New Editor sought for “The Elsworth Times” newsletter

New Editor for the Elsworth Times required

As you may know I am leaving the village in the Autumn, so the August edition of the Elsworth Times will be my last. We need a new editor! (or a team of editors working together perhaps?)

The magazine is funded in part by the Parish Council but is independent of the council, and any views expressed are those of the authors of articles.

The role involves about 4-5 hours every two months, and you need basic computer skills, but nothing complicated. It involves encouraging contributors to send in their articles for each edition, and collecting these together along with other items that you are sent. The printer does all the hard work of setting out the pages, following the current pattern (although this is open to change). There are also ad hoc events that happen in the village where it is nice to have a report, in the past this has included events such as the Big Lunch, the Jubilee celebrations, the Macmillan coffee morning for example, and the organisers are encouraged to send in photos along with a short report. I try and take photos if I attend.

I have an email list of all the regular and occasional contributors that I keep in touch with and would be able to pass on. A new editor would need a new email for the Times, or could use their personal email if that suited them. I found it easier to have all the Elsworth Times articles coming in to one place.

Contributions are nearly all sent by email, and need collating into (computer) folders to make it easy for the printer to put them in the right area. These are transferred onto a memory stick to give to the printer when we meet. After he has prepared a proof, this requires checking for typos and omissions or other errors, and then goes to print. Two boxes of the magazines are delivered around the village in the middle of the month, but this is done by teenagers in the village and is not the editor’s responsibility.

After publication and delivery the final electronic proof is sent for publication on the village website.

Adverts are the responsibility of the printer.

If you are interested please get in touch with me, Sue Taylor, on elsworthtimes-newsletter@yahoo.co.uk or phone me on 01954 268042. I will be preparing the August edition at the end of July, so would be happy to demonstrate the process to anyone interested. Deadline for applications will be 24th August.

 

Sue Taylor

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Pathfinder walk RAF 100 year celebration which came through Elsworth

As part of the RAF 100 celebrations, the annual Pathfinder March took place on Saturday 23rd June, continuing the RAF Wyton tradition of commemorating the Pathfinder Force (PF) that operated during WWII.

Just under 170 participants braved the heat across the 46 mile route with 17 running the event individually or as part of a relay team. The walkers set off in the early hours with the runners following a few hours later.

First to receive their medals were runners Simon Margot and George Margot, completing the course in a total time of 6 hours and 22 minutes. The first walker back was Colin Arnold in a time of 11 hours and 20 minutes. For the relay entrants, first running team back were the Traffic Light Harriers and first walking team back were the True Blue Squad.

Participants and volunteers were supported at checkpoints by the WWII Pathfinder Veteran Flt Lt (Ret’d) Colin Bell, a Mosquito pilot on the PF from 1943-1945. He was joined by RAF Wyton Station Commander, Wg Cdr Rachel Dixon, and family members of other PF veterans. Vicki Michelle from the famous 1980s sitcom Allo Allo joined the celebrations, supporting marchers and volunteers at RAF Wyton and across the course.

We were extremely fortunate and humbled to have WWII Pathfinder Veteran Flt Lt Bell at the finish line to present medals and certificates. Colin said: “The Pathfinder March is a fitting celebration of the men of the Pathfinder Force and participating or volunteering is a great way of commemorating those that served as part of it; I look forward to being here next year for another great day”.

The march was also supported by local businesses and marked by a Dakota fly past.

During WWII there was a cluster of PFF airfields in our area. The PFF were target-marking squadrons in RAF Bomber Command. They located and marked targets with flares, which a main bomber force could aim at, increasing the accuracy of their bombing.

The Pathfinder Force operated out of RAF Wyton, RAF Gravely, RAF Oakington, RAF Warboys and their satellite bases from 1942 to 1945. Flying Halifaxes, Lancasters, Mosquitos, Stirlings and Wellingtons, the Force had twenty squadrons and flights in the three years of its existence including the Light Night Strike Force.

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