June 2004
There is only one result that really counts for Chipperfield Youth Football in the entire season and that is our annual battle with Sarratt. This year's showdown, held at the George V Playing Fields in Sarratt, was played out under blazing sun (that makes a change!). Every child played their socks off for the sake of their village. I'm pleased to report that, for the fifth year running, Chipperfield won - although, once again, it went close to the wire.
The celebrations were extra special as Paul Hewetson, manager of the Under 9's, invited everybody back to his new pub, The Plough at Belsize. He kindly laid on a wonderful buffet and made all the children and their supporters very welcome.
As a club we need to start a new Under 7's team every year and if you feel the desire to spend hours training, hours phoning, hours watching matches, etc, you will in return make many children happy and get loads of satisfaction as well as the support of all the other equally mad youth managers! If this even slightly appeals to you, then please give Martyn Dicker a ring for a chat on 01923 262454. Ruth Dicker
RED TELEPHONE BOX ON THE COMMON TO GO
The Parish Council have received notification from BT that they propose to remove the public payphone from The Common this summer as the box has proved to be unprofitable.
If you have any views on the removal of the phone box,please let me know by 5 June so that the Parish Council can respond to BT.
Liz Holliday, Chairman Chipperfield Parish Council (01923 267483)
ST PAUL'S SCHOOL PTA
St Paul's School would like to thank everyone from the village and surrounding area for their massive support in raising the funds for the schools' fantastic new computer suite. The children of the school are now all enjoying it and putting it to full use.
As a thank-you, the PTA would like to invite everyone to a family afternoon picnic at the school on Saturday 12 June from 4pm onwards. There will be live music from the excellent Rumblefish, childrens' games and a bouncy slide etc. Bring your own picnic and drinks (no BBQs please) relax, have fun, dance and enjoy yourselves.
£5 per family ticket available from the school office from 17 May. We look forward to seeing you there.
THE YOUTH CLUB
The Youth Club is held every Friday evening in term time. The Junior Club is for children aged 8-11 years and is from 6.30-8.00pm. The children pay £2 subs each week and they can enjoy music, pool, Playstation and X-Box games, darts, table tennis, board games and a football table. There is a tuck shop where they can purchase sweets and drinks and, if the weather is good, they can ride their bikes, scooters etc outside.
The Inters Club is for children aged 11-14 years and is from 8.00-9.30pm. Again the children can enjoy the above facilities or can just chill out with their friends watching TV or listening to music.
The clubs are supervised and parents are asked to sign their children in at the beginning of the evening and they will not be allowed to leave the premises without an adult collecting them.
We do hope to see more children joining the club this term and if you would like more information please telephone Lucy on 01923 268164.
JOHN DICKINSONS
1804 - 2004
The Dacorum Heritage Trust presents a special exhibition to celebrate 200 years of John Dickinsons. The exhibition will be open from 10.00am - 4.00pm on the following Fridays and Saturdays:
25-26 June, 30-31 July, 27-28 August and 24-25 September. Also on Bank Holiday Monday 30 August.
The exhibition will be held at Frogmore Mill, Apsley, Hemel Hempstead, and there is a car park off Durrants Hill Road. Admission is free and tours of Frogmore Paper Mill will be available.
We would love to hear from readers who have any photographs, memorabilia or interesting memories of their time with the company.
For further details please contact The Dacorum Heritage Trust: 01442 879525
cpeet@dacht2.freeserve.co.uk
FAREWELL TO PETER AND ANNE HART
On Sunday 18 April the congregation and parishioners of Chipperfield were invited to Peter & Anne's farewell service and presentation at St Paul's Church. Peter had been our vicar (shared with Sarratt) since 2001. The church was full and Peter & Anne had chosen the format and all of the hymns, many of which had special associations for them. Following the service, refreshments were served in the Parish Room, followed by entertainment, speeches and presentations. Three members of the congregation, Pam Dawson, Jane Deal and Diane Parry, dressed in choir robes, performed an hilarious song written by Chris Deal.
