April 2006
As you will have noticed, a small development of new homes is currently under construction on the corner of Chapel Croft and Croft Lane. The development is being built by a reputable firm of local house builders, DB Rees Ltd and comprises four new cottages and four refurbished Victorian cottages.
The four new homes are being built specifically for the residents of Chipperfield or their relatives. The planning permission states that the properties must be sold to people 55 years old and over who are either current residents of the Parish of Chipperfield or who have relatives who reside in the Parish.
For further information, an appointment to view or a full colour brochure, please call selling agents: PROFFITT & HOLT PARTNERSHIP 01923 270333
TENNIS CLUB AGM
It's that time of year again to dust down the tennis raquets and come and join us for fun and fitness on the courts.
Our Annual General Meeting is at 8.00pm on Tuesday 2 May 2006 at the Youth Club (next to the tennis courts).
New members will be given a warm welcome as well as existing members and details of coaching for the children and plans for social tennis will be announced.
This will be washed down with a nice glass of wine and some cheese to make the evening an enjoyable occasion.
Questions about membership should be made to Ruth Dicker on 01923 262454
LAST LINK MADE
The final few yards of footway linking the proposed new permissive footpath behind Chris and John Saunders' hedge in Dunny Lane will be able to be built thanks to the generosity of Alan Hutchinson in The Thatch. Alan has kindly allowed a short stretch of his verge to be used by Herts. Highways so that the existing footway can be extended and pedestrians can reach the new path safely. A new gate will be installed at the access point to the footpath and Highways hope to complete the footway in the next few months.
DANCERS RAISE OVER £1000 FOR CHARITY
Last autumn the pupils of the Chipperfield School of Dancing put on a production of The Nutcracker ballet in aid of the Caron Keating Foundation (Caron was the late daughter of Gloria Hunniford). They raised a total of £1,000 and Gloria Hunniford wrote a lovely letter of thanks. They also raised a further £250 from the show which went to a charity for the blind. During the show, each pupil placed a Christmas present beneath the Christmas tree and all these gifts went to the Pepper Foundation, who passed them on to a children's hospice. It was a lovely show - and lovely to see so many people united for charity.
This year all the pupils are taking ballet and tap examinations. There is a new ballet class on Saturday morning at 10.45 to 11.30 for anyone who is unable to attend classes during the week. There is a teacher who is keen to teach jazz and anyone interested should contact Jean Banks on 01923 400370 or Mrs Gurney on 0208 428 9906.
ST PAUL'S SCHOOL PTA GOLF COMPETITION
On Wednesday 24 May, St Paul's School PTA will be hosting its inaugural Golf Competition. This is your chance to test your golf skills and have a fun filled day with friends and family. All are welcome, male or female, and if golf isn't your thing then just join us for a meal in the evening .
The day will be hosted by Bushey Hall Golf Club, and the format will be teams of four, but don't worry if you can't get four people, we have plenty of people wanting to make up teams.
This is your chance to win some fantastic prizes for team performances and individual, this will include a chance to win a NEW CAR worth £15,000. The day is in aid of St Paul's School and your support is welcome.
If you are interested in joining us on this day, please call Mark Swales on 01923 270811 or John Burrows on 07956 960309 for further details.
MOTORISTS: ARE WE BECOMING PEDESTRIAN UNFRIENDLY?
Chipperfield was a place where people could walk and ride safely long before the motor vehicle was invented and it must be kept so today. After all, we are all pedestrians when we get out of our cars. Many of us have children or we are not as nimble on our feet as we perhaps once were, so careful, considerate driving down narrow lanes is essential.
Chipperfield has several narrow lanes, some single track, which add to the charm and amenities of the village. They are used by walkers, dog walkers, parents and grandparents taking the children for a walk, cyclists and horse riders. We must not drive down these lanes assuming all is clear round the bend or expecting people to jump out of the way. It is common sense and courtesy to slow down when sharing the road with pedestrians, cyclists, children and horse riders. Most people know this and put it into practice but unfortunately many appear not to care or have forgotten, and it only takes one for a nasty accident to occur.
