THE CHITTERING CLASSES

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A short break from the archives, as I bring you today’s 59 minutes exploration of Chittering, a hamlet within Greater Waterbeach.

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Millennium Navigator looking increasingly out of date

What I’m really looking for in this post is your sympathy as you see what desperately meagre material I have to work with on my doorstep.

Full disclosure – I drove the mile to the layby near Londis at Denny Abbey,

See the source image
Denny Abbey – expect people dressed in hairshirts

to combine Mrs RM’s essential shopping with my essential exercise.

The footpaths in Waterbeach have become a bit like the London Marathon of late as couch potatoes decide to take up jogging, puffing and depositing their flob*, Frank Rijkaard style, in the hedge after passing me at 3 miles an hour.

No chance of bumping into amateur exercisers in Chittering.  In fact, I could probably have walked up the middle of the A10 to Ely and survived.

At 5pm this stretch is normally bumper to bumper.

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That’s my Aygo you can see

There’s about 30 houses and farms here, and the few secondary schoolchildren have to catch the bus to Cottenham at 3.17am as it wends its way via Waterbeach and Cambridge. Note the luxury seating in the bus shelter (top). DO NOT SIT ON IT.

The OS extract, a real cracker, shows you the route from the Travellers Rest to the railway line.

chittering

Obviously the pub isn’t called the Travellers Rest; it’s now a Mexican restaurant called Paraiso, targeted at the significant Mexican community in Landbeach and Stretham.

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Look at those skies !

There’s not a lot to say, really.

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The whole of Chittering. Almost.

Mobile homes, closed play area, busy Parish Council activity list,

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All happening

solar panels,

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Sheep in hiding
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Art shot
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You can see dolphins in there since Lockdown

high quality soil,

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So flat you can see the Urals
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Even black and white filter can’t help

For a few years the village housed a brewery, the misleadingly named City of Cambridge, whose beers you’ll remember are now lovingly made in Norfolk and sold at bargain prices in garden centres.

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There was a second pub in Chittering in the 1800s.  One of the gentlefolk I give a lift to hospital to may have gone in it before it closed in 1905; I’ll ask her.  She certainly remembers the Ebenezer Baptist Chapel. The Fens have more Baptist Chapels than micropubs.

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Who was Ebenezer

Didn’t see a soul, obviously, and it’s completely flat.

Which is more than can be said for the essential four pack of Punk I added to the basket of porridge, cheese and coffee in Londis.

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*First time I’ve used THAT word in 40 years.

Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

16 thoughts on “THE CHITTERING CLASSES”

  2. * – first time I’ve seen/heard that word in donkey’s years as well!

    I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to the return of the ‘No Spitting’ signs on the top deck of double decker buses!

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    1. Me too Pete, the flob word, as opposed to people spitting on buses, or indeed anywhere!

      The last time I heard that word was when I was back at school.

      I know what Martin means about these overweight and out of condition joggers, huffing and puffing everywhere. Not nice, and that’s putting it mildly!

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  3. It’s not that bad -the lovely sunshine makes even c****y flat places look reasonably pleasant. Just off to take our exercise in the orchards of Kent -will be admiring distant oast houses in hills (ha ha )

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      1. Formal notice, of the revocation of your artistic licence is in the post, my good Sir…now…Galore…Gabor…Zsa Zsa Gabor was noted as having said “I am a marvellous housekeeper – every time I leave a man, I keep his house.”

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  7. Unfortunately the paraiso restaurant closed permanently, it was a great mother-daughter owned business but landlord was very insensible specially to covid circumstances

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