Brian Hill, the Baptist Minister from Sarratt, recounted what a pleasure it had been to work with Peter during his tenure, and Derek Woolcock (Churchwarden of Holy Cross) reminded those present of, among other things, Peter and Anne's caring nature. Ann Waine (Churchwarden of St Paul's) thanked Peter & Anne for their very hard work in ministering to the people of Sarratt and Chipperfield and she hoped that they would be taking a well earned rest at their retirement home in Stamford. At the end of the speeches, Peter & Anne were presented with a cheque and gifts from the people of Chipperfield.
Both Peter & Anne said how much they had enjoyed their time working with the people of Chipperfield and expressed their sincere thanks for the gifts which had been presented to them. We wish them a long a happy retirement.
CHIPPERFIELD CORINTHIANS
Football season 2003/04 was the first season for Chipperfield Corinthians under new chairman Stephen Hall. One of his first jobs was to appoint a new manager. Greg Pegg started the season but had to step down in October. Andy
Stratford stepped up from assistant manager and with his leadership we have had a good season finishing 6th in the Herts Senior County League. This was due to an excellent run of games losing only 2 league games out of 15 between the middle of October to the middle of March. Injuries and unavailability meant a disappointing finish to the season and with another win we would have finished 4th. The club's playing record was P28 W13 D6 L9 F47 A36 Pts45.
The Reserve Team started the season well and were challenging for promotion but were unlucky to lose in some key games against other top sides and in the end finished just above half way in the table, P24 W11 D3 L10 F48 A38 Pts36.
The Club would like to thank all its sponsors this season, especially our main sponsor C J Wren, Joywheel, as this is also his first season. The club is always looking for people to get involved so if anyone is interested please contact Stephen Hall on 01923 253803. The AGM is on Tuesday 8th July at the Club House at the end of Queen Street. With one season over another one is not far behind with pre-season training starting on Wednesday 7th July.
CRICKET CLUB NEWS
Another season is upon us and a new challenge faces the club - to attempt to reverse the downward trend which saw us relegated last year. Mick Garrini has taken over as captain of the 1st eleven and, with the help of some old stalwarts and an infusion of fresh blood from Australia, hopes for a more successful campaign are high.
The club has for the first time entered the National Village Knock Out Cup, so watch the local press for progress. As well as the usual Saturday and Sunday league programme, entries into the Watford Observer and Hemel Gazette mid-week knock out cups should provide some entertaining matches. Training for senior players is held on The Common on Thursday evenings, 6pm onwards, so if you are new to the village turn up and try your luck, even if you don't enjoy cricket the bar will be open.
This year colts evening is Tuesday and we are training under 15's, under 12's (who are also playing in a league competition) and 9/10 year olds. Our aim is to make it as much fun as we can, so any budding Darren Goughs or Michael Vaughans please come and join us.
One area which has caused great concern is the condition of the outfield which, during the prolonged dry spell last summer, died in a number of places. We were, with help from the Parish Council, planning a major overhaul this spring but the work could have been wasted if another drought occurred. As a temporary measure, we have applied fertiliser which, at the time of writing, looks to have solved part of the problem. If necessary, we plan to have the major work done at the end of the season and would ask all to understand that it may be necessary to restrict access on to that area in order for it to return to its former glory.
Chris Bangs, Chairman
VILLAGE PEOPLE
Congratulations to REBECCA, daughter of MARK and GAY JARRAD, who married TONY WADLEY at St Paul's church on Saturday 1 May. We wish Rebecca and Tony every happiness in their future life together.
At the end of April, residents may have seen a television crew who spent all day filming on The Common. The stars of the show were KAY RAVEN and her dog BARNEY who were filmed for a children's television programme about dog training.
Local artist GRAHAM BOYD, who has lived in Scatterdells Lane since 1963, has a selling exhibition of paintings entitled 'The Long Haul'. The exhibition takes place at the Bushey Museum and Art Gallery, Rudolph Road, Bushey, until 20 June; Thursday to Sunday 11am-4pm. Admission is free.
