April 2005
Incidents of distraction burglary or rogue trading crimes are rare, but when they happen it can be deeply shocking, especially when they occur on your doorstep.
Bogus callers are con men (or women) who tell a variety of stories to get into your home and steal from you. They may pretend to be from the council, gas, water or electricity companies or even from the police to make you believe they have a good reason to enter your home. This crime is called distraction burglary.
Rogue traders pretend to be tradesmen or salesmen offering goods at bargain prices. Their aim is to pressurise you into paying them for work that either doesn't need doing at all or could be done for considerably less money by a reputable company. They sometimes work alone, sometimes in pairs and they can be men, women and sometimes even children.
Help reduce distraction burglary: Remember the following routine
STOP - Are you expecting anybody? Do they have an appointment?
CHAIN - Secure the door bar or chain before opening the door
CHECK - Ask for and double-check the caller's ID
DO's
¥ Do close and lock the BACK door and remove the key, before securing the door bar or chain to the front door.
¥ Do ask for proof of identity, take it and read it carefully. Genuine callers won't mind you taking sensible precautions
¥ Do ask them to come back on another day if you are still unsure
¥ Do arrange appointments for people to call when you know you will have someone with you.
DON'Ts
¥ Don't believe all callers are genuine
¥ Don't let anyone in if you are at all unsure
¥ Don't believe scare stories or be pressured into a cash or quick sale
¥ Don't keep large amounts of cash in the house
For guidance and advice please contact your local Crime Prevention Officer on 01707 354000. If you are concerned about a doorstep caller pass the information on. Call Hertfordshire Trading Standards on the Doorstep Hotline 0845 60 444 66 .
CRICKET CLUB NEWS
At our recent AGM the following captains were appointed to lead the club in the coming season's quest for glory: Steve Durrant (Saturday 1st XI), Malcolm Leach (Saturday 2nd XI), Ian Veith (Sunday 1st XI) and Bob Churchill Snr. (Sunday 2nd XI). We wish them all good luck.
As always, the club welcomes new members and any newcomers to the village can ring me on 01923 268953 for details of how to join.
With financial assistance from the Parish Council and Dacorum Borough Council a programme of renovation to the outfield was undertaken last autumn. The benefits of this work will be seen in spring after the first few mowings.
This season we shall be running "young cricketers" at three levels: under 10s, under 12s and under 13s. Sides have been entered in the Herts. colts leagues and games will be played on a variety of days. Full details of the fixtures will be available in the soon to be published fixture card and will be displayed in the pavilion. Weather permitting, we hope to start training on The Common in early April. Older young cricketers are welcome and there is room in the weekend sides to accommodate them.
We are planning a programme of social events, starting with a quiz evening on Friday 20 May which will be followed by games, evening discos etc. The major event will be a Summer Ball on The Common on Friday 8 July.
Chris Bangs
Chairman, Chipperfield Cricket Club
LOCK UP YOUR MOWER
As the gardening season gets under way, a timely reminder from P.C. Bob Healy to make sure that you secure your garden equipment and check the locks on your garden shed and garage.
Opportunist theft of mowers, strimmers and other power tools usually begins in the spring and early summer.
Make sure that you close your garage doors if you're in the garden or off the premises.
If you leave your equipment in full view it could well have vanished by the time you return!
CHIPPERFIELD PARISH COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2004-2005
GENERAL
This past year has been sad, difficult and often frustrating. John Pringle, our Parish Clerk for the past 12 years , who had been seriously ill for many months, died in September 2004. More recently, Arthur Hirst, our Village Warden, died suddenly in January 2005. The village owes a lot to both these men, who in their different ways contributed so much to the affairs of the Parish.
In May 2004, Mike Bradshaw of Scatterdells Lane, was co-opted to serve on the Parish Council, filling the vacancy left following the death of John Nichols. The council decided to inaugurate a memorial prize in memory of John Nichols, which would combine his particular interests in local history and young people in the village. The prize will be awarded annually for the best essay written on a local history topic by a pupil of St. Paul's School.
