October 2006
Chipperfield Care has been in existence for over 18 years and during that time has dealt with thousands of requests for assistance from Chipperfield residents to take them to doctor and hospital appointments, to take them shopping or to visit sick relatives. Furthermore, we keep in touch with some clients on a regular basis by phone if necessary.
All members of Chipperfield Care are volunteers. Some will 'man' the telephone and others do driving - a number do both and have been involved in Care from the very early days.
The organisation has not changed much since its inception, but from time to time we have to address the changing needs of the village. We would welcome any ideas and suggestions that might benefit the community in the twenty-first century. For instance have we reached everybody in the village who might welcome the sort of help that we can offer? Do you have a neighbour or know of anyone who might benefit from our services, and what kind of assistance is required?
Equally, would you like to join the organisation - there is no joining fee! We can always do with more volunteers in particular to do some driving. It is not an onerous task. You might be a Duty Officer on the telephone once a month, or be asked to take somebody to the surgery from time to time.
The Organiser is Lesley Baker on 01923 264254 and the Chairman is Shelagh Nichols on 01923 269882. We would like to hear of your ideas and suggestions or to welcome new members to Chipperfield Care. Do ring as we need to keep the organisation up-to-date with the needs of today.
Shelagh Nichols
HOLLYBERRY FAIR
The Hollyberry Fair will be held in the Village Hall on Saturday 18th November, commencing at noon and closing at 3pm.
All the usual stalls will be there, including Beautiful Bric-a-Brac, Gorgeous Gifts, Bargain Books, Pretty Plants, Rip-roaring Raffle, Best Bottle Tombola, Pickled Pickles, Handsome home-made cakes and more! And don't forget the famous 'lunches to die for' plus the most important person of all - Super Santa.
So come along, meet your friends for lunch and enjoy the afternoon.
Christmas is coming!
It's not too early to start thinking about Christmas cards; notelets are useful for gifts at any time. Sets of 20 cards and notelets containing two views of St Paul's Church in 1838 are on display in the church.
20 cards @ £3.50: 20 notelets @ £3.00.
All proceeds to the church. Please phone 01923 269480 to order.
VILLAGE HALL
We are pleased to report that the Village Hall stage has now been refurbished, so that the large back window throws light into the stage area during the day, thus enlarging the visual size of the hall. New curtains have been fitted to cover these windows for warmth in the winter months and when shows/events take place.
The finance for this has been provided by two recent fundraising events, namely the Barn Dance held at the Village Hall in May and funds donated from The Manor House Queen's Eightieth Birthday Celebrations held in June. Our thanks to both groups who organised these occasions and those who supported them.
R.A.E.
CHIPPERFIELD LARDER
The Chipperfield Larder would grace any busy town high street, fortunately for us it is near to the crossroads at the bottom of The Street in Chipperfield. Vas Panayi and his team made up of family and locals work hard to make the shop 'everybody's larder', catering for a wide variety of tastes and needs, always on the lookout for new and interesting products to appeal to their customers.
The shop provides a vast array of delicious sandwiches, hot paninis, filled jacket potatoes, pasties, sausage rolls, baguettes and cakes, all of which can be ordered over the phone and prepared for you when you arrive - perfect for picnics on The Common! They are also happy to provide platters of sandwiches, homemade pies, quiches, cold meats, cheese, home-made desserts and cakes for many different occasions. Alternatively, there are tables and chairs outside where you can enjoy any of these and a delicious Italian cappuccino or latte from the new coffee machine. In response to customers' requests, the shop now stocks a selection of seasonal vegetables.
Vas spends time sourcing good quality local produce such as eggs, bread and home-made cakes, as well as stocking a fine selection of world cheeses, award-winning ham and bacon from Dorset, olives, antipasti, olive oil, pasta and sauces from Italy, and a selection of ready-made French cassoulets and soups. Recent additions to the shop include fresh hand-made chocolates, caviar and a soft ice cream machine which has proved popular with the children this summer!