Following the death of DENNIS SAUNDERS, Daphne, Sonya, Roger, Ken, Olivia and families would like to thank all their friends and neighbours for all their messages of sympathy, sadness and for their generous donations towards the Renal Units. Special thanks to Jane, Pearl, Malcolm Durrant, Doreen Durrant, and Dave & Hazel Bell.
If you have any items which you would like included in the Village People column, please contact Valerie Briselden via the Chipperfield News box in either Londis or the Two Brewers, or drop a note through Valerie's door at The Firs, The Common. Please include a telephone number in case we need to check any details.
ON WITH THE SHOW BRANCHES OUT
So now Chipperfield children can blossom! The new Chipperfield Village Hall is a wonderful place. Refurbished, and newly modernised, it's just waiting for exciting things to happen! From September 2004, one local group will be using it every Monday from 3.45-5.15pm to make children's dreams come true. On With The Show Productions is a drama project with a difference. Run by experienced local Primary School staff, it offers children the chance to act, sing, dance, create sets and costumes, and even work on lighting and stage effects. The end result is putting on their own show, aided and abetted by the adult team. Everyone has a chance to shine, ability is irrelevant, and children quickly blossom in the unique atmosphere.
During the summer there will also be a two-week project based on the legend of Robin Hood, which will take place from August 2-13 at St Thomas Church in Watford. Children from 4-16 are invited to take part.
If you have a child who is interested in the Performing Arts, and who would enjoy this exciting, confidence-building project, you can get more details on both the Chipperfield weekly sessions and the Summer Project from Heather on 01923 441862.
Chipperfield Village Hall is ready. On With The Show Productions is ready. All we need are the children!
SCOPE COLLECTION
The house-to-house collection for the charity, Scope, raised £62.10.
This money will go to the support and help of children with cerebral palsy, their families and carers.
Thank you for your generosity.
Elizabeth Percy
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY
On Friday 30 April, 72 people heard Bruce Taggart deliver a talk with slides on 'Hertfordshire Garden Wildlife including Birds'. Bruce completely captivated his audience with his knowledge and enthusiasm. There were several interesting and varied questions, including how many years of training it takes to become a qualified bird ringer! So many people enjoyed the evening, great value at £2 a ticket including coffee and biscuits, that we hope to hold a further talk later this year, details of which will appear in Chipperfield News. Thanks must go to Elaine at Brits News for selling tickets and to John Stickland for his expertise with the sound system, we are grateful to them both.
The Spring Show was held on 3 April. This year, as a result of the warm weather, some spring bulbs in the garden had already flowered, but despite this the standard was as high as ever and the Village Hall was filled with plants, flowers, vegetables and handicraft. The colour and fragrance was wonderful and all who came to the show were very impressed. The major prizewinners were:
The Abrahams Cup - Shirley Brooks (overall points winner in the show).
The H. Simmonds Cup - Tony Dillon (runner up).
Our Summer Show on Sunday 4 July will be a riot of colour and scent as there are numerous classes for roses and sweet peas. Other flowers and plants such as delphiniums, sweet Williams, pansies and fuchsias all have their own classes, as do the pot plants and vases of flowers. Classes for fruit and vegetables, such as strawberries, raspberries and other soft fruits, broad beans, beetroot, cabbages, potatoes, peas and many others. Floral art is always popular and this year there are 3 classes, as well as 5 classes in the domestic section, plus one class for hens eggs. Last year we introduced 2 classes for photography, we had fantastic entries. This year we again have 2 classes: A view of St Paul's Church and An Animal(s). So there is plenty of time to take that stunning photograph and enter. An auction of produce, a raffle and tea and cakes are all on offer in the afternoon.
Staging takes place the previous evening by arrangement and on Sunday morning between 10am and 12 noon. Doors open in the afternoon at 2.30pm and prize giving follows at 3.30pm.
WHAT IS THE CHURCH?
