new door-to-door scam in South Cambs

The company involved in this door-to-door scam relating to buying/selling jewellery and other bits and pieces have been in Sawston/Pampisford and the Shelfords recently. A bulletin sent to ecops subscribers in the area follows:

The suspect is a white male aged about late 40's, 5ft 10 with short mousey hair; clean shaven; wearing a dark button up jacket and dark trousers. He speaks with an English accent. He carries a bag containing scales to weigh gold/silver. A victim said whilst talking to him he complained he had bad knees. Prior to him attending someone delivers glossy A4 size brochures which are coloured and professional looking. Details of the brochure are:

Lochaber Highland Estates

I am in your area for the following week and wish to purchase the following items: Unwanted or damaged jewellery. Silver or silver plate. All types of watches in any condition. Medals and coins.

Also required in any condition: Old books. Scientific instruments. Leather suitcases. Old clocks in any condition. Old toys. Small antique objects. Postcards. Paintings (oil paintings, watercolours).

TOP CASH PRICES PAID FREE VALUATIONS & APPRAISALS. If you have any items not listed here that you think we would be interested in please contact Paul on 07733 335801.

The victim gave him some gold jewellery which he gave money for. After he left she noticed 3 rings that she wanted to keep were missing, and the man hadn't paid for the rings and didn't have permission to take them. He even went upstairs with the lady to look at her jewellery.

The internet has been checked regarding the Lochaber Highland Estates and it refers to buying Laird/Lord/Lady titles and land titles. There is no mention relating to buy and selling of any of the items above. The company is related to scams.

Please be careful when dealing with such people who offer good money for your unwanted/old jewellery. If you do recieve anything that your not sure of go with your gut instinct and ignore it. If they turn up on your doorstep you don't have to answer the door. If you do, tell them your not interested and ask them to leave.

PCSO Julie Hajredini
PCSO John Coppard
Fulbourn Safer Neighbourhood Team

Click to sign up for e-cops bulletins

Click to go to Cambridge Constabulary homepage

Click to go to Crimestoppers homepage

what can you do when retailers face financial difficulty?

With recent news of well-known high street retailers facing financial difficulty, you may be wondering what to do if goods you have paid for are not delivered or they are faulty and the company goes into administration.

Trading Standards have put together the following advice to help you to protect your money:

• Credit card purchases

  When buying goods or services with a cash price of more than £100 but less than £30,000, it is advisable to pay for at least part of them with a credit card. That way, if the retailer is unable to deliver the goods or there is a fault with them, the card provider will be liable for the goods too.

• Debit card purchases

  If you pay by debit card, the provider (bank) or Visa/Mastercard terms may help with any claims you may have. However, unlike a credit card, this differs between providers so you should be clear about what assistance you will get for non-delivery or faulty goods. The card agreement will state any terms you need to meet for claims - such as timescales for reporting a breach of contract by the retailer and any evidence you must provide. If you meet the terms for making a claim but are unhappy with the card provider’s response you should follow their own complaints procedure.

  For both credit and debit card purchases, if you remain dissatisfied with the card provider’s response you can raise the matter with the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk who will decide if the complaint was valid and award damages if applicable.

• Buying by PayPal

  The same procedure for claims for debit card payments also applies to PayPal payments as, although PayPal aren’t a bank, they are signed up to the FOS. Other money transfer services have similar terms to PayPal but may not be signed up to the FOS for dispute resolution. You are therefore advised to check their terms.

• Cash or cheque

  If buying goods by cash or cheque then unfortunately this is a case of ‘buyer beware’.

Another common concern for consumers is the validity of gift cards or vouchers for a company that has entered administration. Unfortunately these are accepted only at the discretion of the administrators. There is no express right to use them - even though they are effectively cash.

If you require any further advice or information about any of the matters in this article please contact our partner, Citizens Advice Consumer Service, on 08454 040506. For business advice and support contact 0345 0455206.

Charlotte Wilson
Supporting Businesses and Communitites
Cambridgeshire County Council

click to go to Cambridgeshire County Council Trading Standards

The Chelsea Flower Show comes to Great Shelford

Sawston Rotary Club’s popular annual charity gardeners’ event will again be held at Scotsdales Garden Centre on Wednesday 20th March in aid of the Scotsdales Charity Foundation and Rotary charities.

The main attraction this year will be Andy McIndoe, Managing Director of Hilliers Nurseries who has won sixty-seven gold medals at the Chelsea Flower Show. After a supper and wine Andy will be presenting ‘Behind the scenes at the Chelsea Flower Show’ - it promises to be a most enjoyable evening giving everyone an insight into this famous national event..

Scotsdales will be open from 6 p.m. and ticket holders will be able to shop at leisure and receive a 10% discount off their purchases. A buffet supper and glass of wine will be served in the restaurant from 6.30 to 7.30 p.m. and Andy’s talk will start at 8 p.m. Scotsdales horticultural experts will be available to answer your gardening questions throughout the evening.

Tickets for the event cost just £13 and are available at Scotsdales or by calling Rotarian Phil Cooper on 01223 565260. Tickets are limited so booking is recommended. Any remaining tickets will be on sale at the door.

Simon Lake, President of the Rotary club says ‘this annual charity event always attracts a good turnout and provides a friendly shopping environment, a good meal, glass of wine and an excellent speaker. Thanks to the support of Scotsdales we are able to raise substantial funds for very worthwhile charities’.

Tony Collett
Public Relations Officer
Rotary Club of Sawston District

Mardi Gras: Shrove Tuesday in the Big Easy

Drape your fences with gold, green and purple beads and turn the music up loud: Mardi Gras is coming.

I’m attached to the churches of Fulbourn and the Wilbrahams as part of my training at Ridley Hall for ministry in the Church of England, and as part of that training, I spent 5 weeks of the summer with a parish in New Orleans.

