Just before Christmas last year, the firm reached out to nearby Brook Primary School to donate surplus files and other office supplies no longer needed due to their relocation and, from this, came the inspiration for an Easter colouring competition.
Conveyancing assistant Megan Johnson told HI HUB: “We felt this competition would be a great way to support the children’s wellbeing. It was initially solely with Brook Primary School. But following its success, we hope to get involved with other local schools too later in the year.”
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Entries received were of such a high standard that Hayward Moon were unable to settle on a Top 3 and so an additional 4th prize was added.
Prizewinners
1st Place – Bea year 2, class 2RD
Hayward Moon’s Karen Wilson and Megan Johnson rear left and right. With Bea (front right) 1st prize and Hayley 2nd prize winner. All permissions given.
2nd Place – Hayley year 3, class 3IH
3rd Place Benjamin Year 2, class 2RB
4th Place Naomi Year 1, class 1JR
First place winner Bea was awarded a Vue cinema voucher and a large Easter egg. Second, third and fourth prizes were each gifted a medium egg and a small egg was given to all entries taking part as “they were all incredible”, Megan revealed.
Sharing their joy, first place prize winner Bea said: “I really enjoy drawing I like bright colours and flowers, it took me two hours. Yummy, wow I can’t wait to go to the cinema.” And Hayley told us, “mine took me two days, I stuck gems on mine.”
As Station Road salon Anya Lois Hair raises a glass to ten years of business here in Histon & Impington, Amanda Borrill catches up with young entrepreneur and founder Anya Lois Cooper and hears how, with a lot of support and determination, dreams really can come true.
“When you support a small business, you really are supporting a dream”, writes Anya as she announces on social media the plans to celebrate ten years of her very own hair salon – the self named Anya Lois Hair.
Anya Lois Hair celebrations. Anya (second in from left) and team.
Just 21 when the opportunity to open her own salon arrived, Anya has proved that age is no barrier to success and despite a few initial, and perfectly understandable, doubts around whether taking on such a challenge was the right thing to do, has made it through ten years. Thanks, she says, to the support of her amazing customers.
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A passion for all things hair
For Anya, the salon is a dream she has held since she was a young girl. Inspirational mum, Shiralee Gristwood, is well known here in the community for her successful Milton-based tailoring business, Shiralee Alterations, and creative ambition, it seems, runs in the family.
Growing up and attending school here, it was a Year 10 opportunity to take up hairdressing as a subject at Impington Village College that drove this very early passion for all things hair. Work experience and an apprenticeship in that same work experience salon followed, and Anya’s future career path was beginning to take shape.
Aged just 19, she decided to take the plunge, leave her job and go it alone with her own mobile hairdressing business. Every moment of her spare time was spent delivering leaflets – raising awareness and slowly, but surely, building up her future clientele. She began to research potential rentals around Cambridge until, cycling down Station Road Histon one day early in 2015, spotted a sign in what had been Jane’s Frames advertising availability to rent. A chat with her parents ensued and the deal was done. The keys were handed over at the beginning of March and, with a lot of help from family and friends, doors opened for business at the end of that same month.
Ten years since that opening day, the salon has 4 staff working in Anya Lois Hair – all of whom, Anya smiles, share the same passion she does for hair. But, as for many businesses, the ride has not been without its bumps in the road and plans to expand back in 2019 were about to be thrown into disarray. “I was all set to employ more staff”, Anya recollects “and make the most of the extra space. But then, in March 2020, we were all put into lockdown because of the pandemic.”
Hair-raising days of lockdown
The struggle without our hairdressers was real! Few will forget the bad hair days of lockdown and our nation’s unruly tresses being shared across social media feeds. “It was a really strange, unknown time as I imagine many others would agree”, reflects Anya. “As a business owner, it was really odd being told ‘you can’t go to work’. Not knowing when the salon would be able to reopen was very stressful. Luckily, when we did finally reopen, we had the extra space taken on pre-pandemic enabling a safe space to accommodate essential social distancing measures.
“I will never forget the day we were given the green light to reopen. I had my work phone at home and, within minutes of the announcement, it was going crazy for days on end. Before this I was worried I wouldn’t have a job to come back to after seeing people giving hairdressing a go on friends and family in their homes during the lockdown. How wrong I was though! Our services were well and truly needed and our hairdressing skills appreciated more than ever.”
