Our engaging and dynamic speaker for the May meeting was Ralph Jackman, who delivered a captivating presentation on one of ancient Rome’s most formidable women—Agrippina the Younger. Ralph explored the remarkable life and political manoeuvrings of Agrippina, whose ambition and strategic acumen helped her rise to the pinnacle of Roman power. Born into a noble lineage, Agrippina made a series of calculated moves, including a controversial marriage to her uncle, Emperor Claudius—a union so unorthodox it required a special law to legalize. Once married to Claudius, Agrippina skilfully persuaded him to adopt her son, Nero, thereby securing his succession to the throne and placing herself in a position of significant…

Election results The recent county council elections saw the Liberal Democrats gain 11 seats and take control of the council. My congratulations go to Yasmin Deter and Luis Navarro who are now Willingham and Over’s councillors, and I look forward to working with them. Every County Council seat in South Cambridgeshire district is now held by a Liberal Democrat. My thanks go to retiring councillors Firouz Thompson and Neil Gough who did a huge amount for our villages. Zero Carbon Communities Grant SCDC’s popular Zero Carbon Communities Grant opened for applications on Monday 5th May and will close on Tuesday 1st July 2025. Parish councils and voluntary/community organisations are invited…

46 local residents met to hear Colin Chapman from Gloucestershire speak on The Poor Laws.  The Poor Law of 1601 formalised earlier poor relief measures in England.  It established a nationwide system of poor relief funded by local parishes through a mandatory “poor rate”.  This law aimed to address poverty and vagrancy, providing support for the “deserving poor” while also addressing the issue of the “idle poor”.  By 1600, attitudes to poverty started to soften and the government decided action was necessary, fearing that the growing number of poor people might gang together and start a rebellion, vagabonds and beggars might turn to crime and the poor might spread disease. …

Our April meeting was full of crafting and creativity. Our recent felting workshop had been a huge success and a fabulous array of felted Easter bunnies were proudly displayed by members who attended the workshop.  We also had the pleasure of welcoming Alison Moore of Cottenham W.I. as our guest speaker. Alison gave a delightful and engaging talk about her passion for dolls’ houses, bringing along a selection from her fascinating collection to share with us. Her journey into the miniature world began when one of her sons borrowed furniture from Alison’s childhood dolls’ house for a school project. Tasked with creating a Tudor house for a lesson on the…

Behind the ordinary front door of 186 Gwydir Street lies an extraordinary hand-painted interior. From 1886, this was the home of Victorian working-class decorative artist David Parr and his family. The house is a remarkable example of Arts and Crafts workmanship, layered with 20th-century social history. After being taken on as an apprentice, David Parr worked for F. R. Leach & Sons, a firm of artworkmen based on City Road in Cambridge. The firm was renowned across the country, working with many notable designers of the day, including George Frederick Bodley, William Morris, and Charles Eamer Kempe. F. R. Leach & Sons specialised in all aspects of church decoration, from…

We would like to wish our subscribers, advertisers, contributors and supporters a lovely Easter weekend ahead. Thank you for your ongoing support and for sharing your brilliant news, events and updates with us and our readers. Please also keep sending your updates and news to submit@overvillage.co.uk. Happy Easter!

2025 marks 80 years since the end of the Second World War. Mark your diaries with two upcoming village events to commemorate this important date: May 8th: Beacon Lighting on the GreenLight refreshments provided from 20:30hrs. May 10th: ‘Street Party’ on the GreenThe ‘Street Party’ Picnic on the Green and Sports Day invitation is for Over residents. Get your team together to take part or support them with some flag waving. Tea and coffee available. Visit the links to find out more about both events.