April 2004
Following a relatively long tradition and indeed the great success of the Chipperfield Millennium Village Day the next village day will take place on The Common on Saturday 3 July between 12.30 and 5.30pm.
Permission from Dacorum has already been granted and planning for the day's activities are at an advanced stage.
As in previous village days the emphasis will be on fun and entertainment for the whole family.
In addition to some of the traditional events and stalls, new and innovative activities, displays and entertainment will be featured.
Refreshments for everyone will be available throughout the day and, for those that want, well into the evening.
All local groups and societies have already been approached for their support and contribution to the day.
Any proceeds and donations received on the day will be donated to Blackwell's the Village Club for the much needed development and restoration work that has already been started by local residents and volunteers.
More details of the day will be published in next month's edition of Chipperfield News - in the meantime for further information please contact Bill Callcut on 01442 834653.
BLACKWELL'S THE VILLAGE CLUB
Work by volunteers is progressing well at Blackwell's. Plans for renovation of the premises are being prepared and will shortly be submitted to the planning authority for approval. Fundraising, Building and Operating committees have been set up to concentrate on specific areas of the project. In the meantime, if you feel you can help in any way please call Pete Tydeman on 261662 or Richard Magee on 263616.
"FAREWELL' ARRANGEMENTS FOR REV. PETER & ANNE HART
As many of you will already know, we will soon be sadly bidding farewell to our vicar, Peter Hart, and his wife, Anne. The villages of Sarratt and Chipperfield hope to present them with a parting gift and, if you would like to contribute to this, the Chipperfield Larder has kindly agreed to be a collection point.
On Saturday 17 April there is to be a 'bring and share' buffet at Sarratt Village Hall. This will commence at 12.30pm and finish at approximately 4pm. All are welcome to attend.
On Sunday 18 April Peter is to conduct his final Service at St Paul's. This will start at 6.30pm and refreshments and a presentation will follow. Please feel welcome to come along and bid goodbye to Anne and Peter. A further article about Peter & Anne will appear in a future edition of Chipperfield News.
THE REVEREND MALCOLM WILLIAMS
We were saddened to hear of the death of Malcolm Williams just as this issue was going to press. On behalf of all members of the Chipperfield News team we extend our sincere sympathy to Brenda and to the family.
SUCCESS FOR CHIPPERFIELD WEBSITE
Russ Evans reports that the new Chipperfield website received 1,512 visits (total page hits 9,324) during its first month. Of these visits, 1,453 were from the UK, 23 from the USA and 14 from Australia. The top five pages were: News, Message Board, Photo Gallery, Business, Village. The most popular Search keywords were Chipperfield, Chipperfield News, Chipperfield Cricket and Chipperfield Council.
BARN DANCE IN VILLAGE HALL
On Saturday 6 March, over 100 enthusiasts promenaded and "Dosido'd" at a very successful Barn Dance. Recently refurbished, the Village Hall was a perfect venue for this event, held to raise funds to help with the hall renovation costs. An excellent band and caller kept everyone on their toes and superb food was served in the interval. Anne Stickland and her wonderful team of helpers are to be congratulated on the organisation of a most enjoyable evening.
VILLAGE PEOPLE
Congratulations and best wishes to MRS NELLIE COSTER who celebrated her 90th Birthday on 14th of February, with a party at the Alexandra Nursing Home, Hemel Hempstead (see photo above). NELLIE, formerly of Croft Lane, thoroughly enjoyed her party which was attended by her five children plus her grandchildren and great - grandchildren. A great time was had by all.
IRENE BECK was delighted with the success of the charity flower demonstration in aid of Polish Orphans and would like to thank everyone for their support and generosity in raising œ327.
PETER and MARY FOX would like to thank all their friends in Chipperfield for their good wishes on their move to Devon. It wasn't an easy decision to leave Chipperfield where they had lived for 18 years. They are very pleased to be able to be kept in touch by the new website. They send their very best wishes and would be delighted to see anyone on holiday in Devon. Call them on 01803 291969.
