April 2007
CELEBRATION CONCERT
A Celebration of Spring, the second of three special concerts to mark
Chipperfield Choral Society's Diamond Jubilee, took place at St. John's Church,
Boxmoor on 10 March. A capacity audience was treated to a varied programme of
music put together for the occasion by Delia Meehan, the Society's Director of
Music since 1991. Works performed ranged from the baroque era to 20th century,
and what a wonderful evening it was from the moment the choir opened with
Handel's well-known coronation anthem Zadok the Priest. Two young soloists, Anna
Huntley (alto) and Rhian Mair Lewis (soprano) joined the choir for a fine
performance of the Gloria by Antonio Vivaldi, supported by an excellent
orchestra specially assembled for the evening.
After the interval, the choir sang O be Joyful in the Lord, the setting of the
100th psalm by Ralph Vaughan Williams. A highlight of the evening was a series
of extracts from the long-running West End musical Les Miserables, with music by
Claud Michel Schonberg. Accompanied by keyboard, bass and percussion, the choir
and soloist produced an extremely moving performance. The concert concluded with
a rousing performance of The Easter Hymn from Mascagni's opera Cavalleria
Rusticana.
Now we are looking forward to the Diamond Jubilee Concert which will take place
on Saturday 30 June at St. John's Church, Boxmoor. The choir will be joined by
the well-known soprano Emma Bell, who is the Society's Patron. The programme
will include music by Mozart and Handel with Parry's great coronation anthem I
Was Glad.
Tickets for the June concert will be available from the box office (01494
874507) and from members of the choir.
Terry Simmonds
GOLF CHALLENGE FUNDRAISER
On Friday 11 May at 1pm there will be a Golf Challenge at Bushey Hall Golf Club
organised by local resident Craig Ihlenfeldt's company. All proceeds from the
day will go to Playskill. Cost is £45 for 18 holes and includes bacon rolls on
arrival, with a meal afterwards. There will be a hole-in-one completion on the
9th hole with a £250 prize. To book a place call Mark on 0845 130 9436 or 07770
888598.
Playskill was started by local paediatric physiotherapist Andrea Clarke, who
lives in Tower Hill. It is a special parent and child group which helps
pre-school children with physical disabilities. Debbie Hughes, a speech and
language therapist from Croft End Road, also helps with the group.
Playskill was officially opened last June by the Mayor of Watford, Councillor
Dorothy Thornhill. The group meets in the Le Marie centre on St Albans Road.
Andrea was able to set up Playskill with funding from Scope, UNLTD (the funding
body of the Millennium Committee), and over £1000 raised by Jo Parish of
Bovingdon running in the Marathon. This year the group won a further £7000 from
the Local Network Fund but it is in need of more money to support its work. If
you would like to know more about Playskill and the help it can provide, contact
Andrea on 01442 834438 or 07890 267722.
CHIPPERFIELD CARE
NEW OFFICE HOURS
Chipperfield Care continues to meet the needs of many villagers, by providing
transport to doctors' surgeries, hospitals, and other appointments. We also
help by taking our clients shopping on occasions.
Following a review of our office
hours, it has been decided that the Chipperfield Care telephone line
will be open from
9.30 am - 1.30 pm,
Monday to Friday.
These new hours will start on
1 April 2007.
To speak to a Duty Officer, please phone 01923 264700
CINEMA IN SARRATT
A chance to catch two excellent films you may have missed or would like to see
again at Sarratt Village Hall on Friday 27 April. Nanny McPhee (Certificate
U),starring Emma Thompson and Colin Firth will be shown at 4.30pm (for 5.00pm
start) and Oscar and Bafta winning The Queen (Certificate 12) starring Helen
Mirren at 7.30pm (for 8.00pm start). Hot dogs, ice cream and bar available.
Entrance is by donation.