The churches of St Paul's in Chipperfield & Holy Cross in Sarratt are without a minister at the moment. Until Easter Peter Hart covered both parishes that will later be combined to make one benefice, the Benefice of Sarratt & Chipperfield. Half of him was the Vicar of St Paul's; the other half the Rector of Holy Cross. It is not clear whether a new incumbent will be called a Victor or a Reccar (this could be spelt a different way). The two churches are now in what is called an interregnum, ie a period between the 'reigns' of one vicar & the next. The idea of a vicar 'reigning' does not quite fit the New Testament pattern.
However an interregnum does raise the question of what is the church for? and then what is the church? Does it depend upon an ordained minister being in place? The answers will vary according to the position of the viewer, inside or outside or anywhere else. These comments are from the point of view of someone who goes to church regularly & has done various jobs there. That does imply that there is a building & an organisation. While a church needs places in which to do things & a structure to get its work done in an orderly way, these do not make up the church. Buildings & institutions are only means to an end. The church is people; people who believe in Jesus, attempt to follow Him & present Him wherever they are, not just on Sundays but seven days a week. A survey of agnostics in the London area, carried out at the end of last year, showed that they were more impressed by Christians whom they knew personally than they were with 'the church'. Is this fair comment? More on this subject another time. John King
UNITY EDITOR
It was not without a small amount of trepidation that I approached my first issue of the Unity pages. I would like to thank Anne Wyburd for all the help and direction that she has given me in the change over period. I am sure that many of you would also like to thank Anne for all her hard work and dedication shown during her years of editing these pages and wish her a well-earned rest from it. I look forward to getting to know and working with you all in the future. Claire Evans
REMEMBERING MALCOLM WILLIAMS
Many people in Chipperfield and Sarratt were disappointed that they were unable to attend the Reverend Malcolm Williams' funeral, which was held near Margate in Kent. With this in mind, his widow, Brenda, has accepted our invitation to be present at our 10am Holy Communion service on Rose Sunday, 20 June, which will have a sub-title of Remembering Malcolm. During the service we shall be singing some of Malcolm's favourite hymns and we shall be remembering Malcolm in other ways. After the service, Brenda will be invited to plant a rose in the churchyard in his memory. We do hope you will be able to join us in this celebration of Malcolm's life. Ann Waine
PETER AND ANNE'S RETIREMENT SPECIAL
First I must heartily congratulate Colin Plummer and Derek King for the brilliant idea of organising a holiday trip to France for members of St Paul's and Holy Cross as a way of sharing the occasion of Peter and Anne's retirement. What a meticulously planned and hassle-free journey it turned out to be.
On Monday April 12th at 4.50am at Burford House, Colin and Derek arrived to pick up the Chipperfield contingent. When sitting in our allocated seats we found a folder containing maps and details of the places we hoped to visit. The Sarratt group, including Peter and Anne, were waiting outside the Cricketers and dead on time we set out for Portsmouth. En route Colin produced breakfast and thanks to Derek's expert driving not a drop of coffee was spilt.
As we sailed out of Portsmouth we passed the Queen Mary II, looking like a huge floating block of flats. On reaching Le Havre we started our journey through France. The first remarkable thing we saw was the beautiful cable-stayed bridge crossing the Seine between Le Havre and Honfleur. Once we crossed the bridge we travelled through the beautiful countryside with many features similar to our own but with subtle differences that confirmed we were in France.
We arrived at St Leonard des Bois to be greeted by Pascal Rivault the hotel manager and his English wife Penny. We had a little time to settle in our room before going down to a leisurely and delicious dinner. By the end of dinner and at the end of a long day we were all ready for bed and slept like logs!
The next morning we visited the family chateau at Carrouges. Building began in 14th century using brick, granite and slate. The moated chateau was approached through the impressive 16th century fortified gateway. We were shown the treasures of the chateau and all the lovely antique furnishings. Derek chose a scenic route back stopping on the way at St CŽneri de GŽrie where we climbed to the Romanesque church at the top of the hill. Renowned for the medieval frescoes in the choir, the church also has a series of fine modern pewter sculptures on the wall of the nave depicting the Stations of the Cross.