Congratulations to KAY RAVEN who appeared in the Channel 4 programme "Faking It" in February, part of which was filmed on The Common. Kay, of Queen Street, is a professional trainer of animals and in the programme had to help a non-dog person to convince judges that he was a genuine competitor in a show. Kay can often be seen on The Common training her own dogs.
WANTED - a copy of "Chipperfield Within Living Memory". Does anyone have one to spare? If so, please phone Stan Holliman on 01923 260820.
If you have any items which you would like included in the Village People column,
please contact Valerie Briselden via the Chipperfield News box in either Londis or the Two Brewers, or drop a note through Valerie's door at The Firs, The Common. Please include a telephone number in case we need to check any details.
FLOWER FESTIVAL FUND RAISING
There will be a Bring & Buy Coffee Morning on Wednesday 26 May at 10.30am in St Paul's Parish Room.
URGENT APPEAL FOR LIBRARY VOLUNTEER
A volunteer is urgently needed to take tapes to an elderly lady in Belsize who is no longer able to visit the library herself. This would involve collecting tapes from a convenient library (Kings Langley, Bovingdon, or the library of your choice) once a month and taking them to the lady and returning the used ones to the library. The collection and return can be fitted round your routine library visits. If you can help, please contact Kathy Warden, Customer Services Librarian, Hemel Hempstead Library, on 01923 471333.
CHARITY WALK
The Mayor of Dacorum's Charity walk will be taking place this year on Sunday 18 April. Your sponsorship will be shared between the Mayor's Charity, the Dacorum Community Trust, your own chosen charity and the Hemel Hempstead Lion's Charitable Trust. The Mayor will lead the 9 mile circular walk, starting from the Civic Centre at 9.30am.
Sponsorship forms are available from the Civic Centre, the libraries, the Dacorum Council for Voluntary Service and the Gazette.
The Dacorum Community Trust, which includes the Chipperfield Community Fund raises money locally to help local people and organisations in need. If you would like to know more please contact the Trust office on 01442 231396 or mk@dctrust.org.uk
YOUR GARDEN IN APRIL
Traditionally one of the busiest weekends in the garden, Easter is a bit earlier this year. It's a good time to get the lawn sorted out applying fertilizer with weedkiller if necessary. Moss on lawns is becoming a big problem these days and this is easily controlled by applying a fertilizer which includes a mosskiller, such as Lawn Sand. Once the moss dies, it turns black and it can be easily raked out or removed with a scarifier. Mowing should now be done regularly but grass should not be cut too short. If you are to make a new lawn, April is a good time for sowing or laying turf.
In the vegetable garden, beetroot, cabbage, leeks, lettuce, onions, peas, radish, spinach, swedes and turnips can now be sown. The ground should have been well prepared before sowing, raking out the larger stones and applying a general fertilizer such as Growmore. Jerusalem artichokes and asparagus should be put in this month and of course seed potatoes should go in, especially the early varieties. Tomatoes should be on their way in the greenhouse and it is now time to sow outdoor varieties so that they will be ready to plant out after the frosts have gone. Aubergines, sweet corn, celery, french beans, runner beans and courgettes should also be sown under glass. Dahlias and begonias need to be started under glass and so too should the frost-tender bedding plants. Hardy bedding plants such as pansies, antirrhinums and sweet peas can be planted out now. Seeds such as clarkia can be sown direct in the flower borders and bulbs such as lilies and gladioli can now go in.
April is a good time for planting trees and shrubs, conifers, climbing plants, alpines and herbaceous perennials. Do visit the garden centre to see what looks good at the moment and spend the evenings getting ideas from books and garden magazines or even watching 'Ground Force'. You can choose trees such as cherry (Prunus) or crab (Malus) in full flower and plant them as soon as you get them home. Always dig a good hole and put a handful of bonemeal in the bottom and mix a little compost with the soil as you fill the hole after planting. It is always a good idea to stake trees to prevent wind-rocking. Bonemeal is used when planting roses too, but established plants are best top-dressed with Toprose fertilizer. Winter heathers should be trimmed once flowering is finished and winter-flowering shrubs should be cut back now. Tackle ground elder with SBK weedkiller or Tumbleweed as soon as possible. Just have a look at the wonderful array of colour which April brings to the garden from the treasured tulip to the majestic magnolia.