CHIPPERFIELD SCHOOL OF DANCING
We regret that the wrong contact phone number was given for Mrs. Gurney in last
month's issue of Chipperfield News. The correct number is 0208 428 9906 and
Jean Banks may be contacted on 01923 400370. Dancing classes for all ages are
held on Mondays, Tuesdays and Saturdays in the Dance Studio at Blackwell's.
CRICKET CLUB NEWS
Although at the time of writing this article the prospect of cricket on the
Common seems remote in view of the deluge of rain over the past winter , I
suppose that we will have some dry weather and the cricket club is busy
preparing for the coming season..
Alex Moore will once again captain the Saturday 1st X1 in its bid to gain
promotion from division four of the Saracens Herts. Cricket League whilst Martin
Oliver will control a youthful 2nd X1 in division eight. No captain has yet
been appointed to lead the Sunday 1st X1 as they seek glory in the national
Village Cup, the Herts County Trophy and the Dukes Chess Valley League, but the
Sunday Twos remain under the astute guidance of Bob Churchill in their programme
of social friendly cricket.As always we are looking for new players at all
levels and if you have recently moved to the village and fancy a game please
contact me on 01923 268953.
This year for the first time we have entered a side in the Herts Development
League, the games being played on Sundays. This league is to help young players
make the transition from youth to senior cricket in a side containing seven
young cricketers and four older, possibly wiser, heads who will offer their
advice and encouragement as the youngsters find their feet in the longer version
of the game.
Our policy of offering cricket to the youth of the village continues. We are
expanding our team of qualified coaches who will offer training to the younger
players on Tuesdays for the under 15s and on Thursdays for the under 12s and
below, full details will be on display at the pavilion. We are running two
league sides at under 15 level as well as under 12s and under 10s and we hope
to arrange friendlies at the under 9 level. So all you youngsters who aspire to
be the next Freddy or Kevin come along or make yourself known to one of our
managers. Malcolm Leach is the contact point and he can be reached on 01923
268635.
The club also runs social evenings, so Mums and Dads, Nans and Grandads come
along and from the comfort of our easy chairs watch your youngsters playing and
keep an eye on notices at the pavilion for our programme of social events. The
major event this year and not to be missed, is the Summer Ball and details are
given below.
Chris Bangs,
Chairman
CRICKET CLUB BALL 2007
The time has come around again to dust off your glad rags and your DJs.
Chipperfield Cricket Club is having another ball on Friday 6 July on the Common.
It will be held in our specially erected 5 star marquee (kindly supplied by
Utopia Leisure) and the food this year is being prepared by Leon Catering of
Bovingdon.
After the success of 2005, we have decided to give it another go. It will be
bigger and better than last time with tickets priced at £55 per person. This
includes a welcome drink, five course meal, entry into our fantastic raffle (who
can forget the top prize last time!) and dancing to one of the south east's
premier party bands, The Slaves.
Tickets are on sale now on a first come, first served basis and considering the
interest last time I would strongly suggest that you book quickly. For more
information or to make a booking please call into the Cricket Club or ring Nikki
or Adrian Perkins on 07788555788 or 07774627438
On another note, we are currently looking for trustworthy, friendly and reliable
people to work as bar staff during the coming season. The shifts are mainly at
the weekend but there may be the odd evening during the week as well. If you are
interested please call into the club or phone Adrian Perkins on 07774627438.
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COOKERY FOR KIDS
Fun Cookery for Kids continues to be a great success at the Village Hall during
half term and holidays. The Christmas courses were fully booked with the option
of either making a full roast dinner with a dessert or a gingerbread house from
scratch in two and a half hours! The children learnt new skills such as how to
tell if poultry is cooked by looking for the juices running clear, as well as
making gravy and cranberry sauce from scratch. The gingerbread houses looked
magnificent and again the feedback from children and parents has been
enthusiastic with lots of "Can't wait to come again" and "Wouldn't change a
thing" being shouted from the rooftops!