The long-awaited Parish Map, commissioned by the council to mark the millennium, was published on Village Day held in July. A large copy was placed on permanent display in the Village Hall and smaller prints offered for sale. The council plan to display a copy of the map on an outside board close to The Common.
Constable Bob Healy and Police Community Support Officer Kim Ashworth have regularly attended Parish Council meetings to report on incidents of crime and vandalism in the village, keep the council informed of their work and receive feedback from members.
The council supported a proposal made to the Primary Health Care Trust by Chipperfield Care to provide ancillary medical care in the village but unfortunately the proposal was denied by the Trust for health and safety reasons.
The unsafe inspection gantry to the village clock was removed and work in the bell tower completed to reduce the sound of the chimes within the premises below the clock.
Following John Pringle's death, members of the council made arrangements for all council business to continue until a new clerk could be appointed. As John worked from home in Tring, all council papers and files had to be collected and brought to Chipperfield. Members agreed to take the opportunity to sort all the material to make it ready for the new clerk. Once this was done, all the material was temporarily stored at Kings Langley Parish Council offices and we are most grateful to them for allowing us to do this.
Since the summer 2004 all members of the Parish Council have accepted responsibility for some aspect of the Parish Council's work.
Cllr. David Nobbs undertook to deal with all planning matters and Cllr. Mark Jarrad agreed to act as treasurer, dealing with all financial affairs. Mark took the opportunity to review the council's financial records and procedures and has prepared Principles of Financial Management for the Parish Council which members have approved and will come into effect on 1 April 2005.
All members of the council assisted with scrutinising reports, consultation documents, and correspondence and without their help it would have been impossible for the council's work to continue. I am most grateful for all the effort and hard work which members have undertaken during the past year. We have certainly worked well as a team.
A new Parish Clerk, Mrs Joanne Deacon, who lives in Sarratt, was appointed in December and took up her duties on 1 January 2005.
Cllr. Liz Holliday
FINANCE & GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE
The budget for expenditure on the village (the Precept), raised from your Council Tax for 2005-06 will be £23,500. This is £27.71 per annum for a Band D property and is an increase of 8p on last year's figure. The Parish Council have also asked Dacorum Borough Council for an additional £17,890 to be spent on the village. This figure includes, for the first time, £8,240 for the Village Warden budget which will pay for salary, the Parish Council van and all other expenses incurred by the Warden. This sum has previously been raised by Dacorum and awarded as a separate grant to the Parish Council.
Over the past year the Parish Council has made grant aid to the Youth Club, the Cricket Club, the Junior Football Club, the Village Hall, the Jasmine Safety Track Trust and towards the upkeep of the churchyard.
In view of the additional work undertaken by members, it was decided not to enter the Village of the Year competition in 2004.
Cllr. David Nobbs has been liaising with the Rural Housing Enabler, reviewing possible sites within the village for affordable housing.
Thanks to Russ Evans, the village web master, the Chipperfield Website continues to provide an efficient and regularly updated source of information about the village for both residents and others who want to find out about Chipperfield and its activities.
PLANNING COMMITTEE
The number of planning applications for developments within Chipperfield continues to rise and over the past year the Parish Council has received on average over one a week from Dacorum Borough Council for us to comment upon. The majority are for routine extensions and home improvements and are non-controversial. However, on some proposals the Council has expressed its concern that applicants are attempting to over-develop small properties, which would make them ungainly in appearance and help reduce the already limited number of homes suitable for first-time buyers.
Three applications were of special significance. It is hoped that approval for four new homes for elderly residents and the conversion of three cottages adjacent to the shops in Chapel Croft will enhance this part of the village as will the approval of a new dwelling, garage and stables at Bucks Hill Stables to replace the motley collection of buildings on that site. Parking for the employees of Chipperfield Garage continues to be a problem, but the Parish Council felt it could not support the conversion of Green Belt agricultural land opposite Kings Lane into a car park and this application was subsequently refused by the Borough Council.
In addition to dealing with planning applications, the committee has also replied to a number of Government and Regional consultation papers passed to it for comment, notably on proposals to streamline planning procedures and on the East of England Plan. On the latter the Council expressed its view that no Green Belt land should be given up for development and that the Government targets for new dwellings in the county was excessive in view of the likely impact on the already stressed local infrastructure.