At Christmas the shop is an Aladdin's cave of festive treats and Vas is happy to take orders for hams, cheeses, smoked salmon, quiches, desserts etc. The Larder's beautiful basket hampers are a perfect Christmas gift and can be filled with your own choice of foods and gifts at any time of the year.
The shop opens Monday-Friday 9am-5.30pm and Saturday 9am-4.30pm. Extra parking is in the Catholic Church car park in Dunny Lane, by kind permission.
TENNIS CLUB ANNUAL TOURNAMENT
It has been a very busy year for the Tennis Club and we have held three sun-drenched tournaments as well as the inauguration of a singles tennis ladder.
Chris Blackmore has once again given up a lot of his spare time coaching the youngsters and has done far too good a job of it - there is many a parent now being beaten by their offspring. The opening of Blackwell's has been a huge bonus to the club - after a match now it is so pleasant to recover there with a drink and a chat. Words can't describe the luxury of toilets especially for the nervous ladies on tournament days.
Congratulations to the following in the annual tournament:
Juniors - Winners: Seth Cunningham & Kyme Jackson; Runners up: Oliver Holt & Jack Baker
Teenagers - Winners: Tristan Dicker & Zach Smith; Runners up: Josh Reynolds & Seb Leaper
Ladies - Winners: Ruth Dicker & Angela Dowd; Runners up: Lydia Nicholson & Angie Moxey
Mens - Winners: Martyn Dicker & Chris Panayi; Runners up: Jason Mallory & Rupert Greyling
ST PAUL'S & HOLY CROSS
SPECIAL EVENT
During the weekend of October 28/29 the congregations of Holy Cross, Sarratt and St. Paul's, Chipperfield will be looking at a challenging subject, Living with faith in a real world. This will involve young people in community action on Saturday and Sunday at 10am in the Village Hall in Sarratt, the two congregations will come together at a special Fifth Sunday Service to examine the subject further.
We invite members of both communities to join with us as we think about this subject: how we deal with our faith in a world which sometimes seems hostile to people who have a religious faith; and how faith can help us deal with the difficulties that so often confront us. The Service will include video, power point, personal accounts of the relevance of faith and music led by a choir drawn from the two churches. Refreshments - coffee, tea, doughnuts and muffins - will be on offer after the service when there will be time to discuss the challenges that have been laid before us. All are welcome to come and join us for this special event.
PHILLIPS JOINERY
This year, J.L. Phillips Joinery Ltd celebrate 25 years of successful trading. Phillips Joinery was 'born' in 1981, a year after my late husband, John Phillips, had purchased the lease of an industrial yard in Adeyfield, Hemel Hempstead. In the mid-sixties, at the age of 16, John became an apprentice carpenter at the Ovaltine factory, which must have kindled his interest in wood. Since I first knew him I remember that it was always his ambition to have his own joinery workshop. It was fortunate for me that, prior to John's untimely death in 1997, he already had a most excellent and capable manager in place, Len Lofty. Without Len, there would be no Phillips Joinery.
The loyal staff in our workshop have, over the years, made countless windows, doors, staircases and conservatories. We have also manufactured libraries, lecterns, bookcases, arbours and olde English furniture; and for the past 14 years we have manufactured fittings for a well-known chain of shoe shops.
If a customer is not quite sure what they want, Len can offer excellent design advice and ideas. Much of our work is repeat business and we value our many local clients. We endeavour to maintain a good working environment and to keep a modern workshop; and to this end we recently purchased a new Weinig four-sided planer. One of my proudest moments recently was to hear a person in the construction industry describe Phillips Joinery as 'simply the best'. An accolade indeed!
Needless to say, if we can be of assistance to you in any way, please do get inn touch by calling 01442 217001 or logging on to our website: www.jlphillipsjoinery.co.uk from which you will also be able to make contact with us if you wish.
Ann Waine, Proprietor
SAVING YOUR FAMILY
FROM INHERITANCE TAX
This is the first of a series of occasional articles on general financial matters written for Chipperfield News by Colin Chamberlain of Edward Jones Ltd (Tel: 01923 270847)
Who would you rather have receiving your estate - your family or the tax man? Income obtained by the Inland Revenue from Inheritance Tax (IHT) has almost doubled over the last 8 years as more and more people are affected by this tax. However, as Roy Jenkins said of IHT "It is, broadly speaking, a voluntary levy paid by those people who distrust their heirs more than they dislike the Inland Revenue."