During February half term the children made whole-wheat pasta from scratch as
well as the vegetable sauce to go with it. The pasta machine was worked to a
frenzy as the spaghetti flowed and the children wolfed down their food as if
they hadn't eaten for weeks. This Easter holiday we will be developing pastry
skills by making short-crust pastry and turning it into sausage rolls with a
difference, as well as the salad to go with it. These sessions will be extra
special because all proceeds will be going to The Hospice of St Francis in
Berkhamsted.
Some of you may know that Kate, the cookery teacher, lost her mother-in-law
during February half term after a long battle with cancer. She was cared for
with enormous compassion at the Hospice, and Kate and her husband have pledged
to raise a significant 5-figure sum for the Hospice over the next few months to
show their appreciation of this organisation which is entirely funded from
charitable donations. This means that Kate will be donating her time, the cost
of the ingredients and the cost of the hall hire, as well as the charge for the
sessions, to the Hospice.
If you would like more details about the cookery sessions please call Kate on
01442 394644.
AWARDS FOR ST. PAUL'S SCHOOL
We have had a busy and exciting Spring term to date. Our highlight has been
participation in the Rock Challenge at St Alban's Arena in which over 50 of our
children devised and performed an exciting presentation on global warming. Our
theme was "A Period of Consequences" - a poem written by one of our pupils, Jack
Allum-Gruselle. The children acted, sang and danced, as well as organising their
own choreography and lighting. They put on a fantastic show and received a total
of five awards for Best Video Performance, Best Costume Design, Best Set Design
and Staging, Best Stage Crew and the award for School Community Support. Well
done and thank you to all the children and staff who worked so hard to achieve
this amazing success.
We have been re-accredited with Healthy School status and have also achieved the
Active Mark for outstanding commitment to PE. Our football, netball and cross
country teams have done us proud in various inter-school competitions and many
children take part in our after school sports clubs including tag rugby,
basketball, street dance and gymnastics.
We now welcome Revd. Jim Stephens into school every Monday. He has been leading
assemblies on the subject of the life of Jesus. We also welcomed Revd Jim Edie
into school to receive money we raised for an orphanage in Russia. We have also
just embarked on a new recycling scheme as part of the paper trail project at
Apsley.
At the end of this term our deputy head, Katrina Mildner, leaves to take up the
headship of a school in Harrow. We thank her for her hard work in the past five
years. Caroline Moore who has been on the staff for 10 years will take up the
post of deputy head after the Easter break.
Norah Tattersall, Head Teacher
VILLAGE PEOPLE
Richard and Hannah Miller of Holly Cottage, Kings Lane are delighted to announce
the safe arrival of their twins, Holly and Joshua, who were born on 23 January.
Peter E. Ridewood
Eileen and her family would like to thank their many friends and contacts in
Chipperfiled and Sarratt for their loving, kind expressions and tokens of
sympathy in their bereavement. All are greatly appreciated at this very sad
time.
CROQUET
The game of croquet has become more popular over recent years and as a result
Watford (Cassiobury) Croquet Club are organizing two 'Introduction to Croquet'
courses to be held in Cassiobury Park.
A Golf Croquet course is to be held on Friday 13, 20 & 27 April and 4 May from
10am to noon.
An Association Croquet course is to be held on Saturday 14, 21 and 28 April, 5
and 19 May from 10am until 12.30p.m. Each course costs £15 and includes
friendly coaching, use of equipment and light refreshments.
For more information about the courses and to reserve a place please contact
Roger on 01923 236068
ST PAUL'S AND HOLY CROSS
"Taste the difference" it said, bold and clear on the top of the pack of sliced
ham I was about to open to make my lunchtime sandwich. It wasn't our usual
purchase, and I wondered if I would actually notice any difference!
As Judy works in school, I'm on my own for lunch four days a week, and so it is
really a quick snack while I think on. That day I was both thinking about what
to write for Chipperfield News...April...Easter...and going over in my mind what
I had planned to say at School Assembly within the next half hour. My mind
flipped backwards and forwards from one to the other.