Cllr David Nobbs
HIGHWAYS COMMITTEE
In March 2004 all members undertook an inspection of the roads in the Parish checking road surfaces, drains and gullies, footways, verges and street furniture. A Report on the Condition of the Roads in the Parish listing, road by road, 158 items that needed repair, was submitted to Hertfordshire Highways Department. To date only some of these matters have been addressed, although following a change of personnel within the Highways Department, the Parish Council has been assured that matters will improve. Members continue to check the items listed and report their findings to our Clerk for further action.
The application made in June 2004 to Herts Highways for limited waiting and parking restrictions in Chapel Croft and The Common outside the "Two Brewers" has still not been implemented at the time of writing.
The Langley Road Horse Track was re-opened in December thanks to hard work by the trustees of the Jasmine Safety Track Trust and in particular its Chairman, Tina Robinson. The success of this project owes everything to the excellent co-operation between all bodies involved and the support received from local residents, horse owners and riders. Additional road stone will be added to the track shortly to enable walkers to use it as a safe route away from the traffic.
During the year we have continued with our plan to link the existing footpaths in the village to form a continuous route. We are investigating funding and seeking permission to allow the following areas to be utilised as links between the existing footpaths:
¥ A field-based footpath along Dunny Lane;
¥ The adoption of unofficial footpath from Windmill Hill to Dunny Lane, which requires cleaning and signing;
¥ The creation of a footpath from Whippendell Bottom up the hill towards Kings Langley, proposed as joint project with Kings Langley PC ;
¥ The extension of pavement at Tower Hill Garage ;
¥ A proposal that the hedge at junction of Dunny lane and Tower Hill be cut back or re-aligned to give better sight lines at junction;
¥ The extension of the pavement from Blackwell's Club to the Allotment Field entrance track.
There remains the proposed pedestrian crossings outside the Royal Oak and adjacent to the Two Brewers which are being investigated.
A radar controlled speed warning sign was demonstrated by a police officer from the Traffic Division and the council hope to work with neighbouring parish councils to purchase one or more signs in an attempt to tackle the problem of cars speeding through the village.
Cllr. John Carter
FOOTPATHS & OPEN SPACES
Work on existing footpaths continues using grants from the Parish Paths Partnership. In June 2004 Cllrs. Berners-Price and Jarrad checked the signs on all official footpaths on The Common and working with the DBC Rights of Way Officer supervised the installation of replacement and additional signs. Barriers to stop motorcyclists using Footpath 14 have been installed.
A designated permissive bridleway has been established along the edge of the woodland alongside The Common to improve safety for both riders and motorists using this narrow road.
Thanks to the team of eight voluntary litter pickers who continue to support the work of the Common Ranger and the Village Warden, litter in the village has been kept to a minimum.
Working with the Countryside Management Service, a survey of hedgerows in the Parish took place in the late summer. 29 volunteers recorded the species growing in the hedges and on their condition. The results of the survey are being collated by Anna Cohen, the Project Officer from CMS, and will be reported in the Chipperfield News.
Maintenance work in the woodland continues, following the plans drawn up by DBC's Woodland Officer. One of the huge, old sweet chestnut trees appears to be dying and has been fenced off for protection and another was blown down in a winter gale.
Many fish in the Apostles Pond died in the heat during the summer and it had to be re-stocked. Undergrowth round the Pill Pond has been cleared, making it more accessible. It is being maintained as a "boggy pond" to allow the bog plants and wildlife to flourish.
ALLOTMENTS
Eight overgrown plots were stripped and rotavated by contractors during the year and were quickly let to new tenants. For the first time in many years all 47 plots are let and there is a waiting list for plots.
Tenants agreed that rents should be increased to £9 a year and in future these will be collected in the autumn.
APRIL IN YOUR GARDEN
This is a very busy month so we must be brief. Any parts of the garden not yey cultivated will need to be dug, taking care to remove any roots of ground elder, bindweed and creeping buttercup.
