2021 Newsletter

The floods have receded, the ice has melted, and spring flowers are appearing beside the recovering lawns of the Newnham Riverbank Club. During the spring and summer, lockdown rules are set to be progressively relaxed, and a more normal enjoyment of the riverbank can gradually resume. Please refer to www/nrclub.org for updated news.

Finding a balance between keeping members safe and preventing the club from becoming a potential source of infection has involved a series of difficult judgments. The committee has allowed continued access to the site to members whenever possible, and a considerable amount of work has been done during lockdown. A solar-powered electronic gate entry system has been installed. It is intended that members switch to this system over the course of 2021 (more details below). The platform beside the upstream steps has been replaced with a more robust platform of recycled material, thanks to the careful work of Lloyd Clarke of Lloyd’s Gardens. A gazebo has been constructed by Lloyd to supplement the new club shed, in part because use of the enclosed shed was considered a risk during the pandemic. In time a raised barbecue facility will be built near this covered area. Members should not make unauthorised use of the club barbecue facilities or burn wood from the site in their own barbecues.

Notices:

Provisional dates for 2021 events (consult website/noticeboard for updates):
Sunday 16 May zoom AGM at 2.00pm
Sunday 18 July 1.00pm BBQ, guidelines permitting
Saturday 21 August 1.00pm BBQ, guidelines permitting
Sunday 26 Sept 1.00pm BBQ, guidelines permitting


Important for all members
This year all resubscription should be made using the electronic resubscription form at https://www.nrclub.org/contact following the instructions in the emailed newsletter.

FOBS: An electronic entry system has been installed with great efficiency and effectiveness by Matt Howes of Hauxton.

The fob system will allow better control of use of the site, by admitting only current members.
The cost of fobs will be £20 each, provided that the entitlement to a refund for a key is permanently waived. Otherwise the cost will be £40. Members can retain their metal keys in case they are needed as a fall-back measure at some future time, but it is expected that at some point, perhaps the end of this year, metal keys will no longer provide admission to the site. It is therefore very important to maintain your membership of the club.
It is anticipated that distribution of the fobs will recover not only the cost of the electronic entry system, but will also help towards the expense of reinforcing the river frontage with wooden revetment, which we hope to carry out later this year in collaboration with the Conservators of the River Cam.

Wildlife species seen at the Club this year include a barn owl, lots of herons, an egret, a nightingale, a kingfisher, and some extremely sociable robins on the path down to the site. An Attenborough-scale wildlife drama between a moorhen with her chick and a snake was observed. Three Daubenton’s bats were seen over the river at the same time on one occasion. We were unable to be systematic in measuring river temperatures last year, especially during the first lockdown. However, those temperature extremes measured in 2020 ranged from a high of 24⁰C on 12 August to a low of 4⁰ on Christmas Day.

Parking on the Skater's Meadow Footpath

A notice has appeared on the telegraph pole at the top of the path leading down to the Riverbank Club indicating that Cambridgeshire highways intends to close off the entire parking area beyond the junction with South Green Street. This would have a serious impact on the ability of some members of the club to access the site. If you would like to object to this plan, you can write to Highways@cambridgeshire.gov.uk and there is a petition on change.org:

https://www.change.org/p/cambridge-city-council-stop-closure-of-existing-parking-at-granchester-meadows-cambridge?redirect=false