Whether you’re bidding a fond farewell to the year gone by, or sighing with relief that it’s over, it’s good to look back at the events, opportunities and challenges that have been shaping the lives of the Histon & Impington community over the past 12 months. Liz Hill takes a look through the 2022 archive.
Like most years, 2022 brought us a mixed bag of blessings and challenges. But, freed in March from two years of pandemic restrictions, nothing was going to stop the community from making the most of every day.
As the shadow of Covid passed, residents took every opportunity to be ‘communal’ again, with familiar fixtures such as the Beer Festival, the Fireworks Extravaganda and The Feast making a very welcome return.
New beginnings
Joining them on the events calendar were some wonderful new entrants to the community diary. Histon Manor’s Dahlia Show showcased the amazing work of our local growers (and bakers); Histon Library launched its monthly Engage event series in its warm and welcoming new premises; and Holiday at Home presented an action-packed schedule for older residents.
As if that wasn’t enough, HI Friends stepped up with an amazing weekend of activities to help us celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee in style.
Many other anniversaries were also celebrated in 2022. Among these, the Litter Pickers marked 12 years of Big Tidy Up Saturdays; Sue and Surinder clocked up 25 years serving customers at Station Stores; Histon Hobblers have been running for 20 years; and the Opportunity Playgroup reached its Golden jubilee.
The village has also welcomed a number of new businesses, all contributing to the thriving environment we live in. Among these are Iconic Health and Beauty, taking up residence in the former Geographer café; Redmayne Arnold and Harris filling the space left by the re-located Cambridge Building Society; and even a new school, Hope Tree, catering for autistic girls.
Challenges
It wasn’t all good news, of course. In September the community paid its respects following the death of the late Queen Elizabeth, sharing memories of her many years on the throne.
Water (and the lack of it) was a persistent theme throughout the year. Heat and drought were the major challenge to gardeners throughout the summer, but at other times it was too much water that caused the problems: a burst water main, a blocked drain, and flooded roads all demanded urgent action.
Crime in the village was mercifully low compared with many other areas, but there were nonetheless reports of theft at the allotments, vandalism at the Rec and vehicle crime. The perpetrators of a spate of burglaries that took place the previous year were apprehended and at least one of them convicted.
Longer term issues facing the community continue to raise concerns. Changes in flight paths have brought more air traffic to the skies above the village; road traffic problems outside Park Primary school have yet to be resolved; Trinity College continues to lobby for a Science Park on green belt land in the village; and – of course – residents are exercised by the potential implications of the Congestion Charge consultation that took place throughout the autumn.
What interested you?
Here at HI HUB we’ve been busily sharing news, features and information with the community for coming up to three years now and we’ve learnt a lot about what interests people. To give you an insight into what everyone else wants to read about, here’s our round-up of the most-read items we published in 2022.
Wishing everyone a Happy New Year – we look forward to delivering more to you in 2023.
Most read News
- New appointment booking system should improve patient experience, says Firs House : Radical changes to the system for making an appointment to see a medical professional will be introduced at Firs House Surgery in the new year.
- Flight path changes raise noise concerns in the village : The reported increase in air traffic movement in the skies above Histon & Impington is due to changes in the flight path to Luton airport, a resident has discovered.
- Beauty salon set to open in former Geographer building : Iconic Health & Beauty, currently based on Castle Hill in Cambridge, is to open its doors to new and existing customers on 26 February at 103 Station Road in Impington.
- New library opens to the public : Histon’s eagerly awaited new library building on School Hill opened its doors for the first time at 9am on Thursday 20 January.
- Lucky winners announced in road maintenance programme : Eagerly awaited news of plans for the maintenance of roads and footpaths in the village have been revealed, though cost constraints have led to disappointing exclusions.
Most read News in Brief
- Tea, Cake and Winter Walk at Histon Manor sells out in hours : Histon Manor, the village’s foremost historic estate, will be hosting a trial winter opening of the gardens to see if the event has possibility for future years as a fundraiser for village charities.
- Station House Café plans for future growth : With its first birthday celebrations taking place this week, Station House Café owner David Harrison is looking to the future with plans that will enable growth and expansion for this successful new business.
- Parish Council signs lease for Infant School playing field : A seven year lease has been formally signed by Histon & Impington Parish Council for the former Infant School Playing Field in New School Road, making it available for use by the community.
- Two men face court proceedings over village burglary : Police have brought charges against two men in connection with a burglary offence that took place during the spate of break-ins in Histon & Impington in the run-up to Christmas.
- Planners approve development of café’s outdoor space : Stir, the coffee shop on School Hill, has been granted planning permission to extend its outside drinking and dining area on the Parish Council maintained public grass area beside the building.
Most read Features
- Back with a bang – Fireworks Extravaganza returns for 2022 : After a three-year absence from our skies, the community Fireworks Extravaganza is back! Amanda Borrill talks to long-time crew Dan Mace and Huw Jones about their passion for this event.
- Histon resident donates personal legacy to Abbey Fields project : A passion for nature and a desire to preserve our green spaces has led one Histon resident to make an incredibly generous donation to the Abbey Fields project. Amanda Borrill shares the story.
- Who’s Who? Impington’s election candidates : Impington residents will soon be voting for their Parish Councillors. HI HUB offered each candidate 100 words to help the community get to know them a bit better.
- The Village Show revival : Histon Manor is opening its gates to the community again, this time for a new take on the age-old tradition of a ‘Village Show’. Katherine Mann told Liz Hill what visitors can expect.
- HI Friends pulls out all the stops for big weekend of Jubilee celebrations : With a jam packed schedule of community events lined up for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, Amanda Borrill chats to HI Friends Chair Neil Davies about what’s planned.
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Most viewed planning applications
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Most viewed events
Histon Manor Open Garden with Dahlia Show and Cake Competition