July - Aug 2003
Men with bells on from Bathampton, Chester, Nottingham, Oxfordshire, Surrey, Winchester and Worcester will be coming to Chipperfield on 11 July to make the week-end one of intensive Morris dancing. Yes, it’s Greensleeves Morris Men’s annual week-end of dance.
Friday 11 July at 9.00pm sees the opening ceremony when Greensleeves dance by the tree on the Common commemorating their former Squire, Les Nichols, who lived in Chipperfield. Saturday 12 July sees the clubs out and about during the day. At 6.30pm there will be dancing at the Boot, Tower Hill; at the Plough, Belsize; and the Cart and Horses, Commonwood.
Sunday 13 July is the big day in Chipperfield, with an open-air service at 10.30am in the car park, followed by a show by all the 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 or, for more details, contact Roy Fenton on 0208 879 3527. e-mail rfenton@rfenton.demon.co.uk
WASTE COLLECTION
By the time you read this you should have received your wheelie bins for household waste. Uncooked fruit and vegetables and cardboard should be put in the green bin. This will be composted and Dacorum hope to be able to offer compost to residents when it has all rotted down. The grey bin is for general household waste which cannot be recycled and you can put this into plastic bags. Re-cycling boxes should be used for newspapers, cans and plastic bottles, as previously.
If you have on old dustbin or wire bin-bag holder you wish to dispose of, phone 01442 228021 to arrange for its collection.
MORE THAN A FACE-LIFT FOR THE VILLAGE HALL
Major works to improve and refurbish the Village Hall are due to start in August, thanks to grants and loans recently approved. The Parish Council have made a £6,000 grant to pay for the hall to be connected to main drainage and this work is currently under way. Dacorum Borough Council have approved a grant of £7,500 and an interest-free loan of a further £7,500 (underwritten by the Parish Council) which will enable the kitchen and bar areas to be completely refurbished and modern equipment installed. At the end of May the Village Hall Management Committee heard that they had also been granted £27,000 lottery funding from the Community Fund, Eastern Office. This will enable the hall floor to be replaced, the existing lavatories to be modernised and the installation of facilities for the disabled.
The work, which will take place during the summer and early autumn, will inevitably cause disruption. However, the prospect of a revitalised and attractive hall for future use should minimise any temporary inconvenience to hall users.
At the Village Hall AGM held in May, it was agreed that charges for the hire of the Village Hall should be reviewed by the Chairman, Treasurer and Booking Secretary. This has now been completed and the revised rates will come into effect from September 2003. Charges fall into four bands: A) the basic rate for use by non residents; B) 10% discount for use by residents; C) 20% discount for regular residential users and D) 30% discount for small users. Special rates will apply for annual users. All groups who use the Village Hall have been notified of the new rates.
VILLAGE HALL AGM 14 May 2003
The Chairman reported that most of his time during the year had been taken up with grant application work, on which he hoped to have firm news by the end of the month. Richard Edwards then went on to welcome Graham Breen to the Committee and thanked him for standing in on behalf of Len Forsythe during his illness. Meantime, Len had indicated his wish to retire. The Chairman wished to record his and the Committee’s thanks to Len for all his hard work in recent years as Booking Secretary. Graham was therefore appointed to succeed Len in this post.
The Treasurer, Tony Loveband, reported a profit of £1,000 for the year ended 31 March 2003, which was mainly due to a reduction in repair costs. He wished to express a vote of thanks to Don Newman, our Auditor, for his work over many years. As the Village Hall is a charitable organisation, we need to appoint a qualified successor to Don and we are currently asking for such a person to put their name forward to Richard Edwards on 01923 262549. Will any person interested please make contact.
The Booking Secretary wished all villagers to be aware that there was a Monday evening slot now available. Interested organisations should apply to him, - Graham Breen, on 01923 26794 Richard Edwards
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY
At the committee meeting held on 5 June, Max Edney reported that membership had increased to over 420 for the year 2003.
Those of you who came to our talk in the Parish Room in March will remember what a superb evening it was. Bruce Taggert from Capel Manor College gave us a wonderful insight into "Managing a garden for wildlife". That evening every ticket was sold and now there is another date for your diary. On Friday 12 September 2003 we shall be holding another talk in the Parish Room. More details later.
