May 2004
From 1 April this year the honour of holding the oldest continuous secular office under the Crown will be held for a year by a local resident, Lady (Shelagh) Nichols.
The Office of High Sheriff of the county is a position which dates back over 1000 years to before the Norman Conquest and though it is now the second highest position in the county it was only in the reign of Edward VII that it gave precedence to the office of Lord Lieutenant.
High Sheriffs are selected by the Sovereign in a meeting of the Privy Council, when the custom of "pricking" the appointee's name with a bodkin still takes place. The official duties of the High Sheriff, many of which are delegated today, include attendance at royal visits to the county; supervising the well being and protection of High Court judges when on circuit in the county and carrying out High Court writs and orders; acting as the Returning Officer for parliamentary elections in county constituencies, ensuring the proclamation of the accession of a new sovereign and maintaining loyalty to the Crown. Nowadays the High Sheriff tends to support voluntary and statutory organisations in the county, often those assisting young people in difficult circumstances.
Shelagh made her Declaration at the end of March in a simple and relaxed ceremony which was kindly hosted by the Newell family in Chandlers Cross. A few years ago her husband, Sir Richard Nichols, was Lord Mayor of London, and the Declaration ceremony was attended by the current Lord Mayor, Sir Robert Finch, as well as various county and City of London dignitaries, including her immediate predecessor, Lady Lyell and former High Sheriff Morton Neal, a Sarratt resident, who had nominated Shelagh for the office. It was a very special occasion too for Shelagh's parents, Tony and Mary Loveband, who moved to live near their daughter some ten years ago.
In addition to her other duties, Shelagh outlined her special interests as the support of those helping young homeless people in the county and projects to identify and give special assistance to primary school children in deprived circumstances, with a view to setting them on a more stable course early in life. All those at her Declaration ceremony gave her their heartfelt good wishes for a successful year to come, a sentiment which will be echoed by all her friends in Chipperfield and around. S.A.M.
YOUTH TEAM FOOTBALL TOUR
During Easter week seven keen footballers (and seven less keen adults) went to a four-day tournament at Burnham-on-Sea in Somerset, joining 2,000 other football mad people of all shapes and sizes. Ages ranged from eight right through to strapping teenage boys and some very scary teenage girl teams! Weather conditions were "varied" (freezing, hail, wind, rain and showers). Three teams in our group came from Trowbridge, with others from Liverpool, Birmingham, Harrow and Andover. Hayden's explanation where Chipperfield was to the opposition was hilarious but village pride was evident over these "towny" teams. I will pass swiftly over the results but we did manage to win two matches.
It was a wonderful experience for the children and I think the village can be proud of them. We were the guinea pigs for the rest of the Youth Football Teams and hopefully next year we will attend a similar tournament and take more teams from the village. Your roving reporter is bound to be there (for her sins!) to file a report.
Thanks to Paul Hewetson, the ever faithful and encouraging manager for organising our visit and well done to the team: Tom Atkins, Angus Bate, Kathryn Bessant, Hayden Dicker, Harry Hewetson, Ryan O'Sullivan and Cameron Wheeler. Ruth Dicker
VOLUNTEERS REQUIRED FOR HEDGEROW SURVEY
What better excuse for being outdoors in the countryside this summer than taking part in an exciting new project surveying hedgerows and the pilot for the county-wide project will take place in Chipperfield.
Hedgerows are an extremely valuable feature of our countryside. Not only do they mark historical boundaries but they also provide a valuable habitat for wildlife.
Unfortunately many hedgerows have been lost and many continue to be managed in an inappropriate manner.
It is anticipated that the information collected in the survey will give a greater understanding of the condition of the hedgerows in the area. This will enable us to identify those hedgerows most in need of restoration and an action plan of work will be prepared. Landowners will then be encouraged with help from the Countryside Management Service to undertake this work. The hedgerow project will also contribute to targets set in the Farmland Habitat Action Plan.