Wednesday and it was off to Le Mans, not to see the cars racing but to explore the old town and the CathÂ?drale St Julien. This was reached from the gardens beside the river Santhe via seemingly endless flights of steps that took us to the highest point of the city. The Cathedral, begun in the 11th century, has evolved through the centuries to become "the finest jewel in Santhe's heritage". The architectural features, its beautiful stained glass, its 16th century organ loft and many other features make it a building redolent of the years of love and worship that have gone into its construction.
Thursday came all too soon as we set off on the long journey home. Once again travelling through a lovely countryside dotted with small farms with their picturesque half timbered buildings, we came to Honfleur, a beautiful port, where we stopped for lunch and had a last look at France. Delicious seafood and wine and a wander round the marina completed our farewell. On the journey home from Portsmouth Colin produced champagne and we drank a toast to Peter and Anne. Thank you, again, to both Colin and Derek for an extremely enjoyable trip. Elizabeth Weedon
NEW YOUTH WORKER
We are delighted to welcome our new Youth Worker, Jenny Newman, who started work in the parish on 26 April. Jenny will be working with St Paul's Church, Chipperfield, and Holy Cross, Sarratt. She will also be spending one day a week at St Andrew's Church in Chorleywood. Already she has spent time with Lyndon Evans and Christine Buck, respective head teachers of St Paul's and Sarratt Church of England school.
Jenny Newman comes from a background of teaching, and has already spent a year working part-time at St Andrew's, Chorleywood. She has moved into the village and plans to focus her attention on years 5 and 6; however, her main emphasis will be with the teenagers in both villages.
The cost of this venture is, as you can imagine, quite a commitment on the churches involved and we continue to look for increased support from the community so that we can honour our commitment of a 2 year initial placement. If you would like to be involved in this please contact either of the churchwardens or our church treasurer: Ann Waine 01923 268904, John King 01923 264552, Janet Cornell 01923 262468.
CHIPPERFIELD AFTERNOON W.I.
Thanks to the generous support at our recent coffee morning, a total of £285 was raised in aid of the Hospice of St Francis. Thanks to Annette Jackson, the beautiful surroundings of Bucks Hill Farm were put at our disposal, and coupled with the warm sunny day, made it just about perfect. We are most grateful to all those who attended.
CHIPPERFIELD WITHIN LIVING MEMORY
A Further Link With Callipers Hall. Part 4.
By yet another of those strange coincidences that seem to crop up more and more frequently, I recently came across some further information about Callipers Hall. When I attended the March meeting of Hemel Hempstead History Society, a fellow member asked me whether I had ever heard of the existence of a boarding school in Chipperfield. Well we all know about Callipers Hall School now, don't we! The query arose from researches being made in connection with an exhibition Dacorum Heritage Trust is currently preparing to celebrate the bicentenary of the foundation of John Dickinson's Paper Company in 1804.
In 1850, John Dickinson made his son- in-law, John Evans, a partner, with responsibility for the running of five mills and all the machinery therein. John and Harriet Evans had three sons, Arthur (1851-1941), Lewis (1853- 1930) and Philip Norman (1854-1893). The book Time and Chance by Joan Evans, reveals that all three boys went to school at Callipers Hall and that the headmaster Mr. Johns wrote at intervals to complain about their unruliness. In fact, Lewis was finally expelled.
It is Arthur Evans, the eldest son, who is perhaps of the greatest interest to us. In her other book, The Endless Web, Joan Evans describes him as a brilliant and rather erratic boy, who flatly refused to enter the mills at Apsley. After Callipers Hall, he went to school at Harrow and then on to Oxford and made a great name for himself in the archeological world, as the discoverer and interpreter of the civilisation of Minoan Crete. He began digging at Knossos in 1899 and excavated a magnificent, labyrinthine palace, said to be that of the legendary King Minos. As I stood beside Arthur Evans' statue in Knossos, Crete in 1981, I marvelled at the excavated ruins and thought about the fact that it was money from Dickinsons in Apsley, Hemel Hempstead which had funded the project. Now in 2004, I muse further about Chipperfield's link with this great man.
