20 May.  The Spinning House.  How Cambridge University locked up women in their private prison.  Caroline Biggs.  In 1561 the university was granted legal powers to deny the townswomen of Cambridge basic rights.  Josephine Butler (1828–1906) became famous for highlighting the iniquity of the Contagious Diseases Acts (CDAs) of the 1860s, based on the 1561 powers, whereby any woman suspected of being a prostitute or even being seen anywhere near a student could be spirited away by a university “bulldog” and imprisoned in the notoriously filthy Spinning House jail, with no right to appeal or to a trial by jury.   Emma Kemp was sentenced to fourteen days after being “found in the company of members of the university”.  Jane Elsden was given two weeks for “not coming quietly” when hauled off the streets.  Victorian hypocrisy is everywhere in this story. At least half of our members live in Over, including our Secretary.  The History Society meets at 7.30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of the month in The Carol Shaw Room at Swavesey Village College – through the main entrance then 20 metres along the corridor to the right.  No need to book so you are welcome to just walk in.  If you want further information, contact our Secretary, Carolyn on carolyn.redmayne@ntlworld.com or on 01954 230037.  

Over Gardening Club's May meeting will be held on Wednesday 21st May at Over Community Centre. This month's talk is by Neil Calllan - "A Year in the Garden at Horseshoe Farm"; this will be a fully illustrated talk on this garden which now opens under the National Garden Scheme. We are a friendly group of gardeners and plant lovers who have regular meetings with a speaker, a raffle and occasional plant sales.  Meetings are monthly, from September to May, on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at the Over Community Centre and we usually have a guest speaker talking on a various aspects of gardening.  Membership runs annually from 1 April to 31 March and is currently £15.00 per year.  Visitors to meetings are welcome but we do ask for a guest fee of £3.00 per visit.  On production of a valid membership card a 10% discount is currently available on most items at Oakington Garden Centre, on plants at Parkhall Nursery, Somersham and also from Madingley Mulch. For further info please email overgardeningclub@gmail.com