The following is a simple four step process to mitigating IHT on your estate:
1. Married couples and civil partners should make sure that their wills are written to make use of both nil rate bands of £285,000 to save up to £114,000 in IHT. There is no loss of control during your lifetime; the surviving spouse retains access; a Will Trust is simple and inexpensive to organise; it has immediate effect.
2. Prevent your estate getting any larger. Make use of trusts that allow you to retain control of your investment capital with the growth growing in trust outside of your estate to mitigate IHT; you may access capital at any time, but you give up the investment growth to your children or other beneficiaries. Make use of trusts to create an income for yourself and reduce your IHT liability on day one.
3. Give away what you can afford. Make use of exempt gifts - use your annual allowance of £3,000; make as many gifts of £250 as you like; make gifts in consideration of marriage; gifts to charities are IHT free; gifts from income that do not affect your lifestyle are allowed.
4. If all else fails, insure the excess IHT liability using life assurance.
NB: The above is for illustration purposes only. Estate planning requires legal and tax expertise that Edward Jones is not authorised to provide, therefore you should obtain legal and tax planning advice from an authorised person (such as a solicitor or accountant).
WHO WAS MOLLY OXHEY?
Following on from John Hopkins' query in last month's Chipperfield News, we have received the following from Doris Houghton who now lives in Kings Langley:
As a child in the thirties, I lived in Tower Hill. We all knew Moll Oxey was a woman who appeared at night riding on a sheep hurdle. We never knew who she was, or how the story originated.
CHIPPERFIELD THEATRE GROUP
NELL'S BELLES
With 35 speaking parts and nearly as many songs, Chipperfield Theatre Group attempted to raise the bar with their latest production, Nell's Belles. And, despite an unpromising beginning, they not only succeeded, but triumphed in clearing it with something to spare. Initially, with so many characters and historical reference points, the threads of the production seemed too disparate and a coherent plot was difficult to determine. As the first half unfurled however, these faults were overcome as the central figures in the story began to take centre stage.
Rob Hine's performance as womanising King Charles II was tremendous and the show benefited hugely from his entrance. With a glint in his eye and a hint of Terry Thomas in his parlance, he charmed both the cast and audience alike. The chemistry between Charles and his various conquests, most notably Nell Gwynne (Wendy East) brought the production to life. So getting the casting right was always going to play a huge part in the success of the show.
Clearly, director Tricia Williamson didn't want to take any chances so all the box office Galacticos were thrown together in the dance troupe Nell's Belles whose bawdy banter and raucous songs were the backbone of the show. It was Desperate Housewives meets The Pussycat Dolls - in period costume. Classic.
Against the backdrop of the plague and the great fire of London this musical tale of seventeenth century debauchery was played out. Scene by scene, the jokes got funnier and songs got saucier. An example of which, "Naked on the beach", was hugely entertaining - I took a keen interest in noting there was not a towel out of place. This was feel-good theatre at its best. Colourful, jolly and gay. Which brings me, belatedly, to Paul Instrall. His portrayal of Charles' brother James, which I can only describe as a hybrid of Dick Emery and Nikki from Big Brother, was the cherry on a cake which was already covered in copious layers of icing.
Here's hoping Chipperfield Theatre Group cook us up another treat very soon. Jason Cox
VILLAGE PEOPLE
Dave and Val Calo and John and Anita Lowe wish to announce the safe arrival of their grandson, Jack, born on 30 June to parents Alan and Helen Lowe.
Congratulations and best wishes to Elizabeth Percy of Croft Lane who celebrates her 80th birthday this month.
DIARY DATE
Chipperfield Care is holding a Christmas Tea Party for Senior Villagers (over 65's) on Tuesday 5 December from 3-5pm at Blackwells. Keep the afternoon free. More details will appear in the November issue of Chipperfield News.
