July - Aug 2002
Over a hundred residents came to the Parish Room for a Jubilee Tea on Tuesday 4 June and at one time we ran out of seats! There was a wonderful atmosphere and everyone thoroughly enjoyed Rosemary Venner’s selection of popular songs and tunes. So many people made the afternoon possible, generously donating cakes, helping prepare the room, buttering scones, slicing cake, making and pouring endless cups of tea and washing up. We should like to thank you all for your support and help.
Valerie Briselden and Liz Holliday
We must convey our sincere delight at being able to attend the Jubilee Tea held in the Parish Room. It was a wonderful idea, which must have involved a good deal of hard work in the organisation and preparation of the afternoon. To meet people and converse, whilst listening to pianist Rosemary Venner, gave us time to catch up, renew old acquaintances and even learn a few things about the village and families.
Although we have been in the village for forty years now, we had no idea of some of the family connections or inter-family relationships within the village. People we have spoken to since the tea all seemed to have enjoyed the experience and thought what a lovely idea it was. May we therefore express our sincere thanks to all those involved in the organisation of the afternoon. You need a good pat on the back!
Margaret and Tony Rance
Many thanks to Valerie Briselden and Liz Holliday for putting together the Jubilee Tea for the over 50s on 4 June. It was a lovely idea and so enjoyed by all who came along. Many of us wore red, white and blue, Rosemary Venner played all the old favourites and friends and neighbours all got together and filled the Parish Room to enjoy delicious tea, scones and cakes. Many thanks are also due to all the helpers too. Whilst this was a delightful Jubilee occasion for the over 50s, and the Jubilee Concert on Saturday 1 June was a rousing and wonderful event, we can’t help feeling that Chipperfiled missed a great opportunity to do a proper community celebration like so many other villages. Even our village decorations were spasmodic, with our own Two Brewers - at the centre of the village - showing not one single flag. Are we alone in feeling that we’ve been a bit feeble?
Guy and Sarah Whalley
GOLDEN WEDDINGS
Congratulations to Ron and Joy Marchant and to David and Pam Williams who celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversaries in May. Also to Lew and Barbara Channer who will be celebrating their Golden Wedding on 19 July.
CONGRATULATIONS
To Ross Channer, Lew and Barbara’s grandson, who has been awarded the captaincy of the Hertfordshire Under 19s Cricket Team and has also played for the full County side.
ITS NOT ALL BLACK AND WHITE
Once the great spotted woodpeckers start to drum on dead branches to proclaim their territories in spring their visits to our peanut feeders increase. They do visit throughout the winter but once the drumming starts I have to buy twice as many nuts! This year they nested in an old silver birch tree in our little wood at the top of the garden. Birches are always a favourite and this tree has been used before. This time they made the hole a bit lower down and a bracket fungus made it look as though it had a porch roof. The chicks are very noisy, constantly badgering their parents for more food. During the last ten days their visits had increased even more than usual, then on Sunday at least three arrived for a family picnic. Dad is the most usual visitor, he has a red patch on the nape of his neck, and he bought along at least two youngsters who sat in the Prunus just behind the feeder whilst he made numerous trips back and forth to feed them. The young are easy to tell from their parents as they sport bright red caps on the top of their heads. They will keep these until they moult in the autumn. Today, Wednesday, one of the youngsters has managed to land on the feeder himself, while the other perched on the branch that holds the feeder and good old Dad hopped back and forth to feed it. Nice to see dad doing his share!
These days we feed the birds all year round but in the past it was thought unwise as chicks may choke on whole peanuts. The trick is to make sure that the birds can’t remove whole peanuts from the feeder. Research has shown that blue tits feed themselves on the peanuts and keep the caterpillars for their young.
A well fed parent stands a much better chance of finding a nice lot of caterpillars for its family, so feeding the peanuts should actually make them even better pest controllers. This year wrens have nested in a "roosting pocket" that I was given a couple of Christmases ago, and whilst working in the greenhouse we saw the first youngster leave the nest.