Terry Simmonds
CALLIPERS HALL
Part 1 of this extract from Chipperfield Within Living Memory was published in the May 2003 issue of Chipperfield News. Due to lack of space, we were unable to publish the remaining parts, but we can now print part 2 below:
Having established that there was a boarding school at Callipers Hall between 1856 and 1863, I was curious to find out more about the history of the house and its occupants. Nowadays it is hidden away from public view by Chipperfield Woods, but 150 years ago, there were far fewer trees in the area and, looking towards Bucks Hill, it would have been clearly visible from the Common and Two Brewers. Searching through my scrapbooks, I came across a 1997 newspaper copy of a photograph of Callipers Hall but it was of poor quality and the details were hardly visible. Tom Price, of the Gazette, was most helpful and provided an excellent copy of the old postcard photograph, dated pre-1911. At that time, the house had a Georgian fa‡ade and was 3 storeys high. There were trellis and climbing plants up to the first floor windows and the garden was meticulously laid out with well tended flower beds.
From County Records, old newspaper cuttings, church magazines and information from a few Chipperfield residents, I have pieced together a little of the history of the house and its occupants. In general, people knew very little about it, so further contributions and amendments would be appreciated. More extensive notes are recorded for the village archives.
1854 Deeds show that there was a farmhouse called Callipers Hall.
1856-63 Boarding school.
1895 Listed as a farm in Kellys' Directory.
1896 Plan of sale particulars of a freehold residential estate
1911 Newspaper reports of death of Mr. Robert John Porcher Broughton, aged 95, at Callipers Hall. He was educated at Harrow and Cambridge and became a Queen's solicitor. In cricket records, he was described as a slashing and lively hitter and one of the most active fieldsmen ever seen. He originally played in the era of tall hats, linen shirts and collars and flannel trousers. He welcomed the dress changes that followed. In his retirement, he visited the sick and poor of Chipperfield. He contributed greatly to the Baptist Church funds.
Mary Nobbs
FAMILY SERVICE
St Paul's Church invites you to the next Family Service to be held on Sunday 25 April at 10am in the Parish Room (adjoining the church). The atmosphere is informal and relaxed, and you and your family will be made most welcome. Refreshments are served after the service. The Family Service is held on the fourth Sunday of every month.
PREDATORS, FURRED AND FEATHERED
Our Mrs. Blackbird has so far escaped the clutches of the sparrow hawk, but a couple of plump pigeons that I had my eye on have found their way on to the hawk's menu and not mine. They are just about the biggest thing he could manage to catch. Once he has hit them they are too heavy to carry away so he has to pluck them where they land. He only bothers with the breast, which he picks completely clean. Nothing is wasted in nature though, and the fox then comes along and makes off with the rest. It's always interesting to look at piles of loose feathers. If the fox was the perpetrator of crime the ends of the feathers are always slightly chewed and often some are still attached to bits of skin, but the sparrow hawk is very careful and never seems to damage the feathers, always pulling them away from the skin. Small birds, such as blue tits and great tits will be carried to a favourite perch, a tree stump or a fence post, and quite a few feathers can build up around these. I haven't managed to find our hawk's favourite spot yet, but he must have one somewhere.
This whole area seems to be full of foxes. We were woken at 4.30am yesterday by one screaming and panting right under our bedroom window. It used to be thought that they only made this terrible piercing noise in the breeding season when calling for a mate, but now we hear it at all times of the year. It certainly wakes one up with a start and makes the hairs on the back of ones neck stand on end! The vixens (female foxes) will be giving birth around the end of March, swelling the population still more. Watch out all those who keep poultry or rabbits!
Wendy Bathurst
CHIPPERFIELD THEATRE GROUP
Given the unhappy nature of current news bulletins from Baghdad, it was refreshing that there was, at last, some good news from the Iraqi capital - albeit courtesy of Ali Baba - The Panto Chipperfield Theatre Group's latest pantomime. And you'd have thought Saddam himself had a walk on part, judging from the venom that was spent on the dastardly El Scorpio (Paul Instrall.) Things didn't get too violent though. Just like in the real Baghdad there were no weapons of mass destruction to be found (although Fatima Kebab's Snake pie was more deadly than a Ministry of Defence re-allocation of body armour.)