"Taste the difference", I noticed again, as the meat went into the two sliced
bread rolls. I paused. Isn't that just the way of things with Easter? We know
the 'label'. Jesus Christ, crucified, risen, alive forever. Alive now,
today...claiming that he came to give us life in all its fullness ...as we open
ourselves to Him, and discover the reality of His presence with us in all the
ups and downs of our often over-complicated, busy, ever fraught lives?
Yes, the ham was good, very good...and as for Jesus Christ, risen...well I guess
you've read the label, maybe many times...but as to opening it and discovering
...?
I hope you have a very special Easter.
With my greetings, Jim Stevens
CATHOLIC CHURCH
OF OUR LADY
Local Catholics were delighted to be invited to St. Paul's Church to join in a
well-attended ecumenical service, during which Father Des was asked to give the
homily, in the recent Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. A particular pleasure
was the opportunity to join together in the hymns accompanied by the fine organ.
Many of us remember the generous hospitality we were shown by being allowed to
say Sunday Mass in St. Paul's before we had our own church.
Recently Father Terry Cantwell, missionary Salvatorian brother of Father Des,
who has worked in our sister parish in Tanzania for over 40 years, celebrated
the 50th anniversary of his religious profession. To mark this wonderful record
we raised enough money to buy a digital camera, a printer and a laminator, which
Father Terry can use to record and preserve important events in the life of the
parish to which he has dedicated his life.
The 9.00am Mass on the second Sunday in Lent was offered for the repose of the
soul of Lord Forte whose obituary had appeared during the previous week.
When the local Catholic community was seeking land on which to build a church,
one of the only available plots was on Dunny Lane and owned by Trust House Forte
(THF). Everyone reading this will know only too well how rare and expensive land
in Chipperfield is and, at that stage, we had virtually no funds. When
approached, the THF Estates Department quoted a price well beyond our reach. We
asked Cardinal Hume for help and he wrote to Lord Forte asking if the Company
would consider negotiating at a lower figure. To our enormous surprise, and
almost by return, Lord Forte replied that, in view of the Cardinal's personal
involvement he would give us the land - which he did! This great act of
generosity was remembered at Mass. R.I.P.
On 7 July Bishop George Stack will visit Chipperfield to confer the sacrament of
Confirmation. Anyone wishing to prepare for Confirmation is invited to seek
details from Father Des.
WOMEN'S WORLD DAY OF PRAYER
This annual service was held in the Baptist Church on March 2, and was written
by the Christian women of Paraguay. The theme of the service was "United under
God's tent". We were joined and supported by five other local churches who all
took part in the service, and we learned much about the poverty in which most
Paraguayan women live. We were pleased to have a baby and one man joining us in
the congregation!
We've been able to send £282.50 to the Women's World Day of Prayer organisation,
some of which was given at a lunch held previously.
Thank you to everyone involved. The service next year is to be held in one of
the Bovingdon churches and will be written by the Christian women of Guyana.
BAPTIST CHURCH
Some of us were able to share in the "Snowdrop Sunday" evensong at St Mary's
Church, North Mimms in February. There was a splendid tea and the Chiltern West
Gallery Quire provided the music and singing which was most enjoyable as always,
Our monthly lunches continue and we will be pleased to see any of you in our
Baptist Hall on the second Saturday of each month. Just contact Brenda Harpley
on 01923 269574. Our May Fair will be held on May 19 so please note the date in
your diary now and support us if you can.