If this project is to succeed, we will need volunteers to help with the surveying work, which will be quite simple and all volunteers will be trained.
The amount of time you dedicate to the project is entirely your decision, so don't be put off if you have never done any surveying work or if you have only a few hours to spare.
The first training session will be held during the morning on Thursday 20 May and another session is planned to take place over a weekend a little later. in the year.
Please phone the Countryside Management Service if you would like to take part or would like further details. Anna Cohen (CMS) 01727 848168 or e-mail anna.cohen@hertscc.gov.uk
DO YOU KNOW YOUR "PCT" FROM YOUR "PALS" OR "PPI"?
I had a thoroughly enjoyable visit to your beautiful village recently and I realised how much I didn't know about such gems as Chipperfield. I will be back to increase my knowledge!
It occurred to me that perhaps Chipperfield might also like to learn about a new service provided by the NHS. Dacorum Primary Care Trust (PCT) looks after the NHS health care interests of your village and its administrative office address can be found at the foot of this article.
What is a Primary Care Trust? The first Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) became operational in April 2000. PCTs are responsible for improving the health of their local population, developing primary care and community services and advising the Health Authority or directly purchasing hospital services with their own budget. They also have a duty to give front-line staff and the public more say about health and local health services, which brings me to ...
PALS. The new service I would like to tell you about is the Patient Advice and Liaison Service. PALS has been set up in each NHS Trust to provide support, information and help for patients, their carers and families. It will listen and respond to people's concerns so that the PCT can improve the services that it provides for residents. PALS can provide information on NHS services and respond to any concerns or queries confidentially. The service can help sort out problems quickly on behalf of patients, their families and carers and put people in touch with other local agencies that might be able to help, e.g. voluntary or social care organisations. PALS will also offer guidance if someone wishes to make a complaint.
PPI is a Patient and Public Involvement in Health initiative designed to encourage the public to participate in helping the NHS to become more effective and receptive to the needs of everyone using the service. Each NHS Trust has a Patients' Forum made up of 7-20 people who work together to see that their local NHS Trust is working effectively for their service users and to help the Trusts improve their service where necessary, or change/add such services to the community.
You can help! If you, or anyone else you know, would like to become a member of the Dacorum Patients' Forum then please contact Tony Burton at the Dacorum Council for Voluntary Service (DCVS) on 01442-253935. He can send you information on what is involved. The Forums are independent of the NHS. The NHS can only improve if we hear from you - your ideas, your criticisms and your praise where it is due.
For further information please contact me: Anne Lund, PALS Coordinator, Dacorum Primary Care Trust, The Isbister Centre, Chaulden House Gardens, Hemel Hempstead, HP1 2BW. Telephone 01442-840950, or via email: pals@dacorum-pct.nhs.co.uk
POWER CABLE REPLACEMENT
The fifty-year old 11,000 volt power cable supplying electricity to the west side of The Common, Dunny Lane and Windmill Hill is to be replaced. Work is likely to start at the end of May or the beginning of June and will involve the construction of an underground bored trench from the sub-station at The Windmill P.H., along The Common to the track opposite The Mill House and through the trees to Dunny Lane.
All residents in the immediate area will be notified when work is to begin but if you have any queries please contact the Project Manager for EDF Energy, John Arnett on 08701 963664.
The work will last approximately four weeks.
SECRET NUCLEAR BUNKER
Have you ever wondered where the government planned to take shelter in the event of a nuclear war? On Tuesday 8 June Chipperfield Evening W.I. are organising an outing to the largest, deepest nuclear bunker open to the public. Situated in Brentwood, Essex, the bunker is 100 feet underground and covers three immense floors equipped for survival.
The coach will leave the church car park at 9.30am, returning about 4.30pm and the outing costs £18, which includes coach, admission and lunch. If you would like to book a place please phone 01923 263341 or 01923 263010 before the end on May.
LIBRARY VOLUNTEER FOUND
Many thanks to all those who offered help to an elderly reader in Belsize. A volunteer has been found to collect and return tapes to the library on her behalf.