Scatterdells Lane is the longest cul de sac in Hertfordshire and single track for most of its length. Unless drivers are sensible we have an accident waiting to happen.
PLEASE SLOW DOWN WHEN YOU SEE PEOPLE IN THE ROAD AND PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION AT NIGHT!
VILLAGE PEOPLE
Congratulations and best wishes to John and Carol Cerasale of Old Stocks, Scatterdells Lane who celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary on 14 March.
Bridget Brook and family would like to thank everyone in Chipperfield for their support and kindness during the past few difficult months. They also thank all those who came to the Thanksgiving Service for Richard's Life and made it so memorable.
We regret to announce the death of Geoffrey Whiter at his home in Nunfield. Alerted by neighbours, the police broke in to his home on 1 April to find him deceased. A Coroner's inquest will be held.
BOVINGDON COUNTRY MARKET
Saturdays 10.00 - 11.30am
in Bovingdon Memorial Hall
Previously known as the W.I. Market, but still the same high standard of local produce by and from local people. The Market supplies freshly cooked cakes, pastries and scones, sweet and savoury pies, pasties and sausage rolls, quiches and lasagne and much more.
Special dietary needs, including gluten-free and nut allergy produce can be cooked to order. Orders taken for future collection.
There is a produce stall with a wide selection of jams, marmalade, honey and chutney, fresh eggs and seasonal vegetables.The craft stall offers cards, doll's clothes, knitwear, silk scarves, paintings etc. Except during the winter months, the plant stall has home-grown plants and cut flowers.
More details from Jennifer Khan on 01494 766564.
DOG OWNERS
Dog waste in the village and on the Common has been particularly bad in the last few months . Please clean up after your dog. Waste bins are provided and emptied regularly. The fine is now £1000 if you are seen to ignore your dog's behaviour.
MOBILE LIBRARY
The new mobile library is now in service. The new vehicle, with computerised issue system, is easy to climb into and also has a lift for those who require it. The library carries about 2000 volumes, including an extended children's selection, large print, videos and DVDs. A new fortnightly timetable came into effect on 21 March and the library now stops in Chipperfield on TUESDAYS at
Tower Hill 11.35 - 11.55
Megg Lane 12.05 - 12.35
Croft Close 12.40 - 13.10
Nunfield 13.50 - 14.20
St. Paul's 14.30 - 16.00
Belsize 16.05 - 16.35
SCHOOL SUCCESS FOR LOCAL CHILDREN
Westbrook Hay Prep School has much to celebrate this year. All its Year 8 pupils have received offers from their first choice schools and several local children have done exceptionally well. William Mills, Max Kearney and his brother Niall are going to St Alban's. Archie Wood is sitting a scholarship to Berkhamsted and will join his sister Erica, who has also been awarded a place there next year and Cameron Holt has been awarded an Art scholarship to Aldenham.
Headmaster Keith Young said, "It is particularly pleasing to see three of these boys achieve such wonderful results as they joined Westbrook Hay from other local schools and were in need of some self-belief. That they have come so far is a testament not only to their hard work, but the marvellous teaching and support they have received in their time here. Getting the first choice school is one of the crucial aspects that any parent looks for from their Prep school, so it is very encouraging to be able to claim that we have a 100% record".
Westbrook Hay is a co-educational prep school that takes children either into its Nursery in their third year or into Reception at 5. Details of the school can be found at www.westbrookhay.co.uk or by ringing 01442 256143
SIXTY PLUS AND SIXTY MINUS
Earlier this year when people were still making, and not yet breaking, their New Year resolutions, some of the national papers were publishing good advice on healthy living and life styles. At the end of an article for the over 60s, this paragraph appeared:
"Spirit. With age comes a deeper understanding of our inner workings. This is also the time for deeper reflection on our spiritual life. At this age you will have been through all - or some - of the obvious stages that life seems to lay out for us. You will have had and cared for a family; you will have (or had) a caring relationship; your career will have been satisfying; and now you deserve time to look into your spiritual needs. Take this time to explore religion or spirituality."
