: https://littleshelford.play-cricket.com/home
Wale NETS Practice for Junior and Senior Players and Softball Cricket for the U10’s
Finally, new and existing players, both boys and girls and men and ladies are welcome to our NETS sessions and our Summer Softball sessions on the Wale. For information regarding nets sessions contact: Neil Orpwood (neilorpwood@msn.com 07866 751651).
Support LSCC by becoming a Vice-President or Sponsor
We are lucky to have a thriving Village Cricket Team with many players living within a few miles radius. However, we always welcome new Vice Presidents who want to see Cricket thrive in the Village, as well as new sponsors. For more information about our VP’s and Sponsorship opportunities contact David JH Jones, Chairman, LSCC (01223 847213 or davidjhjones@btinternet.com).
* The wine and canapes event on Little Shelford Rec raised £1,650 for the Arthur Rank Hospice.
Posted July 5 2023
East West Rail WILL travel through Little Shelford
The new East West Rail route between Cambridge and Oxford will travel through Little Shelford a new report has confirmed.
The announcement will mean an additional four trains an hour through the village, increasing train noise.
It could also mean the closure of the existing Hauxton Road crossing.
The EWR consultation document stated; "There are a number of options we are considering for the Hauxton Road level crossing:
• Building a bridge or an underpass at the existing level crossing
• Closure with provision of a pedestrian/cycle bridge
• Permanent diversion either with provision of a new highway or along other existing local roads.”
It is believed that there is not enough room for a new bridge or underpass for cars in Hauxton Road. This would mean that Little Shelford would be split in two, with some Little Shelford homes split off from the rest of the village on the Hauxton side of the tracks.
Read more about the East West Rail proposals here.
Posted May 26 2023
Shelford Twinning Association 2023 twinning visits
We are delighted to be arranging visits again after the pandemic. 2023 marks the 35th anniversary of the beginning of the Shelfords’ twinning link with Verneuil en Halatte, a village situated about 30 miles north of Paris. The date of this year’s visit to Verneuil is:
Shelford to Verneuil : Thurs 1st – Sun 4th June
Cost: Adults £95* Children £75* (second and subsequent children £50*)
The fare includes all travel, accommodation and meals (the only other expenses being a small gift for the host family, lunches on the days of travel, a little pocket money and your travel insurance for the four days). Travel is by coach from Great Shelford (channel crossing by tunnel).
The visit is for all, adults and children. The people in Verneuil are welcoming and friendly, and everyone is accommodated in families as the essence of twinning is getting to know each other on a personal level. Children of primary school age are especially catered for. The programme includes outings to places of interest, a morning in school for primary age children, and a party for all. It is not necessary to be able to speak French, but it’s nice to try!
Children aged 13 and under must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
Closing date for applications: 22nd April
For more information and a booking form please contact Sarah Haddow (sarah.haddow@talk21.com) or Colin Jefferson (colin@frenchfrogs.net)
The French visit to Shelford is scheduled for 8th – 11th July 2023
It is not a requirement to host a French family, but it is fun to do so!
Posted March 17 2023
Little Shelford Cricket club update
Little Shelford Cricket Club held a successful AGM on the afternoon of Sunday 5th February 2023. Officers were elected for all posts and Captains Appointed. Matthew Beale will Captain the 1st XI and Alistair Pringle will Captain the 2nd XI while Chris Schofield remains as Club Captain. Ian Reid continues as our Junior Section coach assisted by Jamie Harrison. We also took a moment to remember 2 LSCC VP’s who had sadly passed away since we last met, Edward Toll and Nigel Penn.
We confirmed some key dates for the 2023 Season, the Festival of Cricket will be on Saturday 9th September on the Wale Recreation Ground while the Annual Dinner will be held in the Little Shelford Memorial Hall on Saturday 30th September. Winter nets have been going well with good attendance at Senior and Junior nets sessions. We are optimistic that it is going to be a good season for Juniors and Seniors.