Container-grown trees, shrubs, roses, climbers and conifers can be planted and forsythias and lavenders should be pruned. Start regular spraying of roses and cut the lawn once a week now. Treat moss and weeds on lawns and sow or turf new lawn areas. Plant potatoes, sow brassicas and French beans and keep the weeds down. Before planting apply Growmore fertilizer to encourage good growth.
In the greenhouse plant up the hanging baskets and tomato plants in gro-bags. Pot up bedding plants and keep them all well watered. Pansies, bellis and aubrietia are hardy and can be planted in the garden, as can seeds of such flowers as clarkia. Plant out dahlia tubers and summer-flowering bulbs and dead-head the daffodils as soon as the flowers die. Stake the perennials, clean out the pond and feed roses and flowering plants with Toprose fertilizer. Protect delicate plants from attack by slugs and also from late frosts.
Do visit the garden centre for ideas but don't plant out bedding plants until next month and just enjoy all the amazing colours and scents that fill the garden this month. Terry Simmonds
THE GREAT ELEVATOR
We can all think of levellers, things that bring us down to the same level. The M25 is the prime example. There are times when we all have to go at the speed of the slowest, regardless of the power of the car or the skill of the driver. When, with our overhead electricity cables, we have a power cut in Belsize, we all suffer whether we have large or small houses. Biographies of great sportsmen reveal how they all at times have to be out of action because of injury. Then the Reaper, with his unavoidable sickle, is the greatest leveller of all.
Are there any elevators, things, available to us all, which can raise us up to a higher level of experience? No doubt gardeners, cooks, athletes, sportsmen, artists, anyone with skill, can know things that give them pleasure and a lift. A job well done or something turned out better than we had expected. Often the elevators belong to the mind or the spirit rather than the material. Often they are known second hand or to us as spectators. Can we share in Ellen MacArthur's achievement? We can be uplifted by seeing the dawn and the sunset. Often these experiences can be fleeting.
The Christian gospel, as an elevator, is there to offer something more permanent with a chance to know something real, with a divine dimension, C. S. Lewis said, 'I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen - not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else'. This is not an optional add-on to what we are, but something that transforms and renews our outlook. We can see things differently. The means here is Jesus himself. In knowing and being one with him, we take his outlook and with his help the intention is to become like him. You could say this is the car God wants us to drive on this motorway, trying to cope with all the hazards and other cars in the process. John King, Churchwarden
NEWS FROM OUR CHURCHES
CATHOLIC CHURCH OF OUR LADY
Meetings of the second series of the 'At Your Word Lord' discussions were held in the Church on Tuesdays through Lent. Group members continued to explore the themes laid out in the well prepared booklets which support the year long programme.
The Grand Parish Dinner at Sarratt Village Hall was held on March 5th. This was as ever an enjoyable occasion to meet informally with fellow parishioners and guests.
BAPTIST CHURCH
At the time of writing we are looking forward to our Easter celebrations, but when you read this we will have already remembered our Lord's horrific death on the cross and celebrated the risen Lord Jesus in whom and through whom we can experience eternal life.
Next month, on the 21st May, we will be holding our May Fayre from 2pm, hopefully in the grounds at the side of the Church. We'll be very pleased to see many of you there so please make a note of the date and look out for further publicity.
ST PAUL'S & HOLY CROSS
The Annual Parochial Church Meeting.
Each year we hold elections for Church Wardens (at which all Parishioners have a vote) and members of the Parochial Church Council and other Church Officers (which are elected by those parishioners who are on the Electoral Roll of the Church). This is an important meeting in the life of our Church when we review the past year and look forward to the year ahead.
This year
¥ the Holy Cross meeting will take place on Sunday 10th April at 10.15am, and
¥the St Paul's meeting will take place on Sunday 17th April after the 10am service.
BOROUGH AND COUNTY NEWS
The budgets are settled, after much consultation, and the community charge for Police, County and Borough will rise by 4.9%. The Borough had a number of controversial items on the hit list in its need to reduce spending but sense has prevailed on two of these. Dacorum Heritage Trust will have a slightly reduced grant from the Borough but this will not stop it carrying on its vital role. Charging for the Hemel adventure playgrounds has not been introduced. A top concern is crime. Locally, burglary and nuisance are quite low and I would like to thank PC Bob Healey and Kim Ashworth our County funded Community Support Officer for really making a difference. Bob is often away on other police duties but Kim is out and about keeping an eye on the village and in constant contact with the police.