This is admirable and well may reflect the experience and aspirations of many. It also raises important questions.
What do we mean by spiritual? A simple answer is that the spiritual involves something more than the physical and material. It will be concerned with the emotional and aesthetic spheres; things that move us to a sense of wonder beyond what we see or hear or touch. Music is more than dots on lines on a page; beauty is more than paint on a canvas; a sunset is more than a combination of colours in the sky.
Is spirituality the same as religion? The simple answer is: no. Spirituality may be concerned with the personal. Religion implies some reality, some authority, some force or power outside ourselves. It is not purely subjective or individual. A physicist may not find God in the formula he proposes, but he may find that it reflects some of the character of God; astronauts may not have found God in space, but they may have felt a sense of awe or creatureliness in the context of such a vast universe.
Religion is concerned with values, morals, truth, which have their own authenticity and do not depend upon our own perception or state of mind. Meaningful religion will not be just a set of uninspiring rules, but will have a personal dimension inviting commitment. It should also offer a context for understanding ourselves and the world we know. C S Lewis said that he believed in God in the same way that he believed in the sun. Not only could he see the sun, but by its light he could see everything else.
In talking about religion, we must all at some point come to terms with Jesus and whether he was who he said he was. This month Easter is remembered, suggesting that there is life after 60 and even beyond.
But there is another question raised by the article. Why do spirituality and religion acquire a special importance once we reach 60? Surely by their very nature, if they are valid at 60, they are applicable at every other time in life. The person who enjoyed the life described in the article will have followed throughout values and principles that have a moral or religious basis, whether she or he was aware of it or not. If they are valid and effective at 60, they should apply to the rest of life because they deal with essentially the same sort of people and situations.
John King, Churchwarden St Paul's
BANGED UP FOR A GOOD CAUSE
One night in January approximately 40 people went to jail to support and raise money for the Hospice of St Francis at Berkhamsted. Among these worthies were Dr Ros Taylor, Medical Director/CEO of the Hospice, Roger Sharp, Community Appeals Manager, David Gauke, MP for SW Herts, Mike Penning, MP for Hemel Hempstead and David Feldstein, Editor Gazette and Herald Express.
We arrived at the prison around 6.50pm when our identification was checked and were passed by a sniffer dog to see if we had any unauthorised substances on our persons. Thankfully no strip search was considered necessary! Our evening meal was very convivial, served by various officers from the prison, also the Chaplain and Mike Penning. We were then taken to the gym where lines of mattresses were laid out on the floor. These, I have to say, were calculated to keep you out of jail if nothing else did. They were about 3" thick and formed out of what appeared to be reinforced concrete. We were allowed freedom within our locked area which gave us access to toilets, a TV and a smoking room. Lights went out at 10pm. Breakfast was served at 7am and we were released about 40 minutes later. Not the most comfortable night of my life. Even though I knew I was coming out, the feeling when the gates clanged shut behind us really reinforced the sense of freedom being taken from us - something I think we all fear. That same fear must be with terminally ill people - the realisation that they no longer have control of their lives.
In recent weeks the Hospice has cared for over 130 patients at home, together with all the support they give to patients, carers and families. They are aiming to complete the new building by December 2006. They need to raise £2.5 million. Anyone who has been to the Hospice is immediately struck by the atmosphere - in a place where terminal illness is the priority it is a happy place. People are helped to understand and deal with the one thing we all dread - mortality. This help is provided by a group of people who are dedicated to what they are doing - it is more than working for a salary or giving up some free hours to help. It is a way of life. My partner died last June - he only had one visit to the Hospice but the support I have received since his death has been amazing and totally unexpected.
The jail experience is now over but sponsorship, donations etc can still be received. To die with dignity, surrounded by care and friendship is something we should all have access to. If you would like to make a donation, gift, legacy, or do some fund raising contact: The Fundraising Dept, Hospice of St Francis, 20 Kings Road, Berkhamsted HP4 3BD. Tel: 01442 878181.