Kathy Ward, our secretary, has successfully applied to Highgrove, to visit the Prince of Wales’ private garden. The date has not yet been finalised and will be some time in the future. The party will be limited to 25 members and tickets will be offered to those members who regularly support the Society and exhibit at our shows.
A reminder that our Autumn Show is on Saturday 6 September in the Village Hall. Entry forms can be found in the middle pages of this year’s schedule and when you have completed them, may be handed in to any committee member, at Londis or Brits News. I look forward to seeing you all at the Show. Ann Soanes
THE W.E.A. - A WAY OF LEARNING
One hundred years ago Albert Mansbridge (1876-1952) founded the Workers' Educational Association. The WEA was the result of his attempts to involve the University Extension Service with the Co-operative and Trade Union Movements to provide education for adults once their formal education had ceased. Some 132,000 students now follow classes organised by more than 600 Branches. The Kings Langley Branch is probably the one nearest to you.
Courses will start in September and so perhaps now is the time to start thinking beyond the summer. There are also social events for all members, including theatre trips and cultural visits with coach transport . Full details of the courses and leaflets on how to join them will be available from WEA displays in the libraries at Bovingdon, Kings Langley, Abbots Langley and Hemel Hempstead in August or early September. In case you miss those, you could put your name on the "interested list" with Mrs Anne Hoar, 60 Gravel Hill Terrace, Boxmoor, HP1 1RJ (tel 01442 253403), or with Mr Joe Graham on 01923 265426 so that you can receive advance information.
There are course fees which are used to secure the services of recognised and approachable experts to lead the classes. Concessions are available to unemployed people and those retired and over 60.
The Workers' Educational Association is the major national voluntary adult education organisation in Britain. It is recognised and financially supported by central and local government. The WEA is a registered charity and non-party political. The name may sound a little quaint after nearly 100 years use, but it is unlikely to change and the initials WEA are known all over the world. Mike Quinton
Chairman, Kings Langley WEA
WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM YOUR HOLIDAY ?
Dear Friends,
When I first moved to Swindon as a teacher, the whole town and the area around closed down for the holiday week in July when the railway works were shut and everyone went off to Weymouth. The way we take our holidays has changed since then. We used to shut down church events in August, but now people are away all the year round, so activities continue throughout the year, as you will see from the Diary.
Yet the purpose of a holiday is the same: a time of rest, refreshment and a changed lifestyle. Do you want a physical rest? Do you want physical exercise? Do you want sun and sea or a walking holiday in the mountains? It is up to you. But do you ever think about your spiritual needs on holiday? Why not find a time of quiet, away from a busy and frenetic lifestyle? Why not read a book which stretches your boundaries? Why not experience a different church? Whenever I go to church on holiday I go with the intention, not just of worshipping, but of taking something from the service. Will your holiday, whenever it is, take into account your spiritual needs as well as your physical ones? May you be truly blessed through any holidays you have. Yours in His service,
Peter Hart
DRAGONS AND DAMSELS
The wild life pond looks a picture just now. Today (June 4th) there are 18 water lily blooms to admire, while electric blue Damselflies flutter over them and Common Darter Dragonflies dash over them chasing midges. Considering that the pond was only filled at the end of June / beginning of July last year, the variety of dragon flies and the number of damselflies is amazing. Its easy to tell the difference between the two: damsels rest with their wings folded along their bodies, while dragons rest with their wings outstretched, like an aeroplane. They are all busy mating and laying eggs at the moment. The eggs will hatch into larvae or nymphs and spend the winter hunting in the bottom of the pond before crawling up a plant stem early next summer, shedding their skins, and turning into beautiful flying machines. Some of the larger dragonflies spend two or more years in the nymph stage and I think we must have bought some along with the water lily plants.
