The New Year is a good time to look back, take stock and start thinking ahead. A review of 2023’s most attention-grabbing news stories and features is as good a place to start as any – though it also reminds us that even the best laid plans can plans can go awry!
Most read
The most read of all HI HUB news stories was in June, predicting continuity and a bright future ahead for the former Smokehouse after owner Simon Morrice moved on. Tawa Lounge duly stepped up, contributing to the vibrant hospitality scene in the village with a popular new café restaurant venue. However, the big changes announced for the Rose & Crown are yet to materialise and progress on the promised refit under new business owners seems to have stalled. Things didn’t go so smoothly for the new owners of the former Rutland Cycle shop either. They withdrew their original planning application and are now aiming to get approval for a scaled-down version, but without the hoped-for retail space.
Medical matters also featured in the most-read charts, led by news of Firs House surgery, which, faced with overwhelming demand for its services, launched a new appointment booking system that itself was quickly overwhelmed. “We cannot meet patient demand” they said – and these very words could have been echoed by Well Pharmacy on the Green, where customer frustrations boiled over in the face of long waits for medication, queues and lost prescriptions.
Controversy
Other themes grabbing attention included the weather. Unsurprisingly flooding caused problems, but the County Council did finally take responsibility after a long-running dispute with residents over flooding caused by the building of Park Primary school. A spate of anti-social behaviour also proved challenging, prompting security at the Rec to be stepped up.
As always, some news provoked controversy. The prospect of 20mph speed limits and parking enforcement throughout the village were by no means universally popular, and neither was the idea of a ZombieFest to celebrate Halloween. Planners took a dim view of the application for an all-weather football pitch next to residential properties at IVC and the College’s proposal to prioritise places for Girton Glebe primary school didn’t go down well either.
Community spirit
Just to prove that there is an appetite for good news too, the village celebrated lots of successes, including a former Histon Hornets junior playing in the Premier League and the Beer Festival breaking previous records and raising thousands of pounds for local charities. These included Camtrust, which celebrated its 30th anniversary.
Many features provided a showcase of what is so good about living in the village. Some of the well- and lesser-known residents were featured for their contributions to village life, ranging from ‘wellbeing’ artist Helena Perry and popular local builder Matthew Salmon, to vinyl music enthusiast Tam Cochrane, and Joyce Hallett, founder of Holiday at Home, who sadly passed away at the end of the summer.
We also had a glimpse into the activities of the hard-working volunteers who run the village’s thriving clubs and societies. These included the Model Railway group, Impington Music Society, the Histon & Impington Archaeology Group, the HI Fibrecrafters and many more besides. Volunteers also stepped up to run popular events for the community, notably the Village Society’s exhibition celebrating Chivers’ 150th anniversary, and regular events including the Winter Wassail at the Community Orchard, The Feast, the Fireworks Extravaganza and the Dahlia Festival.
Our fascination with property continued. Many homes for sale in the village will have attracted a lot more viewers on HI HUB than actual house-hunters, and articles giving a sneaky look at some of the local homes being built or renovated proved irresistible for a lot of readers.
HI HUB sponsors shared their expertise with the community, with property lawyers Hayward Moon showing how to beat would-be property scammers and Award property management explaining what to expect from the Rental Reform Bill. Buckingham & Stanley advised us on MOTs and the Red Lion kept us up to date with news of their support for the local community.
Looking ahead
There was so much more besides and it has been a great pleasure to be making our own contribution to village life by sharing all these stories, both on HI HUB itself and now in HILights magazine too. We couldn’t do it without the support of our amazing team of volunteers and we all owe them a big vote of thanks for their hard work and enthusiasm. Our thanks also go to all the sponsors, donors, funders and advertisers who provided our vital income stream last year.
Finally, whatever the picture nationally and internationally as we move into 2024, there’s much to look forward to on our own doorstep and we will be sharing all the details. So do keep reading, support us with a donation if you can, and if your friends and neighbours don’t know about us, make it your New Year’s resolution to spread the word among them.
Wishing you a very Happy New Year from the HI HUB team
Amanda, Brian, Chris, Denis, Kate, Liz, Lucy and Ruth
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