LIGHT UP A LIFE
THIS CHRISTMAS
The Iain Rennie Hospice at Home has cared for more than 7,000 terminally ill patients and their families across the Chilterns area. Our pioneering service began in 1985 when 5 nurses helped our first patient, Iain Rennie, to come home from hospital to be with his young family during the final stages of his battle with cancer. 21 years later, the Hospice at Home charity that proudly bears Iain's name still holds fast to the values that made a difference for him and his family. Our belief in offering practical, hands-on nursing care at home for our patients, combined with support for their families and access to a 24 hour on-call nursing service, is as strong as ever.
During the past six years, more than £59,000 has been raised to support our work by people sponsoring lights on Christmas trees spread over the Iain Rennie "patch". Lights have been dedicated in memory of a loved one, to celebrate a special event, or as a Christmas present, perhaps for someone overseas. This coming Christmas, trees will be lit up in Hemel Hempstead, Tring, High Wycombe, Beaconsfield and Tylers Green, with dedication ceremonies being held at each venue.
The Hemel Hempstead dedication ceremony will be taking place at 6.30pm on Sat 18 Nov in the Old Town as part of the Victorian Evening.
If you would like to sponsor one of our lights or find out more, please contact our office at 52a Western Road, Tring, HP23 4BB, telephone 01442 890222 or visit our website www.irhh.org.
NEWS FROM OUR CHURCHES
ST PAUL'S AND HOLY CROSS
Hardly a week seems to go by without the National Health Service being in the news, and sadly, more often than not, it is critical rather than positive comment. To my mind, that is sad: the NHS isn't perfect, but we are so much better served than the vast majority of the human race. So, thank you, all who provide health care for us.Our elder daughter is a Registrar, working in the Cambridge Deanery of Hospitals: her hours are long: often she works well over the statutory time, out of care for her patients. She sees them as people to be loved, rather than cases to be solved, and spends time talking with her patients and their relatives, to keep them informed, and as relaxed as possible. The feedback she gets is very positive. Patients feel special, valued, and that is a healing thing.
I find it interesting that the words 'hospital' and 'hospitality' are somehow linked. Good hospital practice works towards a person's wholeness, not just to treat an illness. Hospitality is about seeing other people as special: in all sorts of ways each of us needs love: someone, some group, to value us, and respect and treat us as individuals, the unique and wonderful person each of us actually is. That way we grow as whole people.
Our hospitals are overstretched, some would say under-resourced, even on occasion, badly managed. Perhaps that may in part be because our practice of hospitality is too limited, even neglected, and given more attention would certainly bring to others a greater sense of self worth, more inner peace and be a real positive in the face of dis-ease in it many forms.
More hospitality...less in hospital...I wonder...
With my greetings, Jim Stevens
BAPTIST CHURCH
We hope you have all had a time of rest and relaxation during the past few weeks. Church life has been a little less demanding but will start to get busier in the months ahead leading up to Christmas and beyond. News of our September Harvest Thanksgiving next month.
We are looking forward to our Church Anniversary service on October 22nd when we celebrate 169 years of worship and witness in Chipperfield. Rev Jim Stevens will be leading the service and folk from St Paul's will be joining us. Why not come and make it a village celebration?
LOTS OF NOTES
We are very fortunate in having lots of musical events, orchestral and choral, that we can attend or take part in around Chipperfield. There is the flourishing Chipperfield Choral Society; there is the Watford Philharmonic Society with its first season under a new dynamic director; there is the Abbey choir at St Albans, and lots of others.
There is also another choir in Chipperfield which has developed a keen following and I am sure many would enjoy their work if they knew about it. St Paul's Church choir, often with orchestral accompaniment, guest soloists and members of the Sarratt church choir, give performances on four Sunday evenings during the year. It is recognised that a high standard has been achieved under the leadership of Keith Beniston. Keith was for many years Director of Music at Westminster Central Hall, and is currently Chief Examiner in Music for Trinity Guildhall Examinations, Trinity College, London.