Email fundraising@stfrancis.org.uk
Sandra Lynn
CRICKET CLUB NEWS
At our recent A.G.M., the following captains were appointed to lead the club in the coming seasons quests for glory: Alex Moore Saturday 1st X1, Martin Oliver Saturday 2nd X1, Richard Hudson Sunday 1st X1 and Bob Churchill Snr. Sunday 2nd X1, we wish them all good luck.
This season we shall be running young cricketers at four levels, under 9s, under 11s, under 13s and under 15s. Sides have been entered in the Herts Colt 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 at the pavilion. Weather permitting we hope to commence training on the Common for the under 13s and under 15s on Tuesdays starting on the 4th April between 6-00-7.30pm and for the under 9s and under 11s on Thursdays 5.00-6-00pm starting on the 6th April, so all you budding Freddie Flintoffs and Kevin Pietersens come along and enjoy yourselves.
In addition we are for the first time running a Sunday development side which will consist of seven young cricketers aided by four senior cricketers, a move which we hope will encourage the youngsters to make the transition from the normal twenty/twenty colts games to the longer senior version.
As always we are looking for cricketers of all ability, both at senior and junior levels to join us at what must be one of the most beautiful of village cricket grounds in the country. So if you are interested ring me on 01923 268953 or just turn up at the ground on practice night, seniors on Thursdays 6.30pm onwards, and make yourselves known.
Chris Bangs Chairman, Chipperfield C.C.
ST PAUL'S AND HOLY CROSS
What an amazing example dear John and Maggie Prestwich have set before us. It is a triumph of the power of love; one which so many of us on the "outside" can glimpse and truly understand but a tiny part. (Dear Maggie, many, many people hold you in their thoughts and prayers at this time.)
There is nothing which amazes me more than the power of real love, which so often is demonstrated quietly, consistently, sacrificially, by all sorts of people whom the world rarely if ever notices, except when briefly reminded of such people as Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King or Nelson Mandella.
The other thing which causes me almost equal amazement - but in a very different way - is the love of power, which dominates our news in almost every sphere, from world politics to sport, and which functions in one way or another in every level of society. How destructive is this love of power: witness the politics of a Saddam Hussein or a George Bush. No doubt each of us can recall other much less well-known examples, which are much closer to home.
At the centre of this month lies "Holy Week", when there was a titanic clash between the power of love and the love of power - between Jesus and the religious leaders of the day. The latter used every conceivable means of holding on to their position of power: the former, surrendering everything in the cause of love.
On Good Friday evening the inevitable had happened: love of power conquered: but Easter tells us otherwise. Ultimately it is the power of love which wins. For the one, in its blindness, seeks to control, to have its own way, wanting to be "top dog": the other, in wisdom, recognises where real power lies, and is thus willing to face pain and self-sacrifice, which is ultimately vindicated with much joy.
So we are day by day faced with a challenge: which will predominate in our lives?
The love of power - or the power of love.
The events of two thousand years ago tell us unmistakably which one, ultimately, wins!
May I wish you a thoughtful Good Friday - and a joyful Easter.
Jim Stevens
CATHOLIC CHURCH
We are blessed with a record number of children making their First Holy Communion later this year.
In all 21 jolly youngsters are attending classes each Sunday, in preparation for this most important milestone in their spiritual development.
We wish them every blessing
BAPTIST CHURCH
Two of us travelled to North Mimms Church on Snowdrop Sunday for evensong, performed by The Chiltern West Gallery Quire (as you probably know, the Quire visit us at the Baptist church in December each year.) The service was very enjoyable, preceded by a delicious tea! The snowdrops in the churchyard were fewer in number than usual but still very beautiful - a harbinger of Spring.
More news of our May events in the next issue!
We look forward in April to Easter when we will be remembering our Lord's death and rejoicing in His resurrection. We will be very pleased to see you.
A date for your diary - 20 May - when we will be holding our annual May Fair, more about this in the next issue but please note the date now!
A very happy and blessed Easter to you all from the Baptist church.
COME & MAKE YOUR OWN PALM CROSS during our Palm Sunday service on 9 April at Chipperfield Baptist Church.