We were standing on the viewing platform, admiring the scene on a heavy overcast evening, just after 6 o’clock, when a bat came out of the conifers, swooped down over the water just in front of us, caught an insect and flew back into the conifers again! I have never had such a clear view of a bat before. It was a medium brown colour, about the size of a robin with a very noticeable pair of ears. As David and I stood there in "did you see that" mode it flew out again and gave us an action replay. We waited for quite a while but it didn’t give us a third view. We have kept our eyes open for it at that time ever since but we have only seen bats there at dusk or later and we have been quite unable to tell what sort of bat it was. The bats we see at dusk seem to have the flight of the usual bats in the garden, the pipistrelles, and it’s always too dark to see their ears. Was this something different, or just a really good view of an old friend? If any one has any bat knowledge I would love to hear from them.
Wendy Bathurst
THE FUTURE OF THE VILLAGE CLUB
The special meeting held on 20 May was very well supported with over 80 people present. The meeting had been called by the Trustees of the building and the Chairman opened by explaining that the club building had been given to the village by the Blackwell family in memory of their sons and other men of Chipperfield who had been killed in the first World War. The building was now held in Trust to provide "clubs for the men and youths and women and girls for the benefit…of persons resident in Chipperfield and the neighbourhood".
The existing tenant was currently having difficulty in running and maintaining the building and ideas were being sought as how to continue. Many suggestions and ideas for the future use of the building were put forward and these were all noted by the Trustees for consideration. The Trustees were very pleased with the amount of interest shown in the club’s future both by individuals and representatives of village organisations and further information will be published in Chipperfield News in due course
IN YOUR GARDEN
After months of planting, feeding and tending, July and August should be the time to enjoy your garden. Of course if the weather is dry there will be watering to do, if the weeds grow they will have to come out and if the grass grows it will have to be cut.
In the vegetable garden there is still time to sow late beet, radish, lettuce and spring onions. Spring cabbage, purple sprouting broccoli and leeks can still be planted. As onions near maturity ripening is helped by bending the stalks over. Tomatoes must be regularly watered and so too should marrows and courgettes. Runner beans should also be regularly sprayed with water.
Bedding plants should be fed regularly with Miracle-Gro or Phostrogen and watered as necessary. Hanging baskets and containers should never be allowed to dry out and Surfinia petunias need regular watering. Dead flower heads should be removed as often as possible from hanging baskets, bedding plants and roses. Roses should also be regularly sprayed against black spot and mildew.
If you are going away on holiday it’s a good idea to get a friend to water your hanging baskets and pot plants. For a modest outlay it is possible to install automatic watering such as the Gardena Micro-Drip irrigation system which is electronically controlled to water your plants as necessary. Whilst on holiday do take time to have a look at some of the marvellous gardens open to the public. Here in Chipperfield four gardens will be open on 13 July - at Burford House, Mahogany Hall, Lamington House and Doggetts. On 20 July the garden at The Barn, Stoney Lane, Bovingdon is open. Hampton Court Flower Show from 8 - 13 July is well worth a visit and further afield the Tratton Park Flower Show is open from 23 - 27 July. There is a special garden day at Chenies Manor on 20 July, attended by some excellent nurserymen and horticultural specialists.
Busy Lizzies, antirrhinums, geraniums and petunias should be looking good now and fuchsias should be flowering well. Climbing plants now in flower include clematis, honeysuckle and of course the climbing roses. July is the month for the early buddleias, lavatera, potentilla and spiraea and in the borders astilbes, campanulas, monarda, red-hot pokers and evening primroses should be a mass of colour. Terry Simmonds
THE SAR-CHIP FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT 2003
The history of the Sar-Chip Cup goes back to the 1980s, when an end of season game was arranged between junior football sides representing Sarratt and Chipperfield (hence the name). Following the re-start of junior football in Sarratt in 2000, the old Sar-Chip Cup was dusted off and up for grabs again. 2000, 2001 and 2002 saw tremendously close encounters when Chipperfield edged victories by the narrowest margin of 1 goal on all three occasions. In 2003, with Sarratt throwing down the gauntlet again the Sar-Chip Cup became part of the Val Cummings Cup. Val Cummings had been a great supporter of the Sarratt Junior Football Club. This year the format was for teams of Under 7s, Under 8s, Under 10s and Under 11s all to play against each other with the aggregate goals deciding the winner of the Val Cummings Cup. The Sar-Chip Cup would be won by the winners of the Under 11s game. On Saturday 10 May the boys from Chipperfield travelled to Sarratt to play at the King George V Playing Fields.
