I am inspired at and by Stow cum Quy

I was born at Bottisham, which is quite near to Stow cum Quy. I have made the point in my Stow cum Quy leaflets that I know Stow cum Quy well. My late brother-in-law's family, the Browns, farmed Bush Farm. I have always thought of Stow cum Quy as quite a conservative (with a small 'c') village. There hadn't until quite recently been much fresh development in Stow cum Quy and I assumed that the village didn't want much development. Sadly, the village school was closed by the County Council during the time that I was County Councillor for the neighbouring villages of Bottisham and Lode and Longmeadow. Many of the Stow cum Quy children now go to Bottisham for their primary schooling. There has recently arrived in Stow cum Quy a new development that goes by the name of 'Vicarage Meadow.' I had not seen it close up until this evening. In my opinion and the opinion of the people whom I met and who live there, it is superb. Stow cum Quy needed some additional development and I am inspired at and by what I have seen this evening at Stow cum Quy. I say 'congratulations' to all who have been responsible.

Here is the Vicarage Meadow street sign (my camera flash has rather spoilt it) and to the right and below is the village sign, showing the famous Stow cum Quy jackdaw.

My evening of canvassing ended with a twenty-minute non-drinking visit to The White Swan public house at Stow cum Quy. Mine host, Mr Colin Allsebrook, tolerated my non-drinking presence as did four other gentleman and we had a great discussion on current affairs.

I may have amused those present by telling them the story of the late Dr. Sidney Wood, of Bottisham, who owned one of the first cars in that village, said to have been an unusual single-cylinder De Dion-Bouton. Apparently, the car had the disconcerting habit of backfiring at regular interevals. Dr. Wood was killed by this car, outside The White Swan at Stow cum Quy, when he used the starting-handle with the car in gear and was run over. It is said that he was taken back into the pub and laid on the bar. Gossip has it that this was a spot - the bar - that he knew well. This would probably have been in the late 1920s and before my time. I just told them what I had been told.

Here is my rather poor late-evening picture of The White Swan at Stow cum Quy. I haven't been in the place for years, but Mr Allsebrook gave me a meal menu which looked very good and I shall take Sue there some time, probably for lunch.

(Wednesday). Here is a short but important post script to my visit to Stow cum Quy yesterday (Tuesday). Today, I was coming back home from Waterbeach via Horningsea and Fen Ditton and the Cambridge Road. I came through Stow cum Quy on the B1102 and who should I see but my old mate, Mr Peter Debenham, with his huge dog. Peter was reported recently as being judged 'champion beater' on the Quy Estate shoot and his picture appeared in the Quy Jackdaw, the village magazine. And now his picture appears on my blog. It happens that I have just received a 'good luck' E-mail from his brother, Chris, and his sister-in-law, Donna, who live in Phoenix, Arizona. I told Peter about this and he and I both return best wishes to Chris and Donna. They will see this. Marvellous, innit?!