WOMEN'S WORLD DAY OF PRAYER
This international event takes place on the first Friday in March every year. It is interdenominational and the host Church in Chipperfield this year was Our Lady Mother of the Saviour. In all 6 Churches, from Bovingdon, Chipperfield and Sarratt, were represented.
Each year the women of a different country set the theme for the day of prayer. This year's theme was "Signs of the times" and was chosen by the women of South Africa. The service contained many moving reflections on life in South Africa and prayers for the relief of their sufferings.
The wave of prayer started as the sun rose in Samoa and passed through the time zones around the world, ending as the sun set over the island of Tonga. This year it passed through Chipperfield at 10am Friday 3 March.
The guest speaker on the theme subject was Neville Dyckhoff, who is to be ordained a Deacon in June, and the organist was John Elton. So although it is known as the Women's World Day of Prayer, men are also very welcome to take part.
Mary Clements
EXPLORING FAITH THROUGH DANCE
A six-week course led by Susan K. Franklin at The Parish Room on Friday evenings from 7.30pm - 9.00pm Fee £18. You don't need to be an athlete as you move as much or as little as you want to. You can do movement in a chair if needed. Wear comfortable clothing and bring soft soled shoes and a bottle of water. For more details contact Susan Franklin on 01442 834906.
JOHN PRESTWICH M.B.E.
1938 - 2006
Soon after leaving school in 1954, John, a healthy six-foot lad, joined the Merchant Navy and his ship left Liverpool on his sixteenth birthday. Just one year later when his ship had docked in Texas he was taken ill with polio and became paralysed from the neck down. Poliomyelitis (or Infantile Paralysis) was a widespread disease at the time and often fatal. It was particularly severe amongst young people. John fought for his life and being unable to breath, was put into an iron lung and flown home by the American Airforce.
A massive machine, the iron lung was to be his home for the next 16 years, both at the Royal Free Hospital and St. Anne's in Tottenham. He may well have remained in hospital permanently but then Maggie came into his life. She was his occupational therapist for the next ten years. John was determined to spend the rest of his life with her, so he proposed and the couple were eventually married in 1971.
They set up home in Breeze Cottage thanks to a legacy provided by John's late uncle. Technology had now advanced and John was able to breath using a negative-pressure respirator, a much simpler and more portable machine. Operated by an electric pump, this device could be battery operated for a while should the mains fail. John could whistle and with further technology was able to operate the television, phone, computer and even adjust his position whilst lying on his special bed. Maggie was on hand 24 hours a day, keeping him fed and doing the chores. Thankfully, a lot of folk did help and John had many friends.
He was often seen in Chipperfield in his special van with Maggie at the wheel and was able to attend village functions such as Village Day. On one occasion a helicopter took him from the Common on a special trip to London and back. For many years Maggie would take him to watch the polo at Windsor Great Park and Prince Charles took a very special interest in his welfare.
John could be seen on television from time to time, most recently in the "City Hospital" series. As the longest surviving occupant of an iron lung, John often appeared in the Guiness Book of Records and there is a fine picture of him with Maggie in this year's edition. The book refers to him as a "medical marvel" but John was much more than that. He was an absolute inspiration to all who met him and we are thankful that he and Maggie chose to make their home here in Chipperfield.
Terry Simmonds
CHRISTIAN AID IN CHIPPERFIELD
This year, for the first time, Chipperfield churches will organise a House to House collection during Christian Aid Week, 14-20 May.
In 2005 £14.7 million was raised in Christian Aid Week, the last £1 million coming from the Inland Revenue with more than 400,000 people signing the Gift Aid declaration on the red envelopes.
Individually we can do very little to MAKE POVERTY HISTORY, but by adding our voice to the thousands who send post cards to their MPs we can influence the way laws relating to international trade are made and by joining the 300,000 or so Christian Aid house-to-house collectors this year we can enable Christian Aid to transform the lives of many people now living in poverty, supporting their efforts to help themselves.
Christian Aid was the first ever house-to-house collection and is the largest grant giving overseas development agency in the UK with an income in 2004-5 of 79.9 m.