On page 1 of this issue there are full details of the exhibition at Frogmore Mill, Apsley, which will be open to the public on the last weekend of each month from now until September.
Mary Nobbs
SPRING GREENS
Five little lambs are now skipping around the garden. Beth, in spite of her enormous size and a lot of puffing, could only manage one although it is the biggest of the lot. Only hours after birth and they are bouncing about. A favourite game is to use mum's back as a trampoline while she is trying in vain to get a peaceful sit down. Beth again refused to clean her newborn's bottom and I had to do it the next day. She watched every move with absolute disdain and a look that said "if you think I am licking that off you've got another think coming". The lamb has now been christened Manky Poo!
Although I enjoy all the seasons May is my favourite month, and not just because of my birthday. Everywhere looks so green and fresh, especially the beech leaves. Beech leaves and Bluebells, what a great combination, and how well the Bluebells are doing. Even I can smell the scent as I walk down to the vegetable garden past a large patch on the ridge under the trees.
It's been a good year for spring flowers, with only the Wood Anemones and Lady Smock disappointing. They both produced lots of buds but, just as they were about to open they were delicately nipped off. The Muntjac got the blame at first; they did not leave me one single flower. I'm really not too fond of these foreign invaders, they escaped from Woburn Park in the 1920s, and they do a lot of damage to trees and shrubs and are especially fond of ready-to-open buds. I may have got the wrong culprit though, as early yesterday morning I saw a beautiful Roe Deer buck in the garden. The Roe are our native deer, larger than Muntjac, and twice as beautiful. The big question is will I still love them after they have been in the garden for a year or so? How much nibbling can I stand for a few glimpses of such a beautiful and graceful creature? We will see! Wendy Bathurst
YOUR GARDEN IN JUNE
As the flowers of the rhododendrons and azaleas fade, roses begin to look their best in June. Potentillas and irises, clematis, dianthus and brooms should also flower this month, together with a blaze of colour from the summer bedding plants which can now be planted with relative safety. It's time to plant up the rest of the window boxes, hanging baskets and flower borders. Geraniums are good for dry sunny spots while busy lizzies and begonias are quite happy in slight shade. The last time we had a severe frost in June was a quarter of a century ago but keep a bit of garden fleece handy just in case! It's much more likely to be hot and sunny so plants must be kept watered. June is a good time to sow turnips and carrots, brassicas, spinach beet, and salads such as lettuce and radish. Wallflowers and sweet williams should be sown this month too. Lawns need to be regularly cut and grass can be kept shorter now. It's not too late to apply a feed to the grass and liquid feeding is an option. Lawns should be rarely watered even in dry weather; it is better to set the mower higher in a period of drought and let the grass stay dry. The water saved can then be used on the more precious plants in the garden.
June is the best time to plant out the outdoor tomato plants. Runner beans, sweet corn, marrows and courgettes can also be planted now. For runner beans, use 8ft bamboo canes either in rows or as wigwams. Keep on top of the hoeing to keep the weeds away and feed vegetables with something like fish blood and bone fertilizer. Roses and flower borders are best fed with Toprose fertilizer or Tomorite which of course must be used on tomatoes too. Keep the greenhouse humid and water tomatoes regularly to prevent the fruit getting Blossom End Rot. Healthy plants in the garden do get less pests and diseases, but it's a good idea to spray roses every 2 or 3 weeks with Rose Clear to keep them looking good. Cut off the leaves of the bulbs once they have died down and dead-head flowers. Not all the garden refuse need go in the green wheelie bin because you can make your own compost. Hertfordshire County Council are subsidising compost bins which you can purchase in the garden centre for just £7.
This is the month when you can meet the experts at Gardeners World Live at the NEC Birmingham from June 16-20. Or you can visit Ashridge gardens on June 13, Serge Hill gardens, Bedmond, on June 20, and Waterdell, Croxley Green, on June 27. Further afield, there are literally dozens of gardens open to view in the villages of Bayford on June 27 and Datchworth on June 26 & 27. You should be able to get ideas galore by visiting some of these but don't forget to take a camera or note book. Terry Simmonds