May 2024

17 Buckden Roundabout May 2024 Village News W.I. In our meeting on April 2nd we welcomed 4 visitors bringing our total up to 23. It was lovely to see them and we hope they will come again. It was certainly a good meeting to attend with Albert Jackson, our speaker, reminiscing about his time doing National Service with the R.A.F. This was a standardised form of peacetime conscription. In 1947 it was announced that all able - bodied men between the ages of 18 and 30 were to be called up. It ended in 1960, the last national servicemen being discharged in 1963. Albert had left school and was studying engineering hoping to be- come a pilot or at least have some involvement with aircraft. At 18 he attended his medical interview in St Albans which consisted of a very basic maths test, an intelligence test (also fairly basic), eyes, ears, height, weight etc. Days later he received a large, brown OHMS envelope containing his railway warrant and reporting instructions for his first posting. Here he met a motley group of young men from all different walks of life, some very self - assured, others shy, timid and homesick. They lived 20 to a hut and were given uniforms, bedding, mess tins and cutlery, shown where the cookhouse was and directed to the N.A.F.F.I, a place where one could relax, play darts and have a cup of tea. Then it was off to W Kirby (Merseyside) by troop train which took forever as the movement of troops took low priority over scheduled train services so there was a great deal of waiting around in shunting yards. This was Winter time and it was a bitterly cold winter with little heating in the huts and few thin blankets on the beds. The order of the day was “ square bashing ” from morning to night where they were shouted at constantly by a Corporal taskmaster who, by today ’ s standards, was brutal. Every week there would be a “ domestic evening ” - not a mug of beer and a boys ’ night in - oh no! This was clean the billet time. Out came the Brasso and everything was polished to within an inch of its life. The Lino floor was washed and then polished on hands and knees until you could see your face in it and then everything was inspected and if a speck of dust was found anywhere then everyone could be sent up to the Guard Room and put on a charge. After 8 weeks troops were ready for the Passing Out Parade where they were inspected by a senior officer - a rather grand affair to which families were invited and the camp band played. Then it was home on leave prior to receiving your posting order. Albert went on to R.A.F. Locking in Somerset where he spent the re- mainder of his national service working on aircraft. His talk was most amusing but you also got the sense of how tough it was. He made some very good friends and said what a great leveller the experience was. No matter what your background, once in uni- form with very short haircuts everyone was the same. He had brought along several items of memorabilia which members found really inter- esting including a “ housewife ”, a rolled up fabric bundle containing thread, needles, scissors and wool to match your issue socks. Thank you, Albert, for a most enjoyable evening. Our next meeting will be on May 7th for a talk by Alison Woollard on “ Looking after your Feet ” We look forward to seeing you there and for any further information please contact Emma Spencer - 07960018412 Gill Baker - 07905214336 We warmly welcome new members and visitors so if you would like more information please contact: Emma Spencer 07960 018412 Judith Armitage – 01480 811717 Buckden Neighbourhood Watch How are email and social media accounts hacked? Data from Action Fraud, the national fraud and cybercrime reporting service, shows that 22,530 people reported that their online accounts had been hacked in 2023 with victims losing a total of £1.3 million. How are accounts hacked? There are two main methods of obtaining your data. On - Platform chain hacking. This is when a fraudster gains control of an account and begins to impersonate the legitimate owner. The aim is to convince people to reveal authentication codes that are sent to them via text. Many victims of this type of hacking believe it ’ s a friend messaging them; however, the shared code was associ- ated with their own account and the impersonator can now use it to access their account. Usually when an account is tak- en over, fraudsters monetise control of the account via the promotion of various fraudulent schemes, while impersonating the original account owner. Leaked passwords and phishing. The other method of hacking reported is leaked information used from data breaches, such as leaked passwords or account details gained via phishing scams. This becomes prevalent as people often use the same password for multiple accounts, so a leaked password from one website can leave many of their online accounts vulnerable to hacking. How to secure your accounts Use a strong and different password for your email and social media accounts. Your email and social media passwords should be strong and different from all your other passwords. Combining three random word that each mean something to you is a great way to create a password that is easy to remem- ber but hard to crack. Turn on two - step verification (2SV) For your email and social media accounts. 2Step Verification (2SV ) gives you twice the protection so even if cyber criminals have your password, they can ’ t access your email or social media account.2SV works by asking for more information to prove your identity. For example, getting a code sent to your phone when you sign in using a new device or change settings such as your password. You won ’ t be asked for this every time you check your email or social media. RICHARD WEST Village Coordinator 01480 811467 / 07841 866630 To contact the police: 999 in an emergency; 0800 555 111 Crime Stoppers; 0300 123 2040 Action Fraud. EMAIL burglarycrackdown@cambs.pnn.police.uk or visit www.crimestoppers.uk.org or you can telephone 101