Love them or loath them, wheely bins are making their mark. In Chipperfield the recycling rate is above 50%. Recycling at the new domestic tip at Waterdale is also nearing 50%. It is absolutely vital we dump as little as possible to landfill for two reasons, rising landfill tax and the lack of new sites. The question has been asked, "Do the recyclables just get dumped anyway?" The answer is no, all the recycled waste has a value and is sold commercially.
The greenbelt north of Harlow and west of Stevenage are under pressure as never before from housing development. The Regional Plan for the East of England is kinder to Dacorum but at 315 houses a year, every year; it is still a tough target to meet. There are no plans for greenbelt development in or around Chipperfield.
Ah, yes, the roads! Some good news. Our new Hertfordshire Highways engineer has been working his socks off meeting residents, answering petitions and generally getting to grips with what needs doing. Issues being addressed are footpaths generally, including improving the position at the bottom of Chapel Croft. Safety and parking issues around the shops at the top of Chapel Croft and parking outside the two Brewers.
The resurfaced Vicarage Lane seemed to have been carried out efficiently and to a high standard which again bodes well for the future. Apologies for the traffic bumps around the schools in Kings Langley but they have had a dramatic and positive impact on reducing speed. 2000 pupils a day wander to and from their schools, on busy roads and I think the calming is very effective.
Finally, elections are here again, County and General, May 5th, so no doubt you will be leafleted, door knocked and cajoled but whatever your colours, please get down to the Youth Club and use your vote. Take care,
Borough and County Councillor Richard Roberts
If you need to get hold of me please call on 01923 262812 or e-mail; richard.roberts@hertscc.gov.uk
"BLACKWELL'S" - THE VILLAGE CLUB: AN UPDATE
It is amazing how quickly time flies by and whilst it may appear that not much has been happening during this past six months, this is not the case. Caroline Smith and her team (particular thanks to Tom Conway) have been conducting workshops intended to "sound out" the Village in more depth as to their views and requirements for the building and in particular the gym which has until now been such a pivotal part of the plans.
To our surprise the requirement for a gym came very low in the list of priorities. The main requirement continues to be for a modern and convivial meeting place where friends and families of all age groups can meet and socialise coupled with a series of rooms/facilities where meetings can be held and "homes" provided, for the various village organisations which at present have none. There is a strong wish for better facilities for the younger members of our community which marries in well with the Blackwell family's original intentions.
The problem which the Trustees continue to grapple with is that whilst they wholeheartedly share these aspirations, the commercial realities of running such an enterprise on a voluntary basis cannot be underestimated. We see professionally run national pub chains for example, constantly having to re-launch to keep them fresh and attract custom. We have watched this building become almost moribund once in it's lifetime and have no wish to see that happen again.
Whilst the refurbishment of the Dance Studio was an amazing achievement, those closely involved agree that it would be difficult to deal with the refurbishment of the rest of the building in a similar voluntary way. The Trustees have two present plans of action. Architects have been re-instructed to look again at the building and to advise on a range of options. In summary, these are to look at refurbishing the existing building, rather than extending but to keep in mind that this may become "phase 2".
¥ how best to modernise the bar and to use its present space;
¥ look at reconfiguring the toilets to provide more comfort facilities, particularly for the ladies; review the requirement for a kitchen;
¥ to reconsider if the back room may be capable of refurbishment at reasonable cost to create an environment for the young.
¥ to look at the outside to see how that could be treated to make it more "welcoming" etc.
More particularly, they have also been asked to break these areas down into cost. It is hoped that these investigations will give us a much clearer idea of whether there is any chance of revamping the building to enable it to become a viable "business opportunity" at a cost which is not too astronomical.
Secondly, we have decided, tentatively, to look at the commercial market place just to see if there might be an operator out there who could bring to our "party" their entrepreneurial expertise and money to combine with our wish list.