The musical evenings are usually part of the church's year, like Christmas and Easter. The choir has sung music by Bach, Faurˇ, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Mozart, John Rutter and others, as well as contemporary work, including an arrangement of Spirituals. They sang Choral Evensong as part of the Harvest Festival in September and will soon start rehearsing for the Service of Nine Lessons and Carols on Sunday 17 December.
For more information, please contact John King (264552) or Frank Baker (264254). John King
ST ALBANS ABBEY - A SPECIAL DAY
On Saturday 7 October the Friends of the Abbey will extend a very warm welcome to a Special Day of talks, tours and workshops in St Albans Abbey. Events include: Passio, a carnival workshop telling the story of St Alban; Friends Ancient and Modern, a light-hearted dramatised presentation of the origins of the Abbey; a talk on cathedral organs with music and demonstrations; a talk with slides about the Abbey's unusual Victorian bells and their tunes; a tour of the tower (lasts 1 hour, includes steep steps and narrow spaces - for people over 12 years old); a talk/tour on the history and recent renewal of the Lady Chapel; a Tudor Experience workshop; a talk and dressing-up session on "What the Clergy Wear ... and Why". You can see historical records and artefacts from the Abbey archives (up steep stairs); see the 12th century St Albans Psalter and other displays in the Library; and you can also sit in on a rehearsal of the choir. Full guided tours of the Abbey will take place at 11.30am and 2pm. All these events are free but donations are welcome. For full details contact 01727 860780; lines are open Monday to Saturday 10.30 to 16.30.
Chipperfield Within Living Memory
A Walk Looking back to Wartime Chipperfield 1939-45
Start at Blackwells built in 1922 in memory of two Blackwell brothers who died in 1914-18 war
Once two clubs - Women's on the left, Men's on the right. Tennis played in the car park until balls ran out and racquets broke. Meals service started for village children, evacuees, teachers and land girls. AFS - Auxiliary Fire Service based upstairs in Men's Club. ARP - Air Raid Precautions' Wardens based downstairs in Men's Club. Across the road, Home Guard had large round concrete blocks to be used as road blocks or tank traps in the event of an invasion by Germany.
Walk to school gate on left as you leave the club
Look over the gate to the right - the school boys used to dig for victory and grew vegetables here in the Two Brewers Meadow. Turn and look at the Youth Club, which used to be the site of the school's air raid shelter.
Turn left to Old School Cottages
This was the old school where the headmaster had to provide education for 120 evacuees in September 1939. They did bring their own teachers with them. At first, villagers and evacuees had half day schooling, alternating between mornings and afternoons on a weekly basis.
Look at the village hall to the right behind the old school
Eventually the village children returned to full time education in the school and the evacuees went to lessons in the village hall, once furniture and equipment had been provided for them.
A special W.I. group used to come to the village hall and bottled fruit for the village women.
At Christmas, early morning services were held in the hall because it was fitted with blackout curtains.
Look across the road at the church car park
The Auxiliary Fire Service had a large reserve of water in a 4 feet deep metal tank which stood by the wall. Children played on it when it froze!
St. Paul's church
All services had to be held in daylight hours because it was impossible to fit blackout curtains to the large windows. Services carried on, once started, even if the sirens went. Members of the congregation could leave and go into the school's air raid shelter.
Stand in front of the Two Brewers
People who could afford to, came to stay here to escape the London bombing. In 1941, the Home Guard established a Guard Room at the rear of building.
Look across the road to the Common
It is here that 120 evacuees from London arrived by bus in September 1939. The Home Guard dug trenches and practised manoeuvres in the woods. While petrol lasted, people drove out from London to escape from the noise and bombing and slept in their cars on the Common. At the crossroads, cross into Kings Lane and walk to the first right turn. The Home Guard had a concrete bunker at the entrance to Waterhouse's field, which is now Kings Close. Return to the corner by the Two Brewers and turn right into The Street. The Auxiliary Fire Service kept a lightweight trailer pump, which could be towed by a car, in the garage at Copthall.