The reputation of the city – "the Big Easy" – includes the riotous parades of Mardi Gras – what we’d call Shrove Tuesday. Costumes, masks, beads flying through the air, rich food and plenty to drink. The city is marked all year round – beads hang from gates, telephone cables and trees along the streets, and next door to one house I stayed in, neighbours housed a giant carnival horse.

So, New Orleans has a reputation as a partying town – great food, GREAT music, festivals, and beauty. It celebrates this reputation and it needs it – its economy is built on tourism.

But this doesn’t actually make it a happy city, as such. This is a city with high levels of poverty and the highest murder rate in the country. Seven years after Hurricane Katrina, the city is still marked by the disaster, psychologically and physically.

The music which New Orleans is famous for is a response to challenge, struggle and oppression. Jazz was birthed as slaves met on a Sunday in Congo Square, and their drums came into contact with brass instruments and marching bands. Mardi Gras Indian ‘tribes’ and groups that lead ‘second line’ parades often grew out of social support clubs, coming together out of poverty, need, and mutual support. Jazz funerals – dancing in the face of death and sadness – perhaps epitomise this.

This grittiness, in many ways, is what makes New Orleans a compelling and wonderful place to be. I wrote this in my blog:

being aware of injustices and brokennesses – in a way, I think this is part of the fullness - the abundance – of life which is promised us in Christ. Jesus says in John 10.10: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full". Life without at least an awareness of the rough stuff – how can that be full? I don’t say that, however, without the sure and certain hope – in fact, having seen it – that that same Christ works as a healer for that broken-ness and gives us His spirit to address that injustice.

On reflection, my 40 days in New Orleans was a sort of Lent in itself. I gave up familiarity – and in return, I gained the joy of noticing. In an unfamiliar place, I looked for God and found him. Even – perhaps particularly – in the sadness and difficulty of the city.

If being a stranger in a strange land gave me eyes to look out for God and a hunger to meet him, that’s something I’ll be looking to recreate here in Cambridgeshire this Lent. And if that means I have to wear gold, green and purple beads as I eat my Mardi Gras – Shrove Tuesday pancakes – well, so be it.

This was the Editorial for the February edition of The Mill.

Jenny Dawkins
Former Ordinand, St Vigor's

Read more about Jenny's placement in New Orleans on the Wolfson College Cambridge website

Boxing Day Charity Football Match

It's back...

Boxing Day Charity Football Match

in support of
MAGPAS & Fulbourn Institute Football Club

FULBOURN OLD BOYS
V
THE CURRENT CROP
The rematch (1-8 agg.)

Wednesday 26 December 2012
Fulbourn Recreation Ground
11.00am kick-off

Bring the family along to see some Fulbourn legends as they dust off their boots, leave their walking frames at the care home and take on Fulbourn's current elite...

Trained first-aiders welcome!

R. Drage

Click for Google-map to Fulbourn Recreation Ground

Click to read about Fulbourn Recreation Ground on the Fulbourn Village Guide website

Click to go to Fulbourn Institute FC website

A Musical Christmas Jigsaw: dress rehearsal!

Are any members of the community interested in attending our dress rehearsal of this year's musical nativity, A Magical Christmas Jigsaw on Monday 17 December, at 9.30am? If anyone is interested, they need to phone the school office on 01223 712525 so that we know numbers.

Fiona Thorpe
Head Teacher
Fulbourn Primary School

Cats at Christmas

We are all looking forward to the festive season, especially as we have some days off to spend with our families, both human and furry! However, Christmas presents some unique perils! Here are our top tips to keep your feline friend safe this winter:

• Tinsel and streamer decorations:

  Cats are generally clever when it comes to eating things they shouldn’t (unlike dogs—meow!) but for some reason, they have a fascination with eating tinsel, which can cause an intestinal blockage. This doesn't mean you can’t make your house look beautiful, just keep a close eye on what your feline friend is up to.

• Parties:

  Gatherings of strangers and loud music can upset cats a lot more than we might realise. Ensure that your cat has an area of the house where they can hide away if they wish to, and ask all guests to avoid this area. Some cats can show signs of stress by toileting in areas of the home where they shouldn’t, so pop down a few extra litter trays over the holidays in case your cat gets caught short.

• Furniture:

  When re-shuffling the living room to fit in that enormous tree, ensure that your cat’s normal pathways are not obstructed—some cats will show stress by scratching new furniture. Try using Feliway - a synthetic form of a feline facial pheromone, produced when cats rub their faces against their territory, making them feel happy and secure.

• Tasty treats:

  Ensure that any wrapped tasty treats are kept out from under the tree until the last minute, and watch out for the Christmas trimmings cooling on the counter - cats have a very good sense of smell, and some will go to extreme lengths to get to what they want! Many people aren’t aware, but onions, garlic and leeks are all very toxic to pussy cats.

• Antifreeze:

  Used commonly in screen wash, brake fluid and engine coolants, Antifreeze (aka ethylene glycol) ingestion can be fatal in cats, causing acute renal failure and hypocalcaemia. Use pet safe brands and make sure any spills or leaks are cleaned up asap.

• Christmas plants:

  Poinsettia and Holly are both common Christmas plants that are mildly poisonous to cats, causing vomiting, hyper-salivation, inappetance, lethargy and depression. Keep them out of reach of furry paws!

Remember, Cambridge Cat Clinic provides 24/7 emergency care for registered pussy cats, even on Christmas day! We are proud to deliver a stress free, feline only, environment at all times.

Feline Festive!

The Cat Clinic Team

Click to go to Cambridge Cat Clinic's homepage

Directions to Cambridge Cat Clinic

Need to take your cat to the vet? Cat travelling tips