June 1999
We have had a steady flow of customers at our Saturday morning shop during the past few weeks with the expected heavy demand for runner bean canes, grow-bags and potting compost. We tend to slacken off a bit later on in the year bur don’t forget that your plants still need feeding and we have a good selection of fertilizers, both general and specific, to keep your plants nourished throughout the growing season.
The blossom of the old Bramley apple tree at the bottom of the garden has been quite spectacular this year and with the absence of late frosts, I’m hoping for a better crop than the last few seasons. I decided that it was in need of a prune during the winter, but since it has been there since the house was built, over seventy years ago as far as I am aware, I decided to proceed cautiously lest too severe a trim proved too much for it. Consequently, I just took out the topmost branch, which I could never reach to harvest anyway, and I intend to trim away a little bit at a time over the next few years. Hopefully, aphids permitting, I shall have a rose or two for our Summer Show which will be held in the Village Hall on Saturday 3 July. Lack of time has prevented me from attempting any sweet peas this year, despite the introduction of a new class for nonspecialists like myself, for a bowl of sweet peas not grown by the cordon method. However, if you have some in your garden why not try and enter this section and add a little more colour tithe show? You can enter any number of stems and there will be a silver cup for the winner.
The greenhouse should be a bit more organised by now, with the dahlias and vegetable seedlings planted out and the tomatoes safely tucked up in their grow bags. I must remember to pay extra attention to the shading on the greenhouse this summer as it can get baking on a hot summer’s afternoon. In fact I bough a new maximum and minimum thermometer earlier in the year and in April was amazed to find that the temperature varied from -2° during a particular frost night up to 33° during the afternoon. One crop I shall be trying out for the first time in the greenhouse this year is the Sweetheart Melon. These are quite small, a little bigger than a tennis ball, but as their name suggests, they are said to be extremely sweetly flavoured. I can’t wait!
John Hopkins
IT’S A LOCK-UP!
They let us out again! A big ‘Thank-you’ to everyone in the village who sponsored us to spend a night as a guest of Her Majesty at HMP the Mount in April. Your generosity enabled us personally to raise over £2,000 and the final total should approach £24,000. 85 people, including our Bishop, an MP, judges, magistrates and local councillors took part in what was a fascinating and at times quite daunting experience. Your money will be spent by The Children’s Society on finding secure places outside prison for children awaiting trial, by HACRO on helping prisoners settle back into society on release (and hopefully not reoffend!) and by The Mount on its new Visitors Centre which will give advice and support to families visiting prisoners there,
If your interest in the prison has been kindled by supporting this event, why not volunteer for one of the myriad jobs which need doing there - clerical, educational, befriending, supporting, child care? Just ring us on 01923 267515 for more information Giles and Anne Wyburd
IN THE SLOW LANE?
“The longest cul-de-sac in Hertfordshire” has problems. Firstly, we were reminded at the Annual Parish Meeting that Scatterdells Lane is not subject to any official speed limit, though anyone doing over 20 mph is unwise, to say the least. Secondly, it was the only part of Chipperfield to be left out of the new scheme to collect waste for recycling from the doorstep. Following the piece in last month’s Chipperfield News, several people from Scatterdells Lane phoned the Council to ask why they had not been asked to take part in the scheme. Dacorum Council say it is because they have as yet no vehicle suitable for collection down such a narrow lane but that they will be included as soon as a suitable vehicle is available - not, it is to be hoped, one that will do 40 mph down the Lane!
Although well over half of the rest of Chipperfield has now requested the re-cycling boxes, plenty of households have not yet done so. If you want to get into the fast lane, please phone Rosemary Stevens on 01442 228666.
Giles Wyburd
A CHILDREN’S HOSPICE FOR HERTFORDSHIRE
The Pasque Hospice, formerly The Luton and South Beds Hospice, currently has a Capital Appeal to raise £3 million to build, equip and furnish a children’s hospice for Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire. The new hospice will be built adjacent to the existing adult unit on the northern outskirts of Luton. Over £2 million has already been raised and the hospice will be called Keech Cottage after a local businessman who donated £1 million towards the project. Building work began in February and it is hoped to be completed by Christmas.
If any group or organisation, from companies to Women’s Institutes, from Guides to schools, would like to hear more about the needs of the community and the work of the Hospice, members of the Hospice team will be happy to come and give a talk. Roger Sharp, the Hospice’s Community Fundraiser says “The Hospice will care for and support sick children and their families. If anyone is interested in setting up a Friends Group, would like to adopt us as their charity, or volunteer to be the link between the Hospice and the community, I should be grateful if they would contact me on 01582 492339.” Getting involved need not be a huge commitment and can be a lot of fun, particularly if you are friends and neighbours joining in and making it a social occasion.
DACORUM CARD
Dacorum Card is a free discount card for residents of the borough who receive a means tested benefit. There are about 14,000 people who have not yet claimed their cards and there are many people living in the villages who are eligible for one. If you receive one or more of the following benefits, you may claim your Dacorum Card: Income Related Job Seekers Allowance, Income Support, Disability Working Allowance, Council Tax Benefit, Housing Benefit, Family Credit, Assistance with NHS charges or if you are attending a modern apprenticeship, the Careers Office or Training For Work or if you are a carer for an eligible person who nominates you on their behalf.
Call 01442 228619 (24 hour answering service) for more information.
RED CROSS WEEK
British Red Cross The International Red Cross is known world Hertfordshire Branch .
wide for its relief work at times of war, famine and disaster, providing shelter, food, medical care and support for victims and refugees. Closer to home, the British Red Cross provide transport and escort services, holidays for people with disabilities, first-aid training, day care services, and lend specialised equipment to meet short term needs. Trained volunteers also provide first aid at public events, including volunteer crews for ambulance services.
Thanks to the generosity of Chipperfield residents, the Hertfordshire Branch of the British Red Cross will receive £604-64 from the house-to-house collection made in the village during Red Cross Week last month. Thank you donors and collectors for your support. Helen Munro