TONY LOVEBAND (1915 - 2007)
The passing of this man acknowledged by many as a teacher, friend and wise
counsellor, has left a huge hole in the lives of his daughters, Shelagh and
Margaret, their husbands, his six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Born into a Naval family living near Portsmouth, the assumption was that the
senior service would be his career. However, on being informed at his Naval
medical that he was colour blind, this option was closed to Tony. He therefore
went from Cheltenham College to Trinity Hall, Cambridge to read Mathematics - a
skill which lately benefited Chipperfield PCC. At Cambridge, Tony played
cricket, rugby and hockey well enough to win election to the Hawks Club for the
sporting elite. He brought this sporting enthusiasm to his first, and only,
teaching post when he joined King's College School, Wimbledon, in 1937. An
officer in the Devonshire Regiment from 1940, a good part of his war was spent
in Northern Ireland, in administration and training, where one momentous event
occurred - he met his beloved Mary, whom he married in 1943. Many will remember
celebrating Tony and Mary's Diamond Wedding three or so years ago.
On returning to KCS in the Spring of 1946, Tony found his blazer and whistle for
rugby refereeing hanging on the same peg in the changing room where he had left
them some six years earlier. He was master-in-charge of cricket and coached
rugby; he was the Officer Commanding the Combined Cadet Force and, more
significantly, the Housemaster of the school's boarding house from 1948 to 1958,
a r™le for which he and, equally, Mary, were eminently suited. Tony's extreme
fairness and friendliness are legendary amongst former pupils. He became
Second Master in 1958. His wide-ranging responsibilities covered all the
administration and discipline in a large school during the rebellious sixties.
Tony was a supreme administrator: timetables were produced each year, rotas and
lists appeared, A-level choices were accommodated and people were cajoled into
taking on this job and that. When he retired after 18 years as Second Master in
1976, the school magazine said: "What greater tribute can one pay to his wise
and emollient rule than to say that he not only made no enemies at all, but was
never once seen to lose his temper?"
For 47 years,Tony was a leading light in the Independent Schools Tennis
Association: first as a committee member, then Treasurer, then as its popular
Chairman for nearly twenty years and he continued to visit their Championships
every year. His name is perpetuated in the Loveband Trophy which he presented
for the senior girls' competition.
Tony was a r™le model for all, and not just in the professional sense, there was
the family man as well. He and Mary lived in Wimbledon all their married life
until moving to Chipperfield to enjoy their retirement in 1993. Shelagh and
Richard Nichols provided the best possible home for them at Newhall Barn to
spend their last years. Tony very quickly became involved in local affairs. He
was Treasurer of the PCC and worked closely with Angela Butler when raising
money for the new Parish Room. He also kept the accounts for the Village Hall
whilst the refurbishment took place. He was a stalwart supporter of local trade
and well-known in the area. Tony's main interest was in people. He was always
intensely interested in everyone of whatever age and would talk to anyone about
anything, anywhere. It is no wonder that he was so loved and admired.
He and Mary were keen gardeners. He was very good as growing raspberries, but,
due to his colour-blindness, was not very good at picking them. He left that
part to Mary and any other willing helpers who never went away empty-handed. For
many years he and Mary kept bees, producing not just the honey, but the
by-products of skin cream and furniture polish. They also master-minded the
kneeler project in St Mary's Church, Wimbledon. It was Tony's job to stretch the
stitched canvases before they were sewn onto their blocks. He would delight in
describing some of the particularly misshapen canvases as parallelograms.
Despite never having lived alone before, Tony adapted to life without his
beloved Mary with extraordinary stoicism, never allowing his grief to be public.
His acceptance of his situation was remarkable and gained him the admiration of
all. Tony Loveband: a colleague to be revered and loved, a father, grandfather,
great-grandfather and friend beyond compare; a life to be admired and emulated.
His Service of Thanksgiving was held in a packed St. Paul's on 16 February which
would have been his 92nd birthday.
Margaret Wilkinson, daughter
CHRISTIAN AID WEEK
13-19 MAY
A Christian Aid report some 40 years ago looked at the reasons for poverty.