It is much easier to do nothing and persuade ourselves that the money doesn't get there. But these days there are numerous opportunities to go and see for ourselves. There are many reports from those who have been on tours of being inspired by the work that is being done by aid agencies in poor communities.
Will you help with the house to house collection? We will be organising things so that no collector will have more than twenty houses to collect from (unless they offer to do more). You don't need to be a member of any of the churches to be a collector, but need to be sixteen or over to collect. If you would like to help please give your name, telephone number and area where you would prefer to collect, to Brenda Harpley (01923 269574), George Sharpin (01923 262590) or Janet Cornell (01923 262468).
Log on to www.christianaid.org.uk if you would like to know more about the work of Christian Aid.
YOUR GARDEN IN APRIL
It's cherry blossom time! This is the month when a lot of trees and shrubs are a mass of colour and the spring bulbs are looking their best. As soon as the daffodils die down, the dead flower heads will need to be removed but the leaves must be left and the bulbs will need feeding. Now is the time to start to cut the grass and to apply fertilizer and weedkiller to lawns. The only time a lawn needs watering is after applying something like lawn sand so as to prevent scorching. Never water a lawn in dry weather - it is a total waste of water, often doing more harm than good. April is a good month for sowing grass and laying turf. Aerating lawns will discourage the growth of moss but it might be necessary to use a mosskiller as well.
In the kitchen garden seed potatoes, onions, asparagus crowns and brassica seedlings can be planted now and the majority of vegetables can be sown outside too. Runner beans, marrows, peppers, tomatoes and courgettes will need to be sown inside so that the plants will be ready to plant out at the end of May when frosts are less likely. Keep on top of the hoeing and feeding, and water plants as necessary.
Hardy bedding plants can be planted or sown direct now. Tender plants will have to wait until next month. Gladiolus bulbs can now go in and so can dahlia tubers. Herbaceous perennials can still be divided and planted and taller plants will need to be staked and tied. Roses will need to be sprayed at regular intervals now so that black spot, rust and mildew are kept away, and feeding with Toprose fertilizer from time to time will help. Toprose is also a good fertilizer for shrubs and perennials, but heathers, azaleas, rhododendrons and camellias will need a special ericaceous feed. If you have a greenhouse, hanging baskets and containers can be planted up now and there are a host of suitable plants for these in the garden centre now. Rainfall over the last few months has been very low and there is a danger of watering restrictions coming when the weather heats up. Herts County Council is subsidising 200 litre water butts when purchased by Hertfordshire residents at Garden Scene - for just £29.95 you get a water butt with a stand, tap, lid and rain diverter kit. Putting down landscape fabric with an organic mulch or a layer of bark chips on top will help to prevent the ground drying out and as a bonus will help keep the weeds away. With Easter only a few weeks away there is a lot to do, but do find time to visit the garden centre and open gardens to get a few ideas and have a look at garden magazines too. Bovingdon has its Spring Flower show on April 1 and the Harrogate Flower Show is from April 27-30 (tickets 0870 758 3333). Terry Simmonds
AINSWORTH CATTERY
Ainsworth Cattery has now reopened as Ainsworth Farm Cattery. After Mavis Howe moved away Ainsworth Cottage was sold to someone who never actually lived there. When it came on the market again Caroline Lofty saw it advertised and knew her parents would love to live there. So Derek and Valerie Lofty bought Ainsworth Cottage, renamed it Ainsworth Farm and moved in with their dogs, cats, horses and chickens. Then Caroline and Valerie decided to reopen the cattery and are happy to say they already have a few regulars. Their new tabby kitten is called Mavis so there is some continuity and Mavis Howe feels she still has a connection, albeit a feline one, with the cattery. Caroline and Valerie are looking forward to welcoming previous and new clients to their cattery.
BOOKWORMS
Chipperfield Bookworms are now in their fourth year of reading and discussing a great variety of books. Some we would have not chosen to read but find we enjoy. We have all discovered new authors and certainly broadened or reading horizons.
Eileen Foulgham