And, as seems to be a recurring pattern here in the village, once again it was the love of community that kept Anya afloat. “I will forever be grateful to those wonderful clients that called and messaged during this time just to check in and see how I was. I believe the people of Histon & Impington are a big part of the success of Anya Lois Hair through their support of local and small businesses.”
Clearly, there is much joy to be gained from being a business located in the heart of H&I. “I am very thankful to have my salon here”, Anya tells me, “it is a lovely community in which we have been lucky enough to build strong relationships with local residents; offering a relaxing atmosphere for clients to unwind and enjoy their salon experience.
“Being in the village”, she smiled “we often see a lot of returning customers but are always welcoming new customers too. It’s lovely to bump into familiar faces inside and outside of our working hours”.
It is plain to see this mover and shaker in the world of hair is truly a force to be reckoned with. Just 31 years old now, and with ten years of a successful business behind her, Anya has much to celebrate going forward.
Anya and Dan on their wedding day in October 2024. Photo Anya and Dan Cooper.
Six months ago, she married boyfriend Dan Cooper. They met on holiday in Tenerife and tied the knot on their ten year anniversary in October last year. But who is brave enough to do the wedding hair of the hairdresser, I asked? “My great friend and stylist who used to work for me called Molly did my hair”, reveals Anya. “She left me to go self-employed and specialises in extensions and bridal hair. I asked the girls who work with me now if anyone fancied doing my wedding hair for me and they all went quiet! I think it was a bit too much pressure”, she laughs.
Across the community, the love for Anya runs deep. I have heard so many good things whilst preparing for this feature and the comments on her Facebook post celebrating their ten year celebrations match these offering well wishes including – ‘congratulations to you, here’s to many more successful years’, ‘well done on an amazing achievement’ and, slightly more jokingly, ‘many thanks for the 9 years of sheep shearing you have given me!’
Congratulations and happy 10th birthday Anya Lois Hair!
Changes to the Sunday Busway timetable will see buses run every 15 minutes from Impington to Cambridge City Centre, but there will be cuts to services to Cambridge North station.
Currently, three buses an hour leave St Ives Park & Ride after 9am on Sundays, routed via Histon to Cambridge City. Two of these are on ‘B’ routes past Cambridge North station.
From Sunday 20 April, the frequency and capacity from St Ives will be increased, with four buses per hour into the city. Three of these will be on ‘A’ routes via Orchard Park, but the number of buses on the ‘B’ route will be reduced to one per hour.
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The new timetable will apply to Sunday buses during the day, but not early mornings or evenings. A Stagecoach East spokesperson told HI HUB: “…when coming out of Cambridge New Square the extra services will start at 10.36am and finish at 6.31pm.”
As the changes will take place over the Easter weekend, when Sunday services apply on the public holidays, the current timetable will run on Good Friday, but the new timetable will be in place on both Easter Sunday and Monday.
Congestion changes
Other Busway changes coming into service from 20 April are being made to give more time to allow for traffic congestion in Cambridge.
Service B will see minor timetable updates at peak times and Service A will travel to St Ives via Park Terrace instead of Gonville Place.
Ross Barton, Operations Director at Stagecoach East, is calling for more action to tackle congestion. He said: “We only ever make changes to our timetables after considering every option, but the fact is that congestion in and out of Cambridge means that our buses just cannot meet the times set on existing timetables.
“We know what an important artery the Busway is for people needing to travel into Cambridge, so I would call on everyone concerned with our local roads to continue to work together to avoid delays.
“We live and operate in a dynamic, forward-looking city, and the Busway is an essential part of that, so we need to make sure that buses are able to get through.”
The ‘mulch-o-meter’ is back and ready for action in time for the second Community Tree Care Day on Saturday 26 April.
2024’s mulch-o-meter set to return for 2025. Photo Dan Mace.
From 10am-3pm in the Chivers field near the Holiday Inn and B1049, local residents and their family and friends, as well as groups of people from local clubs, churches, committees and businesses, are encouraged to join in this community effort to stop the 1,400 young trees planted on that site being choked by weeds. Last year the ‘mulch o’meter’ logged 671 trees that were cared for and this year the team hope to do even better.