HAVE "AN EVENING OFF"
Tired of mindless drivel on T.V.? Theatre is the key! "An Evening Off" will show you Shakespeare in a new light. For the first time MOPA Theatre Company, supported by the Arts Development Officers of Herts, Beds and Bucks, is making available its celebrated school work for all members of the community, irrespective of age or background.
Professional actors will perform extracts from some of Shakespeare's most famous plays. MOPA's will encourage audience participation and plenty of laughs. Shakespeare does not have to be dull and boring, on the contrary, as Nic Brownlie, the Artistic Director says, "You only have to go to the Globe to realise that Shakespeare is not about an elitist education - it's about blood and guts and stories and action that everyone can get involved with and enjoy".
MOPA Theatre Company has been in existence since 1993, specialising in the education/schools market. The company has received great acclaim for its remarkable interactive Shakespeare tours: "This is the best interactive performance/presentation I have seen in my 33 years of teaching" says Alan Ramage of Parkside Community Technology College in Plymouth. "This was a wonderful day. We were so impressed by the actors' professionalism, enthusiasm and relationship with the students. Excellent!" The Prittlewell School in Essex agrees.
Come and see for yourself - we guarantee you'll love every minute! Tuesday 1st June, Chipperfield Village Hall 7.30pm. For more information please call MOPA on 01582 842 876
CALLIPERS HALL
Was Henry Seymour Moss-Blundell the next owner of Callipers Hall after Robert Broughton?
1921 Mr. & Mrs. Moss-Blundell held a garden fete at Callipers Hall, to raise funds for repairs and improvements of the Church Institute (Village Hall).
1920s Annual Horticultural Society shows were held in the park at Callipers Hall,just beyond the lodge. There was bowling for a pig and dancing to a band as well.
1929 Moss-Blundells gave a piano to the Church Institute (Village Hall).
Annually Mr. Moss-Blundell drove his carriage directly in front of the Manor House gates, to establish that the frontage was commonland and not the property of Samuel Blackwell, Lord of the Manor.
1955-60 By this time, Mrs. Moss-Blundell had died and Miss Elizabeth Moss-Blundell was running the estate. Her brother, Dick, had converted to Catholicsm and become a monk, so he was not involved in the estate management. Through lack of funds, the house maintenance was poor and Callipers Hall had become damp and dilapidated. The top floor had been redundant for years.Somewhere around this date, Waterhouses, the local Chipperfield builders,were contracted to do the necessary repair work on the house. Terry Timberlake's father, Harry, who retired in1968, was foreman when the house was reduced from three to two storeys and had a flat roof constructed to reduce costs.
1965 Miss Moss-Blundell sold the house to Peter and Susan West but she retained Callipers Hall Farm. In 1962-63 Waterhouses had built a bungalow for her, in the orchard opposite the farm. These properties are approached from Quickmoor Lane and not Callipers Hall drive.
c. 1977 Jack Minashi and his wife Susan bought Callipers Hall and the farm.
c. 1982 Orthopaedic Consultant, Graham Hart bought Callipers Hall only.
1983 Dinah and Roger Johnson bought Callipers Hall Farm.
1995 Callipers Hall was bought by Paul and Judy Olney. A pitched roof was constructed to replace most of the flat roof and the kitchen was altered.
2002 The gardens, which have been extensively improved, were opened to the public to raise funds for the Red Cross.
1911-2003 Over a hundred years, Callipers Hall has undergone many changes and if given photographs of then and now, it would be difficult to match them. However, they share in common attractive facades set in beautiful gardens. Mary Nobbs
HERTS COUNTY SHOW on 29 and 30 MAY at The Showground, Dunstable Road, Redbourn
Advance tickets save 30%: Family ticket £15 (2 adults & 2 children) Adult ticket £7, Children £2. Ticket hotline 0870 350 2122. Full details on www.hertsshow.com
CHANGES AT ST PAUL'S
At the Annual Parochial Church Meeting on 28 March, Ann Waine was re-elected and John King elected as churchwardens. John was previously on the PCC for six years and for the last eight years has prepared the weekly pew sheet. He and his wife Anne have lived in Belsize, in the parish of Sarratt, for ten years and are pleased to have links with both villages. Ann Waine has lived in Chipperfield for over 30 years and has also been on the PCC for six years. She has served as a Parish Councillor and recently stepped down as a Governor of St Paul's School.