Graham Holt, Chairman of the Trustees
CHIPPERFIELD TENNIS CLUB
The AGM is on Tuesday 3 May at 8.00pm in the Youth Club. This is a good opportunity to come and have a glass of wine and find out what an inexpensive and enjoyable sporting facility we have in the village for the whole family.
Children's coaching will start on Saturday 7 May for those aged six and above. For further information please give me a ring.
Ruth Dicker 01923262454
LOCAL INFORMATION REQUIRED
Joanne Deacon, our Parish Clerk recently received this request by e-mail:
Lydia Maria Smith and her aunt, Lydia Turner, lived at Rose Villa in Kings Langley. Lydia was married in 1894 in Chipperfield by Rev. James Pringle. Lydia's father, John Smith, born 1837 in Devon, lived at Callipers Hall Farm according to the 1891 and 1910 census. Is the farm still there and if so, do you know who lives there now?
Many thanks for your time and help. Jonathan Morris <mailto:jonathm@dialstart.net>
If you can help, please contact Jonathan or Joanne.
HIGH SHERIFF'S AWARD
Congratulations to Dr. Mary West who received the High Sheriff's Award in recognition of her distinguished service to the community in Hertfordshire at a special ceremony at County Hall in Hertford on 10 March. Mary's is one of only ten Awards made to individuals in the county this year.
LOCAL PHYSIOTHERAPY SERVICE
Readers may be interested to hear that Anne Stickland, a Chartered Physiotherapist, is now offering a local physiotherapy service in Tower Hill. Anne has been a practising physiotherapist for many years and as the physiotherapy manager she developed the excellent physiotherapy departments at both the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital at Stanmore, and the BUPA Hospital in Harpenden. Having gained the experience of both running and working within the physiotherapy services of these hospitals, she has decided to use these skills and expertise to develop her own practice from her house in Chipperfield.
She has experience in many areas but her particular areas of interest are in orthopaedics which includes all joint and muscle problems and women's health which includes continence problems. Members of the local WI group in Chipperfield were very interested to hear of the help which can be given to ladies with bladder problems, when she gave a talk at one of their meetings some years ago.
Readers can be assured of a confidential and personalised service in a relaxed but professional atmosphere where her approach is not only to ease the pain or the problem but give advice and understanding of the particular nature of the underlying cause of their concern and thus enable them to look after and manage their bodies for themselves.
For further information or to make an appointment ring Anne Stickland on 01442 833763 or email anne.stickland@btinternet.com.
CHIPPERFIELD CORINTHIANS UNDER 7s
Having recently been installed as coach for the Under 7's, it has been my job to assist Melanie Roberts in preparing the clubs youngest team for league competition next season and for a number of friendlies this season. We have been training the boys on Wednesday afternoons after school on the St Paul's playing field and have built up an enthusiastic squad of 15. The matches are only 7 a side at this stage, so a good squad-rotation system is essential (a bit similar to Chelsea's.) All the boys take part in the games and at this stage we are working on who plays in which position and who wants to play where. We are gradually eradicating the "swarm of bees routine" which even I admit was part of my first footballing years, and the boys are now spreading themselves out across the pitch and passing to team mates instead of all chasing after the ball (like a swarm of bees!)
Training includes teaching the boys to pass, dribble, how to mark players at corners and how to take up important positions when defending and attacking. I think we are getting there and this was shown at our latest match a few weeks ago at Borehamwood. After not too long we found ourselves 2-0 down and we all feared the worst but a real determination took hold,(as did my sore throat from screaming instructions) and soon, after a Borehamwood own goal and a strike from our own George French, we found ourselves level at 2-2.
Of course the worst feeling after coming back into a game from behind is to go behind again but that's what we did, 3-2 down. Perhaps the boys spirit would be broken after such a fight back but a superb strike from Jacob Blacker pulled us level again. Honours were shared and the boys attitude and performance really was superb.
Man of the match went to Jack Grover who had a fantastic game in defence for us and showed excellent positional sense, but all were heros and we cannot wait for the next match at Kings Langley on 12th March. The previous match against KL ended in a 5-0 reverse (but of course this was before my appointment!). Please come along and give the boys some support - we would all love to hear the sound of Chipperfield Corinthians reverberating around the terraces. Haway the Lads!
Barry Coleman