Community care
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Talking to HI HUB, HI Trees volunteer Dan Mace said: “Next time you’re driving, cycling or walking along the B1049 towards the A14, take a look at the newly planted woods in the field between the road and the Holiday Inn. (Although, if you’re driving, please do focus on the road ahead!)
This year’s giant mulch pile! Mulch donated by Tates Trees. Photo Dan Mace.
“1400 trees were planted in 2021 and 2022, and they’re doing pretty well. Some are now several metres tall. This is partly thanks to the love and attention that the community has given them, both when the trees were originally planted, and at the first ever HI Trees Care Day in April last year. On that day we had about 100 people turn up to weed the trees, mulch around them and help give them the best start possible. This year, we want to do even better. The mulch-o-meter will be back, and we have an even bigger pile of mulch to spread around the trees.
“And finally… we need to name this area. If you have any suggestions, the HI Trees team wants to hear them. We can’t keep calling it ‘the Woods between the B1049 and the Holiday Inn’ forever!”
What/when/where?
When: Saturday 26 April 10am – 3pm. Go along for as long or as little as you like. Even 10 minutes will help! Where: Chivers’ field next to Holiday Inn, first right off the A14 (please note that note there’s no parking on site). What: Give our young trees the best chance of thriving – we will show you how on the day. Some equipment will be provided, and if you can, please bring your gloves, spades, trowels, wheelbarrows, buckets, a drink. Please watch out for rabbit holes on the field; the ground is uneven, so please wear suitable shoes. Who: Everyone welcome including children under the supervision of their adult companions.
Two separate office blocks in Histon have been granted planning permission, one to become a place of worship and the other a new driving test centre for Cambridge. Both sites are located off Chivers Way.
The Redeemed Christian Church of God City of David Parish in Cambridge explained to South Cambridgeshire City Council that it needed to relocate as it had been given notice to vacate its current site.
Planning documents explained the church office will be open weekdays between 8:30am and 5:30pm.
The Church’s proposed timetable includes a worship service on Sundays between 11am and 1:30pm, and other group meetings such as bible study, mother and baby group and choir practice. It would also like to offer a food bank service on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Possible noise impact
Planning permission has been granted for offices at 1-3 Trust Court to provide facilities for a church. Credit: SCDC planning portal
The District Council agreed to grant planning permission for the change of use, but advised that a management plan should be put together and regularly reviewed to address and reduce any potential noise impact on the area.
There were no public comments to the application, but this request was added after concerns were raised by environmental health officers about potential noise from the choir practice and worship services.
The report said: “… it is encouraged the applicant draft a management plan to ensure these concerns are addressed and reduce any potential impact on the community.
“This could include keeping windows and external doors closed during these activities, use of acoustic equipment rather than amplification, amending times when these activities take place so as to have less impact, noise attenuation schemes and a complaints procedure (if complaints are received). This is not an exhaustive list.”
Approval of an application for change of use to mixed use office and car driving test centre could see the existing Driver Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) centre at Cambridge (Brookmount Court) close, with learner drivers taking their test instead from Compass House on the Vision Park here in Histon.
Currently Brookmount Court hosts car tests only as well as Approved Driving Instructor tests part 2 and 3. DVSA confirmed to HI HUB that an average of around 75 practical car driving tests currently take place daily from Brookmount Court, with testing beginning from 7am and the latest test finishing at approximately 5pm.
‘A huge benefit’
The driving test centre for Cambridge will relocate to Compass House in Histon.
One public comment was received in relation to the application, saying it would “be a huge benefit for Histon and Impington and will help to revitalise the retail park which has seen a large drop in tenancy”. The individual added: “It will also bring more people to the area and make businesses more attractive and encourage more local businesses which would help boost the local economy.”
The Highways Authority also concluded there should be “no significant adverse effect” upon the public highway.
Both developments need to be underway within three years of their decision notice and must be carried out in accordance with the plans submitted to planners. The Church has also been told the associated bin and bike stores need to be in place before the building is occupied for its new use.
Additional reporting by Hannah Brown, of the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Lift and stairs to first floor retirement flat. Entrance hall, living/dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, two bedrooms (one with en-suite shower room), bathroom.