Walk on and stop at Pale Farm on the right of The Street
The iron railings were removed from the front garden, with the mistaken intention of using the melted metal to make war weapons. The flower garden was dug up and vegetables grown as part of the Dig for Victory campaign. In the former brick roadside tack room, volunteers used wooden gauges to sort nuts and bolts which had been swept up from factory floors, so that they could be reused.
Old Barn Cottage next door
This was the Head Quarters of the Home Guard. They posed for a platoon photograph to the right of the front door. They trained in the field behind and practised firing spigot mortars.
The Larder shop on the corner (Laurences during the war)
The air raid siren was on the roof of this shop until the 1980s. Customers stayed faithful to one shop, so that they would not miss out on special food supplies which sometimes came in.
Diagonally opposite to the shop, on the corner of Tower Hill
The Home Guard had a pill box here and took it in turns to be on guard. Any messages would be brought from the Two Brewers guard room by bicycle. That would have been a challenge on a dark night. There was no pavement, the road was narrower and there was a very high hedge, where all the modern houses have since been built.
Turn left into Dunny lane for the last site
The remains of a Home Guard bunker had to be removed in the 1980s when the foundations of the Catholic Church were built. Beside the road there used to be a further stock of circular, concrete road blocks. They had holes in the middle and could be rolled out into position with the aid of strong poles.
Places too far afield to be included in this short walk
At the far end of Dunny Lane, behind the Plough Pub, two aeroplanes, from Bovingdon Aerodrome, collided in mid-air. A Flying Fortress landed down towards Belsize and a Dakota crashed just up the hill to the right. At the opposite end of the village, going in the Kings Langley direction, a doodlebug fell on a farm on Whippendell Hill and destroyed property. Fortunately, no one was killed, although some people were injured. At a later date, an American Lightning Bomber crashed at the top of the same hill and its engines are still deeply embedded in the ground.
Polish soldiers were stationed at Chipperfield Lodge on Whippendell Hill, from where they operated a radio station which was in contact with the French Resistance Movement. Their aerials and radio transmitters were in the field across the road.
AUTUMN'S HARVEST
How quickly the grass recovers once we have a few days of rain. Last time I sat down to write these notes I was looking out on a brown, crisp ride and sheep field beyond. Now they are green and lush and the remaining sheep are once more content. I shall have to get the lawn mower out again!
The water level in the wildlife pond has gone down a lot, but now that the edges of the pond are covered in water weeds it is not unsightly as it was in the first few years. The native waterlillies have flowered wonderfully again this year. They started at the end of May and they are still producing buds. I have just spent a smashing sunny afternoon in my waders taking off yellow leaves and thinning some of the oxygenating plants out. I got a couple of sharp nips from dragonfly larvae and saw lots of young newts, but the waterboatmen pack quite a sting so I did my best to avoid them. The pond is a real joy to us, you never know what you will see - damselflies, dragonflies, a fox having a drink, or Ted, our young Labrador, testing his toys to see which float and which sink!
In spite of all the dry weather our 'new' orchard - well it's ten years or so old now - is full of fruit. We have harvested the early pears, which are very sweet as a result of all that sun, and the apples are coming on nicely. I have always loved harvesting, as a child I was always in the fields with the combine, cadging lifts with the driver or in the tractor or trailer. I do not know what the Health and Safety people would say these days, but I have some good memories. As I grew up I was able to drive the tractor with the grain trailer while Dad was on the combine. It was hot, dirty, dusty work, but it was always my favourite job. The smell of barley dust now brings a lump to my throat and a tear to my eye. It has been a challenging year for farmers this time, with the dry weather making the grain small and light, and thunder storms flattening some fields. Dad and I would have taken time to carefully combine it in the right direction to make sure we got most of it, but today the crop is worth so little and a man's time costs so much that it is not worth the trouble. Perhaps the farmland birds will benefit from what's left, the pigeons certainly are right now. Wendy Bathurst
YOUR GARDEN IN OCTOBER
Gardeners do spend a lot of time talking about the weather and this year they have had good reason to do so. It has been a very difficult year and many plants have suffered. Now is the time to prepare for the cooler months ahead. The greenhouse will need to be disinfected with Jeyes Fluid and, if it can be completely emptied of plants, a Sulphur Candle is the best way these days to remove all pests and diseases. Tender plants such as fuchsias and geraniums will need to be dug up and taken inside to over-winter where it is frost free. Do make sure that the heater is working and it is a good idea to line the shed or greenhouse with bubble plastic which should raise the temperature by at least 5 degrees. Tubers of dahlias and cannas will need to be lifted as soon as the plants die down. In the kitchen garden it is time to harvest the remaining potatoes and root crops. There is still time to sow a few more radishes and lettuce and to plant the special early onion sets. Next month broad beans can be sown. Digging should be well under way now especially if the soil is heavy, working in farmyard manure. Night frosts do a lot of good to heavy clay soils provided they are well dug.
