This was the day after a very special memorial service held in Ely on the anniversary weekend of a day of remembrance for the five Littleport Martyrs hung 200 years before for their part in what had been a fenland wide uprising. These were spontaneous protests at the starvation and privatisation everyone who relied on work from the land was suffering after the end of the Napoleonic wars. A riot started in Littleport and became…
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It’s Sunday and the Vine Church is gathering for its Morning Meeting. Some people come very early, because there are always things to be prepared. So the musicians arrive early to practice; the teachers come to lay out stuff ready for the children; the ‘hospitality people’ get everything ready to serve tea and coffee, at the end of the meeting. Gradually people arrive. Some of us come with wheelchairs, walking sticks and walkers; so we…
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After an administrative difficulty arose, Majors Bram and Lorraine Holland had to once again retire! The couple who having served for so long and so well since first becoming members of the church in 1978, retired for the first time in 2006! They had served social centres and churches around the country before settling in at the Whittlesey Citadel in 1996. Then they answered the call to look after the Littleport community which resulted in…
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Littleport WI has been exceptionally busy these last few weeks, having organised and taken part in the cleaning and repainting of the Littleport Village sign. The original sign was donated to the village in 1984 to commemorate the WI’s 75th anniversary and the new one installed in 2001. It was crafted in seasoned oak by sculptor Jeremy Turner and is extremely impressive – depicting many aspects of the history and life of Littleport. However, it…
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YPL is at last able to let you know that a full programme of future films and showing times is coming soon. We will initially be showing age appropriate films for the following age groups: Families with young children (under the age of 5 years) 5 – 7 year olds 7 – 9 year olds 9 – 11 year olds All children must be registered with us. Membership is FREE and film viewing is FREE….
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Told by Roger Rudderham The fame of Ely spread in the middle ages due to the shrine of St. Ethelreda and the miracles that were attributed to her. Ely Abbey was even patronised by King Canute and Queen Emma, who particularly enjoyed the singing of the choir and always visited the abbey for the Feast of Purification. The third Abbot, appointed in 1019, was Leofwine, but unlike his predecessors, who according to the Liber Eliensis…
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The 363 MCC are as well known for their charity fund raising as for their immaculate bikes and leathers. Back in May the club held their annual commemorative fund-raising for charity event called Crowning Around at the Crown Inn on Littleport’s Main Street. The bikers assembled again at the Crown on an auspicious weekend in the following month to present cheques for the cash raised. President Mark Robinson gave £3,000 to East Anglian Air Ambulance…
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On a dull, cold January afternoon the Mepal Molly Men returned to Littleport after nearly 20 years to celebrate Plough Monday. This is the day farm workers returned to their work after the Christmas and New Year holidays. Often the land was frozen or water logged and unable to work, short of money, the labourers would dance or push a plough around the town to cadge money or gifts from the wealthier members of the…
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This time last year, I was recovering from surgery. I had lots of time on my hands whilst on sick leave and one of the things I did lots of was think of my lifelong dream of running my own coffee shop. Little did I know that later that same year, I would have made my dream a reality. Years ago, I had jokingly earmarked the old butcher’s shop as a perfect coffee shop venue…
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Whilst I am writing this article I can see diggers, bulldozers and other plant machinery getting ready to start preparing the construction access road to the new secondary school and Leisure Centre. It is hard to believe that approximately 28 years ago, Littleport Town Football Club and Cricket Club were given notice that their lease on the Highfield sports field would not be renewed and we would have to find a new ground. At that…
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