The engaging Rob Hine played our hero, Ali Baba, struggling to foil the deeds of his evil duplicitous brother. He was perfect for the part but how I bet he'd wished for some funnier lines. Unusually, given (and perhaps because of) their riotous recent offerings, the script - devoid of innuendo and satire - seemed a little bit flat to me.
Even so, the cast made the most of what they had to work with. Bill Callcut hammed it up to good effect as Fatima; resident CTG diva, Wendy Marchant, was excellent as Olive and Rebecca East proved a chip off the family block as Rhum Baba. But it was Sarah Cronin-Stanley's wonderful stooge, Bubble, that stood out for me - she is really making a name for herself in these comic roles.
Unsurprisingly, there were a few first night nerves and teething troubles but the cast coped admirably with what was thrown their way. Nobody more so than little Corrine Swallow, whose professionalism in coping with a dropped prop belied her tender years. She typified the charm of all the children in the show. The group is fortunate to have such a willing and able set of younger stars.
Although the songs weren't up to the standards set by CTG's other shows, there were some nice interludes - the mystical spirit dance gave the second half an atmospheric opening and Fatima's dance of the seven veils, although ultimately a bit of an anti-climax, was a very amusing tease.
So it was off to prison for our villain and off to the wedding for our heroes. If only real life was as simple as that.
Jason Cox
CHIPPERFIELD PARISH COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2003-2004
GENERAL
Local elections were held in May 2003. Nine candidates stood for the eight places on the Parish Council. Seven existing councillors were re-elected and Dick Neil, councillor since 1991, was narrowly defeated by new member Mark Jarrad.
Sadly, John Nichols, a Parish Councillor for 37 years, died in January 2004. His knowledge of the village and parish, his interest in and support for local groups and his advice to the Parish Council have been invaluable. He will be greatly missed.
John Pringle, our Parish Clerk, has been seriously ill and following a major operation he will be receiving further treatment for sometime. However, John has remained at work and the full support of members has ensured that council business has continued.
Common Ranger Paul Hewetson resigned in May 2003. Clive Hirst was temporarily appointed in his place and was confirmed in post in October following a 6 month trial period.
Our Village Warden, Arthur Hirst, has been very busy throughout the year and his conscientious work has kept the village looking tidy and attractive. A 'new' secondhand van was purchased in February 2004 to replace the first vehicle which had become irreparable. The parish van enables our Village Warden to carry equipment to all parts of the parish and to do his job far more effectively and efficiently.
The council adopted The Good Councillors Guide as a guide to best practice.
Members attended Borough/Parish Liaison meetings and the clerk attended liaison meetings with Dacorum Borough Council officers, representing Chipperfield.
Health Services Twenty residents attended a public meeting held by Dacorum Primary Care Trust in the Parish Room on 29 May 2003 following the publication of their consultative document "Investing in Your Health". Subsequently the Parish Council responded to the consultation supporting the proposal for a new hospital to be built in Hatfield but urging the retention of an acute unit at Hemel Hempstead.
Public Phonebox Unfortunately the Parish Council have been unable to persuade BT to retain the box in Scatterdells Lane which is to be removed due to lack of use.
FINANCE &
GENERAL PURPOSES
The budget for expenditure on the village (the Precept), raised from your Council Tax for 2004-05 will be œ 23,208. This is œ 27.63 per annum for a Band D property and is an increase of œ1.22 (3.5%) to cover higher insurance premiums and increased costs. The parish council have also asked Dacorum Borough Council for an additional œ12,687 (Concurrent Expenditure) to be spent on the village. This is 1.3% higher than last year.
Grant Aid was made to the Village Hall towards the cost of major refurbishment and the Parish Council also agreed to underwrite the loan of œ7,500 from Dacorum Borough Council towards the costs. Grants were also made to the Youth Club, the Football Club, the Cricket Club and towards maintenance of the churchyard. The Parish Council is currently considering a grant to the Village Club to pay for a specific project within their planned refurbishment.