Peter Hart has reminded us that in Isaiah 43:10 we are told not to cling to events of the past but to watch for the new thing God is going to do - and that it is happening already before our eyes. This is indeed a time of new beginnings: Peter and Anne will be remembering their time with us but they are also looking forward to discovering what God has in store for them; Ann and John, in consultation with the Sarratt churchwardens and the Archdeacon of St Albans, are involved in the search for a new vicar; Jennie Newman is starting as Youth Worker for St Andrew's, Chorleywood, Sarratt and Chipperfield on 26 April. Jennie needs accommodation; if anyone knows of a two-room flat or annexe, please let Ann Waine know.
A THOUGHT FOR MAY
In the seasons of the church we have moved on from Easter, where we remembered the ultimate sacrifice made by God for mankind. In St John's Gospel we read the words of Jesus in chapter 14, where he promises that after He is gone He will send a counsellor or advocate who will be with us and amongst us. This great event occurs at the time of Pentecost, the Jewish Feast of Weeks (also known as the Feast of Harvest) which falls 50 days after the Sabbath of Passover Week (for us, Eastertide). In Judaism this also commemorated the time when Moses received the Ten Commandments; therefore Pentecost commemorates for many people an important date in their calendars. For us as Christians, this was a time when the Holy Spirit was manifest in and through man. It is recorded in The Acts of the Apostles that the disciples were hiding for fear of their lives and staying out of the public eye, yet God came down and empowered them with the gift of the Holy Spirit, enabling them to proclaim the good news that Jesus was alive and well and man's hope for salvation.
In the world in which we live, where life is characterised by a sense of hopelessness and fear as we see a war-torn, terrorist-driven environment, we are able to reflect that for all of us there is hope and comfort in the presence both around and through us of the Holy Spirit. May this be a time when we can renew our faith and seek to make our own environment and the world at large a better place for all to live in, without fear and terror but with peace and hope. Philip Waine Member, St Paul's PCC
UNITY EDITOR
Claire Evans, who takes over from Anne Wyburd with effect from the June issue, has just moved from Watford into a house in Bovingdon with her husband Julian, who is a navigation analyst for the aviation industry. Claire works part-time as a contract manager in High Wycombe and is looking forward to getting to know about people and events in the Chipperfield area. The editorial team offers her a warm welcome!
MALCOLM WILLIAMS 1934 - 2004
Malcolm Williams qualified as a doctor at the London Hospital, where he met his wife Brenda. He spent the first half of his working life in general practice in Dartford, Harlow and Cliftonville, interspersed with service overseas as a District Medical Officer in Uganda (1964-70) and in Zambia (1977-78).
After ordination, Malcolm served a curacy at Holy Trinity in Margate and was then vicar of a number of parishes in England and a large parish in Zimbabwe, which included fourteen shona-speaking congregations. In every place that he worked he unstintingly gave of himself and his final two years as an assistant priest in Chipperfield and Sarratt were very happy ones. He and Brenda moved back to Cliftonville in January this year.
Medicine and Ordination were both vocations for Malcolm and in both his priority was always the person in front of him. His ability to set people at their ease meant it was easy to trust him. This approach to life seemed to equip him equally to work within an English culture or an African one. He had an unusual combination of personal humility with a quiet authority that came from a deep devotion to God.
Malcolm travelled lightly through life, holding very lightly to possessions. He was someone who knew how to give of himself and gave without counting the cost.
For the past 45 years his constant companion, friend and wife has been our mother Brenda. Words cannot adequately express our love and gratitude for her and the most extraordinary demonstration of love in her care for Malcolm.
