Linda Clare

Linda Clare >>> information adviser at Cambourne Concept Centre

WHEN Linda Clare saw a boy of about 11 looking glumly at the model in the Cambourne Concept Centre showing how the new "super village" was being developed, she asked him what was wrong.

The boy, part of a family planning to move from a town in another part of Britain, said, not surprisingly, that he would miss his friends.Linda told him there was plenty going on and he wouldn't be lonely for long.

Since moving to his new home, he has helped design a "hangout shelter" for teenagers, joined a youth council, worked on producing a little horror film set in the woods and started on a Cambourne film documentary.

Linda, whose job is "to meet and greet visitors, for whatever reason," says the community spirit is so strong that occupants of the new houses in Cambourne - most of the 850 built so far are now occupied - mix together readily.
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Linda added that, during their first Christmas together, groups of residents had lunch on a "moveable feast" basis.
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But they rarely need to," said Linda.

Much of her role, which she shares with fellow information adviser Alyson Jones, is, of course, to tell callers about the homes on offer and to direct them to the various sites.

But a friendly face is vital

"The callers could be new home seekers, people relocating with their jobs or those planning to retire.They all have concerns about moving to a new village where they can't see exactly what's going to be around them," said Linda.
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Linda took up her job at the Concept Centre in July 2000.

Born in Middlesborough, Yorkshire, she has been married for 23 years to Andrew who works for Cambridge Water Company.They live in St Ives.

The couple moved to Cambridgeshire after Andrew was made redundant from his job at a steel foundry in Guisborough, Yorkshire, in the early 1980s.They have two children, Samantha, 23, and Melanie, 16.

Linda has, in the past worked as a BT telephonist.Her duties included interception work with the police - with the Yorkshire Ripper inquiry being among the cases.In all, she dealt with 100 "999" calls.

She has since worked as a part time receptionist with Anglia Polytechnic in East Road, Cambridge, and as a water sampler for Cambridge Water Company.The latter job entailed calling on houses and businesses to test water quality.

"All my jobs have involved talking to people, which is what I love to do," she said.

Linda Clare, an Information Adviser in the Cambourne Concept Centre confirms this, stating, "We receive a great number of enquiries from people who have heard about Monkfield Park Primary School and are considering moving to Cambourne because of it.