Village of the Year The village once again won an award , this time a Commendation in the Older People Category.
A Housing Needs Survey was distributed to all households in the village. 244 questionnaires were returned (32%) which established the degree of need. Cllr. David Nobbs has been nominated by the Parish Council to review possible sites within the village for affordable housing, working with Duncan Adams, the Rural Housing Enabler.
A proposal to provide a youth shelter as a place where young people could meet was explored but received little support.
Village Clock Estimates have been received for the removal of the unsafe inspection gantry to the village clock and work should be completed this year.
Chipperfield Website Following a generous offer by Russ Evans, a resident who is a professional web page designer, the Parish Council in co-operation with Chipperfield News commissioned the establishment of an 'official' web site, www.chipperfield.org.uk. Russ and Graham Mcmellin collected and co-ordinated information and Russ's excellent site went live in February 2004.
PLANNING
The Planning Committee have on behalf of the village
_ submitted their views to Dacorum Borough Council on over 50 planning applications. They strongly recommended refusal to the application made in February by Orange to erect a telecommunications mast and cabinets at a site at the top of a field adjacent to Dunny Lane.
_ attended an appeal against Dacorum's refusal for the development of the site adjoining the Chapel Croft shops for elderly people's cottages. The Parish Council considered this would be a planning gain, but the appeal was dismissed.
_ alerted the Borough Council to 3 enforcement issues.
_ submitted views on consultation documents on the development of airports in the South East, sub-regional plans for the expansion of Milton Keynes and Luton, and the government's new planning structures.
_ attended seminars on the latest development in planning procedures and on best practice in the use of flint in build ing construction.
HIGHWAYS, ROAD SAFETY & PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Parking Long term parking in Chapel Croft outside the shops has created serious problems as the shop owners rely on customers being able to park. The Parish Council have applied to HCC for an order to establish a limited waiting zone outside the shops.
Following a request from a residentt two spaces reserved for disabled drivers were marked out in the car park adjacent to the church
Linking Footpaths A proposal to create safe routes through the village for walkers and cyclists has been submitted to Herts. County Council Highways Department District Engineer for comment.
Horse Track An application from the Jasmine Safety Track Trust to re-open the horse track alongside Langley Road was supported by the Parish Council and a grant made towards the cost.
Road Survey Council members inspected all roads, their gulleys, drains and pavements in the parish during February and a full report has been submitted to HCC Highways Department requesting urgent action to undertake repairs and maintenance
FOOTPATHS & OPEN SPACES
Rights of Way A consultation document and draft map issued by the Countryside Commission in connection with the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 was received and several errors on the map of Chipperfield Common were brought to the attention of the Commission.
Footpath 14 With the aid of a further grant from the Parish Paths Partnership the re-surfacing of Footpath 14 was completed on 2 March 2004.
Dog Waste The Parish Council has purchased another dog waste bin which will be sited at the junction of Croft Lane and Croft End Road. An additional bin provided by Dacorum Borough Council will be sited on the Common.
Litter Our team of voluntary litter pickers have been busy throughout the year collecting litter from paths and pavements.
War Memorial Following the replacement of the broken cross on the memorial, Bill and John Beavis, kindly offered to maintain the memorial garden keeping the grass cut and the hedges trimmed throughout the year.
A new bench seat, made from re-cycled plastic and maintenance free, was purchased and installed on the grass verge at the end of Nunfield to replace the wooden bench which had been stolen.
Grass Cutting Despite numerous requests from the Parish Council, Hertfordshire County Council failed to organise the contract grass cutting on the Croft Estate. This was eventually undertaken by our Village Warden and the County Council re-imbursed the Parish Council.to pay for his time.
ALLOTMENTS
All-weather Football Pitch A proposal from Chipperfield Corinthians Junior Football Club to establish an all-weather practice pitch on 4 unused allotments was agreed in principal by the Parish Council. Subsequently the club discovered that they would need a much larger area to be eligible for a grant from the Football Foundation. The Parish Council refused the request for a larger area of the allotment field to be made available as it contravened the terms of the Deed of Gift of the land to the parish.