(Extract from the tribute to Malcolm written by his children for the Service of Thanksgiving for his life held at St. Philip's Church, Cliftonville on 11 March 2004)
YOUR GARDEN IN MAY
This month promises to be one of the busiest for us gardeners. We can now get down to planting bedding plants such as geraniums, buzy lizzies, petunias, salvias, antirrhinums and begonias in the garden and also in tubs, containers, window boxes and hanging baskets. Always protect bedding plants from frost damage by covering with something like garden fleece if the weather man brings bad news but frosts are less likely once we get into June. If you have a greenhouse, baskets and containers can be planted much earlier and then moved outside towards the end of the month. As an alternative to bedding plants containers can be planted with alpines, grasses, small shrubs and conifers. In the garden, dahlias, cannas and the rest of the gladioli can be planted. Seeds of godetia, nigella, clarkia and candytuft can be sown direct where they are to be grown.
In the vegetable garden brassicas can be sown and runner beans, courgettes and marrows can be planted later in the month. Salad crops such as radishes should be sown at regular intervals to get a succession of supply. Early potatoes should soon be ready to dig.
Container-grown trees and shrubs, herbaceous plants, roses and climbers can be planted but it is now too late to plant bare-root hedging plants such as quickthorn. The early flowering shrubs can be pruned as soon as they have flowered and and bulbs should be dead-headed once they have flowered and given a sprinkling of fertilizer to build up their bulbs for next year.
Roses will need to be sprayed every couple of weeks with something like Rose Clear, to prevent black spot and mildew. Lawns need to be cut regularly and should be fed this month if not done already. Keep regularly hoeing the garden to make sure the weeds don't get a hold and protect seedlings and plants such as hosta against slug damage. Herbaceous plants will need to be staked and all plants will need to be watered in dry spells.
The Royal Horticultural Society is 200 years old this year. The Post Office is marking this with special flower stamps this month and the Chelsea Flower Show from 26-28 May will be a very special event. Tickets can be obtained by calling 0870 9063781. The Malvern Spring Gardening Show is from 7-9 May and the Hertfordshire Garden Show at Knebworth on 22 and 23 May. You can get lots of ideas by visiting local gardens open to the public this month: The Abbot House, Abbots Langley on 2 May, Ashridge Gardens on 16 May, Great Sarratt Hall on 23 May and Campden Cottage, Chesham Bois on 16 May. Terry Simmonds
VILLAGE PEOPLE
Following the death of BRIAN BIGNELL, Carol, Angela and Kaye would like to thank all their friends and neighbours for their kind donations of £340 for the Macmillan nurses, also for all the support shown during their recent bereavement. Special thanks to Gerald and Grace, Stan and Joyce, and Pamela.
All good wishes to DR JEAN McLELLAN following her retirement from The Nap Surgery. She and her husband have bought a farmhouse and a couple of acres of land in Mid Wales where she will find plenty to keep her busy. Jean will be missed by very many people and by the many organisations with which she was involved, all of whom would like to thank her for her care and kindness.
Those people who managed to see the part of Tales From The Country, on ITV recently must have been amazed to hear that Chipperfield is "five minutes from Heathrow"! However things improved considerably when CHRIS SAUNDERS, JOHN SAUNDERS, ELAINE BRITTON, ALEX TAPNER, SONYA WESTLEY, VASS PANAYI, FRANCIS RATCLIFFE and LESLEY WEST told the reporter what it is like living in such a special village as Chipperfield.
It was good to read the write-up about Garden Scene in the April issue of Limited Edition. Congratulations to PHIL KING and all his staff. They are always most helpful and knowledgeable.
Welcome to the village to OLLIE and NIKKI LINCOLN and daughter NATALIE who have recently moved into 4 Flint Cottages on The Common.
People who remember LOTTIE HAWKINS (mother of David who used to run the family shop now Chipperfield Larder) will be sorry to hear of her death at the age of 96.