Under 7s
The first game saw the Under 7s playing under the management of Mark Whitbread and Anthony Crichfield. In the first half Chipperfield pressed forward and made the deserved break through just on half-time with a goal from Ewan Jackson. The second half
was even but Chipperfield kept Sarratt at bay to get the red & black shirted Chipperfield off to a great start: Chipperfield 1 Sarratt 0
Under 8s
Sarratt Under 8s came out determined to pull back the deficit and by half time had raced into a 2-0 lead. An excellent team talk at half time by managers Paul Harding and Paul Hewetson saw the Chipperfield boys dig deep and kept Sarratt away from goal for the second half (much to keeper Hayden Dickers delight !) Just as time was running out, a superb run by Harry Hewetson finished with him sliding the ball home for a vital goal Chipperfield 1 Sarratt 2 (Val Cummings Cup scores now Chipperfield 2 Sarratt 2)
Under10s
After a scary start with Sarratt nearly taking an early lead, the game was made safe by an excellently taken first half hat-trick by Chipperfield’s Jack Baker. All the goals were superbly taken and at the other end the resolute Chipperfield defence held firm. In the second half there were few chances, so manager Richard Holt was delighted with the final score: Chipperfield 3 Sarratt 0 (Val Cummings Cup scores now Chipperfield 5 Sarratt 2)
Under 11s
Clearly in the last game Chipperfield held the advantage for the Val Cummings Cup with a cushion of 3 goals but still nothing could be taken for granted and there was the added pressure in this game for the SarChip Cup.
A fairly typically close first half saw only half chances with both defences in reasonable control. With potentially extra time looming and only 15 minutes left, Sarratt made the first breakthrough to take the lead. This seemed to inspire the Chipperfield team who pushed forward relentlessly and a superb run by Zach Smith drew out the entire Sarratt defence. When the ball was crossed it fell to Jack Thompson who gleefully smashed home the equaliser. With only minutes left and the noisy crowd pushing them on, another Chipperfield attack ended with Jack Twomey scoring the winner. Final score: Chipperfield 2 Sarratt 1 So in an eventful day the Under 11s retained the SarChip Cup and the Chipperfield squad captured the Val Cumming Cup for the first time with a final score of 7-4 .
Our hosts at Sarratt had laid on a very warm welcome and special mention should be made of Dave Calcutt who was responsible for a lot of the behind the scenes organisational work. Next year Chipperfield will be hosting the tournament .
Martyn Dicker
Roving Match Reporter
CHIPPERFIELD TENNIS CLUB
On Saturday 5 July you’ll be forgiven if you think you’re spending the evening in Monte Carlo rather than the Village Hall. Elegant ladies in their posh frocks and handsome men in their D.Js will be mingling around the gaming tables for the tennis club’s Casino Night. All are welcome. Tickets, price £15 (which includes supper) are available from The Chipperfield Larder.
June saw the first of our tournaments for The Creations Cup. This is a mixed doubles competition and this year, for the first time, players were able to choose their partners beforehand. This meant that quite a few marriages were put to the test and if anyone knows a good divorce lawyer the tennis club may have quite a lot of work for them! Congratulations to: The Runners-up: Angela Dowd and Peter Thomas and The Winners: Jane Thompson and Chris Blackmore.
ST PAUL’S SUPER GALA
St Paul’s school’s first ever Gala was a roaring success and judging by the positive feedback received, an event that should become a permanent fixture on the PTA calendar. 300 people from the village and beyond attended the Gala and most of them, it has to be mentioned, were unable to resist the call of the dance floor. The event, while being thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining, was organised to raise funds for a computer suite for St Paul’s primary school, and I am delighted to announce that with the tremendous support received from the local community, an amazing £9,000 profit was raised that night. A huge thank you to all of you who attended the gala, donated one of the many fabulous prizes, or helped in any way to make this fund-raising event possible and so successful. Jackie Gallagher