Junior fixtures including mid-week games will be announced as soon as possible and posted on the Wale Pavilion notice board and the LSCC Notice Board in the Navigator but as a reminder you can find all the fixtures as well as match results and statistics for Seniors and Juniors at: https://littleshelford.play-cricket.com/home
Wale NETS Practice for Junior and Senior Players – All welcome
Finally, new and existing players, both boys and girls and men and ladies are welcome to our NETS sessions planned for the Wale from April onwards. For information regarding nets sessions contact: Neil Orpwood (neilorpwood@msn.com 07866 751651).
Support LSCC by becoming a Vice-President or Sponsor
We are lucky to have a thriving Village Cricket Team but always welcome new Vice Presidents who want to see Cricket thrive in the Village, as well as new sponsors. For more information about our VP’s and Sponsorship opportunities contact David JH Jones, Chairman, LSCC (01223 847213 or davidjhjones@btinternet.com).
Posted March 27 2023
Fourth Little Shelford home burgled
A fourth house in Hauxton Road has been burgled.
The break-in happened between 4pm and 10pm on Jan 11th
The burglars gained access from the back (presumably via the field) by smashing an upstairs bathroom window and unlocking from the inside to let themselves in.
They took small, valuable things, jewellery, cash, currency, emptying every drawer, cupboard, shoebox and container upstairs.
Ladders were used in all four recent break-ins.
Police advised the householder to install outside cameras (and stickers saying 'you're being filmed') for anyone looking for deterrents.
Three other houses in Hauxton Road were burgled in November 2022.
*Nearly two-thirds (65%)* of us are worried about our home being broken into, yet there are simple, proven measures we can all take to halve our chances of being burgled according to the e-cops newsletter.
Theyhave joined forces with our longstanding primary smart security partner, ERA Home Security, to bring you their Think WIDE(N) burglary prevention campaign highlighting the simple, evidence-based WIDE measures which can be taken in any home on a variety of budgets.
At Neighbourhood Watch, they also believe neighbours keeping an eye out for each other is key to reducing burglary, so they've extended the WIDE acronym to WIDE(N):
W: WINDOWS: Keep your windows lockedI: INTERIOR: Put inside lights on a timer/smart bulbD: DOORS: Double or deadlock your doorsE: EXTERIOR: Put outside lights on a sensor(N): NEIGHBOURS: Keep an eye out for your neighbours
Leaving home? Use this free home security checklist to leave your home safe and secure.
John Hayward-Cripps, CEO of Neighbourhood Watch Network, said ‘We know that by securing your home's windows, interior, doors, exterior and keeping an eye out for neighbours, we can all give ourselves the best chance of preventing burglary.
If you have been burgled recently, criminals are familiar with your home and may come back once you've had time to purchase new items. Act soon to avoid being retargeted - use the WIDE(N) advice for a combination of simple yet effective prevention measures.'
Learn more at ourwatch.org.uk/thinkwiden.
* Neighbourhood Watch Crime and Community Survey 2022
Posted Jan 16th 2023
Cambridge Creative doubles in size
Cambridge Creative is proving to be one of Little Shelford’s biggest success stories.
The marketing and recruitment company on Whittlesford Road has more than doubled in size over the last year. Cambridge Creative now has 24 staff compared to ten when they first started life in the village four years ago. Several new employees are from the Shelfords and Stapleford.
The company has supported a number of local companies including Noel Young Wines, Scotsdales, Duxford Lodge and Cara Coffee and they will shortly be working with Provenance restaurant. They also promoted the successful delivery app for Shelford Spice which has had over 10,000 views.
They have also been involved with proposals for Dernford Reservoir.
“2022 was a really successful year for us,” said owner Jim Gandon.
“The economy is challenging for many companies at the moment. However, we are finding that our strong digital experience and our local roots are paying dividends.”
Their journey began in 2014 as the marketing branch of a sales & consultancy business, where we honed our 360-degree service to facilitate and support sales growth.
They started their journey in 2014 as the marketing branch of a sales & consultancy business.
Becoming independent in 2020, under the Cambridge Creative banner, they have a talented in-house team that deliver the full range of marketing services; the perfect blend of digital experts, creative artists, design gurus and website developers that come together to create a collaborative culture that delivers end-to-end performance marketing solutions.
Cambridge Creative provides a range of marketing services including paid search, social ads, Search Engine Optimisation and content marketing to personalised website and email campaigns.