Apples and pears should be harvested as soon as possible and, if not already done, grease bands should be applied to the trunks of fruit trees. Rose bushes should be given another spray of Roseclear, plus a feed of Toprose. Hedges will need a light trim. Lawns should be cut regularly until they stop growing and now is the time to rake, aerate and scarify and to add an autumn fertilizer which is low in nitrogen.
Now is bulb planting time and there is a good selection of hyacinths, daffodils, tulips and crocus in the garden centre. Miniature bulbs such as scillas, chionodoxa, aconites, irises and dwarf tulips are ideal for adding spring colour to sink gardens and rock gardens. October is a good time to plant up the tubs and containers with primroses, pansies, violas and small cyclamen. A visit to the garden centre will give ideas for planting up winter hanging baskets which should be done soon now. Wallflowers, Canterbury bells, sweet williams and forget-me-nots are planted this month too. This is a good time to plant herbaceous perennials, shrubs and climbers. This is also the best time to sow sweet peas for planting out early in the spring. As a break from all the garden chores this month, do try to visit a garden such as Wisley, the Savile Gardens at Windsor or, further afield, the Westonbirt Arboretum. The trees and shrubs in these gardens should be displaying their very special autumn colour very soon.
Terry Simmonds
WHAT'S ON THIS MONTH
At The Empire Cinema, Jarman Park, Hemel Hempstead
Screen Extra - all films begin at 11am (doors open 10.30am). Tickets £3. For information call 08714 714714.
Monday 2 October - The Lake House
Monday 9 October - Transamerica
Monday 16 October - Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
OR Match Point (to be confirmed)
At The Old Town Hall, High Street, Hemel Hempstead
Box Office 01442 228091
Children's programmes -
Saturday 14 October 1pm & 3pm
Myths of the Vikings (Clydebuilt Puppet Theatre). Suitable for ages 5+. Tickets £4.50.
Saturday 28 October 2.30pm
The Very Magic Flute (Krazy Kat Theatre Company). Suitable for ages 4 to 8. Tickets £4.50.
Saturday 28 October 1pm
Drama Workshop. Storytelling without words. Explore mime, movement and sign language; fun, games and drama exercises. For ages 5 to 7. Tickets £4.
At Watford Palace Theatre
Box Office 01923 225671
September 28-October 14
Copenhagen by Michael Frayn. Evenings at 7.45pm; matinˇes Oct 4,11 at 2.30pm and Oct 7,14 at 3pm.
October 16-21
Jesus Christ Superstar (Cassio Operatic Society) at 7.30pm; Saturday matinˇe 2.30pm
At The Court Theatre, Station Road, Tring. Box Office 01442 228091
Sunday 1 October 8pm
Brian Sewell: Adventures of an Art Critic.
Saturday 28 October 8pm
Gershwin Meets Coward. The life and music of George Gershwin and Noel Coward presented by Michael Law, Ruth Leon and Sheridan Morley.
Tickets for both events £12.50; concessions £10.50.
At The Abbey Theatre, Westminster Lodge, Holywell Hill, St Albans
Box Office 01727 857861 - please check for performance start times.
October 13-21. A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen. Presented by The Company of Ten.
October 25-28. Bugsy Malone. Presented by Rare Productions.