Not very graceful but it made it safely into some ivy. Not all the birds have been so lucky: our dear little long tailed tits nest was raided, probably by magpies, and judging by the feathers left on top of the burberis bush, at least one of the parents was killed defending it. It had been so nice to have them so close to the bungalow and we had hardly seen a magpie during the winter but as soon as the birds started nesting a pair arrived. I’m afraid I don’t agree with the RSPB, who claim the increase in magpies has nothing to do with the decrease in songbirds. There are murderous thoughts in my heart! Wendy Bathurst
BRITISH RED CROSS COLLECTION
I should like to thank all those in the village who assisted in this year’s collection during May for the British Red Cross, as well as all those who contributed. My sincere thanks also to Tony Briselden who assisted me with the counting and checking of donations. As a result of the generosity shown, I am delighted to report that the the grand total of £714 was raised.
VANDALS & HOOLIGANS
David Loder, the Community Safety Officer at Dacorum Borough Council, and Michael Fogarty, Community Inspector with Herts. Constabulary, will be speaking about Vandalism and Anti-Social Behaviour at 8.00pm on Monday 8 July in the Parish Room before the Parish Council Meeting begins. The meeting will be open to all residents who wish to attend.
BOB FRENCH 1906-2002
Many in Chipperfield will be sorry to hear that Bob French is no longer with us. Just a month before he passed away on 6 May, he took his last service and preached his final sermon, appropriately in Chipperfield Baptist Church, following a tour of other churches in the area where he had made many friends over the years.
Born 96 years ago in Cambridge, Robert Saunders French spent his early years and went to school in that part of the world. He was a very keen sportsman with a particular interest in cricket, an interest which he kept throughout his long life. He went into business as a salesman for a company which manufactured linen products and eventually became a Baptist lay preacher.
When Bob retired some 30 years ago he came to Chipperfield as Pastor of our Baptist Church and whilst here made a great impact on the residents, both young and old. When he finally handed his post to his successor he remained in Chipperfield for many years as neighbour to Sir William Stabb. Following his ‘retirement’ to Rickmansworth he was a regular visitor to Chipperfield and was still involved in many village activities.
Bob French had one great passion - railways - and steam trains in particular and I had the great pleasure of accompanying him on some of his recent rail excursions. At 90 he actually drove a steam locomotive at Loughborough! He drove a car up to his 95th birthday and kept his mind active by doing the Telegraph crossword daily. What a character and what a friend.
Bob has two daughters, numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren to whom we offer our sympathy.
Terry Simmonds
ROGER FRANK JOHNSON 1932-2002
It is with great sadness that we record the death of Roger Johnson of Callipers Hall Farm on 26 May, following complications after an operation. He will be known to many people and their animals as an outstanding veterinary surgeon whose bedside manner was second to none.
Born in Felixstowe, he nevertheless spent most of his life in the Watford area, and was educated at Watford Grammar School. He met his wife, Dinah, at Bristol University, where they were students together on the first veterinary course run by the University, and after Roger’s National Service with the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, spent mainly in Cyprus, they married in 1954. While a student, Roger had seen practice with Trewin Barr and Gale in Watford, and in due course was offered a partnership with the practice which eventually became Johnson & Daniels, now the Park Veterinary Centre. He did a tremendous amount of voluntary work for the community - he was a local magistrate for over 30 years, a past chairman of Watford Round Table, former president of Watford Rotary Club and the Herts and Beds division of the British Veterinary Association. He was a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Farriers, where he was deeply involved in examining apprentice farriers , and was Master of the Company in 1995/96. Although he retired officially from veterinary practice in 1994, he continued to be extremely active both as a dope tester for the International Equestrian Federation and as a vet for those clients for whom ‘only Mr. Johnson would do’. He and Dinah had moved to Callipers Hall Farm in 1984 and he relished the opportunity to keep his own Suffolk sheep, chickens and British Longhorn cattle, in addition to the horses and ponies for his children and grandchildren. He thoroughly enjoyed his membership of the Chipperfield Choral Society. He lived life to the full, giving his time unstintingly to anyone who needed his help, and the many letters Dinah has received reveal the extent to which his friendship and unfailing kindness was appreciated. Above all, he was a devoted and utterly adored husband, father of four and grandfather of six. We will miss him more than words can say.