Their latest venture is a holiday home site which is the equivalent of Rightmove for holiday homes building on the growth in the English holiday market. It has made a flying start since it was launched in November. “We have been both pleased and surprised about how well it has started,” said Jim, who lives with his family in Little Shelford.
Posted Jan 6 2023
No community warden scheme for Little Shelford
An option to extend the community warden scheme from Great Shelford to Little Shelford has been turned down.
The Parish Council considered the proposal at their July meeting.
Caroline Kingdon carried out a survey to ascertain potential demand for the service. The summary of her findings is that currently there is no demand for the type of service provided by the warden scheme. Those people whose needs are covered by it felt that they are already adequately supported.
Read the Parish Council minutes about the meeting here.
Posted August 23 2022
Horticultural business to quit Little Shelford
A business in Little Shelford is leaving the village after 90 years.
Harvey and Sons are selling their plot on Hauxton Road. There is the possibility that it could be redeveloped for new homes.
Their last day on Cambridge Market was 23rd July. The nursery also shut down in July. The last day on the stall made the Cambridge News.
"We would like to thank you for all your custom, support and friendship, particularly over these past three very difficult years," said a statement from the family. "What we do is more than a job , it’s a way of life. 7 days a week 365 days a year. It’s time for a change , a rest and new adventures."
The detached house and its eight acre plot was on the market with Carter Jonas for £975,000. This includes the 1.7 acre horticultural nursery site.
“The 1.69-acre operational horticultural nursery site with potential for a variety of uses (subject to planning permission), including residential or commercial development,” says the sale details.
“There is potential for redevelopment.. which could include demolition of the existing house and erection of either one large dwelling or a number of smaller dwellings,” it adds.
Some of the eight acre plot is in the green belt.
Updated June 28 2022
Little Shelford Village Design Guide gets green light
A new guide which sets out how future development in Little Shelford must enhance the village has being adopted by South Cambridgeshire District Council.
The new Little Shelford Village Design Guide is due to become a Supplementary Planning Document, meaning it will be taken into account when future planning applications in the area are determined. Members of the local community, including the Parish Council, have helped develop the guidance, which identifies what is distinctive in the village and aims to raise the quality of development locally. The adoption of the Guide is subject to the Council’s usual decision call-in processes.
The Village Design Guide has been developed by Greater Cambridge Shared Planning, a partnership between South Cambridgeshire District and Cambridge City Councils, to provide additional design guidance in support of the adopted Local Plan policies.
The guide draws on extensive research and evidence gathering by the local community over several years. New planning applications will be now expected to demonstrate how they reflect the guidance.
A Village Design Guide helps communities and planners shape the character of new development in a specific area, in response to community priorities. It is a way to provide more locally specific detail, which augments and amplifies Local Plan policies. The Little Shelford Village Design Guide is the ninth to be adopted in recent years by South Cambridgeshire District Council, following the award of funding to the Council by central government to develop community-led design guidance.
Councillor Dr. Tumi Hawkins, Lead Cabinet Member for Planning at South Cambridgeshire District Council added: “I am delighted we are formally adopting this Village Design Guide to strengthen and improve the quality of new development in our rural areas. We have an exemplary track record in developing locally specific design guidance with our village communities. This one is no exception and draws on outstanding research by local residents. We look forward to seeing how this influences the quality of architecture in Little Shelford over the coming years.”
For more information visit www.scambs.gov.uk/villagedesign
Posted Dec 22 2021
Links to other Little Shelford website pages
www.greatshelford.online/events
www.littleshelford.online/fun-weekend
www.littleshelford.online/east-west-rail
www.littleshelford.online/parish-council
www.littleshelford.online/community-groups
www.littleshelford.online/businesses
www.littleshelford.online/pavilion
www.littleshelford.online/village-hall-wale-rec
www.littleshelford.online/village-people
www.littleshelford.online/health
www.littleshelford.online/planning
www.littleshelford.online/community-orchard
www.littleshelford.online/environment
www.littleshelford.online/history
www.littleshelford.online/phonebox-library
www.littleshelford.online/newsletter
www.littleshelford.online/scambs