SYLVIA OLIVER wishes to thank her family, friends and neighbours for their help and kindness during her recent illness and hospital spells.
SPRING DELIGHTS
Most of the birds in the garden are busy building nests. The blackbirds always seem to have beaks full of dry grass and roots, while the blue tits and great tits are keen on the sheep's wool. Spring is here at last.
I always look forward to the first warm sunny days of spring when we will see our first brimstone butterfly of the year. We almost always see the first ones dashing along the tall hedge at the front of the bungalow. Their bright yellow wings look fresh and clear in the sunlight. These adults will have emerged from their chrysalises last August and immediately started gorging on nectar, thistles are a favourite, ready for their winter hibernation. The garden suits them very well as they usually hibernate either in holly trees or deep in amongst ivy that twines around so many of our trees. The first warm and sunny day and they are out and about searching for mates and egg laying sites. They lay their eggs on buckthorn bushes. These will hatch into green caterpillars in June or July, eat the buckthorn leaves and then become a chrysalis in late July before the whole cycle starts again in August. The males are the brightest yellow, the females paler with a slightly green tinge. They are fairly big butterflies and at this time of year are quite unmistakable. In August we occasionally see clouded yellows, but they are smaller and more orangy. It's lovely to be working in the garden with these bright beauties flying over head.
As I write these notes (4 April) I am still waiting for the first lambs to be born. Poor Beth is enormous and pants like mad in the warm sunshine. I feel sure she must have twins this time, but sometimes in the past she has just had one extra large offspring. So far they have always lambed easily. Being a primitive breed and not over developed they are equipped for life in the Shetland Isles, where not much help is available. We are all ladies in waiting. I will keep you posted. Wendy Bathurst
CHIPPERFIELD SCHOOL OF DANCING
New Timetable for Summer 2004
Mon 4.30-5.15pm 5.15-6.00pm 6.00-6.45pm
Ballet (Grade 2) Tap (silver) Ballet (Grade 2) Ages 7-13
Tues 2.00-2.45pm 4.00-4.30pm 4.40-5.15pm 5.15-6.00pm
Baby ballet (21/2-4) Tap (ages 8-11) pre Ballet (4-6) pre Grade 1 Ballet
Wed. 5.00-5.45pm 5.45-6.45pm
Junior Modern/Jazz Advanced Modern/Jazz (ages 5-18)
Sat. 9.00-9.45am 9.45-10.30am 10.30-11.30am 11.30am-12.15pm
Ballet (Grade 1) Ballet (Grade 3) Ballet (Grade 5) Tap (Advanced)
No previous dance experience necessary; just a desire to work hard, enjoy dance as an exercise/for relaxation and enjoyment. Examinations and show work. For more details contact Jean Banks on 01923 400370 or Ann Herther-Smith on 01923 267604.
SEARCH FOR GOOD SAMARITANS
On Sunday 8 February, Theresa Dragon was badly hurt when she was thrown from her horse in Green Lane, Bovingdon. Three young men who were driving past came to the rescue, summoning the police and wrapping Theresa in their car rug until an ambulance arrived. Thanks to their prompt action and following a spell in hospital, Theresa is recovering from her injuries.
However, the three good Samaritans disappeared before they could be thanked and didn't leave their names. George Minter, Theresa's father, would like them to contact him so that he can return their car rug and thank them for their help. If they read this or you know who they are, please telephone George on 01442 264799.
PLANNING MATTERS
Spring and summer are the most popular times to begin building projects, put up fences and walls and prune or fell trees.
However small you think your project is, do remember that in almost all cases planning permission from Dacorum Borough Council will be required.
Most people are aware that building work requires permission but may not know that lopping or cutting down a tree, even one in you own garden which you may have planted yourself, without permission, can result in a substantial fine.
If you have any queries or need advice about trees on or near your property, Dacorum's Woodland Officers will be pleased to help you. Contact them on 01442 228375.
Planning enquiries should be made to 01442 228376.