Charlotte Clifford and Vicky Fern
ROGER JOHNSON, A friend writes:
Roger had many sides to him. A short man of enormous character, he had a wonderful sense of humour. His speeches at the Farriers Livery Company, at magistrates’ dinners and elsewhere were hilarious. Asked on one such occasion by the chairman to be short, his response was that there was nothing wrong with that. He was an excellent, sensible magistrate, firm but compassionate and a sensitive colleague. His compassion stood out in his outstanding work as a vet. When the moment came for our family’s old and sick labrador to be put down, he came personally to the house on a Sunday afternoon and performed the sad task with memorable gentleness both to the dog and to us.
In so many ways Roger enriched and brightened the lives of those who knew him and so he will be remembered.
CLEAN-UP ON THE COMMON & IN THE VILLAGE
Anyone who walks on The Common or through the village cannot help noticing the quantity of dog waste on footpaths, verges and in open spaces. Dog owners should be aware that if their dog fouls public paths or open spaces, they are legally obliged to clean it up. To make this easier, the Parish Council have recently re-sited a dog waste bin half-way along Kings Lane and installed an additional bin on Footpath 14.
Free poop bags can be collected from Brits News and from the porch of Keston Cottage on The Common and two new poop bag dispensers have been placed on either side of The Common at the corners of the church car park and cricket car park.
The Parish Council is working with Dacorum Borough Council to support responsible dog ownership and to encourage dog owners to clean up after their animals, will soon be enforcing the Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act. People who are seen to allow their dogs to foul and do not clean up afterwards will be issued with a fixed penalty notice which carries a fine of £50.
COMMON WALK-ABOUT
The annual public walk-about to find out about the progress of work on The Common and in the woodlands will take place on Thursday 18 July, meeting at 7.30pm in the car park next to St. Paul’s Church. Phillip Russell, Woodlands Officer for Dacorum Borough Council, will be leading the walk and will be pleased to answer any questions from residents.
MORRIS RETURNS TO CHIPPERFIELD IN JULY
The sound of Morris bells (and perhaps even sticks on knuckles) returns to the village in July, when Greensleeves Morris Men host their annual weekend of dance. Morris clubs from Nottingham and Coventry will be joining Greensleeves on 12-14 July.
Friday 12 July sees the opening ceremony when Greensleeves dance by the tree on The Common commemorating their former Squire, Les Nichols, who lived in Chipperfield. Saturday 13 July sees the clubs out and about on tours around Hemel, Amersham and Chesham during the day, with dancing at The Boot, Tower Hill at 6.30pm.
Saturday 14 July is the big day in Chipperfield, with an open-air service at 10.30am in the car park, followed by a show by Greensleeves and the visiting Morris sides at about 11.00am. As in previous years, the Morris men will be providing tea and biscuits. Following a procession to The Windmill at 12 noon, the dancing continues into the afternoon. Just turn up and enjoy the shows. Roy Fenton
NEW BENCH AT APOSTLES POND TO MARK THE JUBILEE
A sturdy new bench, donated by members of the Chipperfield Evening W.I., is now in place on the east side of the Apostles’ Pond, sited to catch the afternoon sunshine. It was originally planned to mark the Millennium but unfortunately David Connell, the local carpenter who made the bench, injured himself and was unable to complete it in time. W.I. members decided to wait until David could finish the work and then present the bench to the village to mark the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. W.I. members hope that both residents and visitors will use it and enjoy the view.