One of the main causes was the way international trade works; the low prices
paid to poor nations, the wages and conditions of workers and many other factors
preventing people from lifting themselves out of poverty. After many years we
are at last seeing the results of the campaigning of Christian Aid, Tear Fund,
Traidcraft and other organisations. There are an increasing number of fairly
traded goods in our supermarkets and, in the case of Chipperfield, our local
shops. Marks & Spencer are currently spending many thousands of pounds to
advertise their fairly traded goods.
While campaigning and lobbying is an important part of the work of Christian
Aid, as is the provision of aid in times of disasters and emergencies, the main
need and use of funds is to support and help poor people improve their lives,
providing clean water, opportunities for education and work, loans for the start
up of businesses, help to obtain their rights to land. Christian Aid does not
give money to governments, but works through their local partners, supporting
those of all religions and none.
For years our neighbours, Kings Langley, Sarratt and Chorleywood, have been
raising many thousands of pounds in Christian Aid Week through house-to-house
collections (the main fund raiser), sponsored walks, concerts, auctions, sales
and many other events. Last year we made an encouraging start in Chipperfield,
raising nearly £1,700. St Paul's would like to see Chipperfield as a regular
part of this national fundraising week and are again organising a house-to-house
collection and would welcome ideas and offers of help to organise other events.
If you would be willing to be a house-to-house collector, either on your own or
as part of a group, please contact Peter Corbett (01923 267066) Janet Cornell
(01923 262468) or John Stickland (01442 832090).
NOISY FRIENDS
The rookery at the top of Whippendell Hill is becoming more raucous by the day.
A dozen or so nests have been built, but a bit of twig stealing is still going
on, and walkers on the footpath below get told to hurry along by the noisy birds
in the tree tops.It is unwise to linger too long, and one certainly should not
look up with one's mouth open for fear of bombardment. The white splashes on the
path grow more numerous each day!
I love to hear the excited welcome that Ted, our young labrador, and I get when
we take our early morning walk that way. Rooks are old friends of mine. When I
was a child there was a huge rookery in elm trees at the farm where I grew up
and they would always follow the tractors as we cultivated the fields. They
would swoop down as soon as the first strip of soil was turned and then walk
along rather sedately probing the ground for wireworms and leather jackets. I
chased them off a newly sown field once, but our old tractor driver told me that
they were doing a good job, eating the pests that would feed on the roots of the
barley we had sown, so they were left in peace after that.
Rooks are roughly the same size as carrion crows, with the same black iridescent
feathers, but adult rooks have no feathers around the base of their bill, giving
their faces a grey scaly appearance. They lose the feathers in this area when
they are about 9 months old.
A pair of carrion crows breed regularly in the garden and always seem to be
about the place. They were no friends of ours at the farm, taking eggs or young
chicks if they got the chance. They will eat almost anything - dead rabbits on
the road or rubbish from the bins. They like to hang about with our sheep and
occasoinaly sit on their backs and pinch a bit of wool for their nests. The
carrions nest a little later than the rooks and each pair has its own territory,
with a nest on its own patch. The noisy rooks seem to enjoy each others company,
with some nests no more than a foot apart right in the tops of the trees. The
old saying that if you see a carrion crow with its friends it is a rook is
certainly true at this time of year, but in harsh winter weather all of the
members of the crow family will form flocks where there is food to be had. I
think I will wear a hat when I take Ted under the rookery next
time! Wendy Bathurst
YOUR GARDEN IN APRIL
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.
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.
Although there is no longer a hosepipe ban, we do need to save as much water as
possible. Mulches help conserve water in flower beds and the gardening magazines
are full of water-saving ideas at the moment.
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.
Capel Manor have their Spring Garden Show from Friday 13 to Sunday 15 April and
both the Saville Gardens in Windsor Great Park and the R.H.S. Gardens at Wisley
in Surrey are well worth a visit. Next month, the Malvern Spring Show (from 11
to 13 May) and the Chelsea Flower Show from 22 to 26 May - don't forget to book
early for this one.
Terry Simmonds