September 1998
The efforts of many village organisations together with those of our Village Warden, Michael Home, paid off when Chipperfield was declared to be the best kept large village in West and Central Hertfordshire in 1998.
When the results of the competition were announced at County Hall in July, we found that we had scored 90.5% in the first round and had qualified for a second inspection to compare us with the winners in East Herts (Much Haddam) and North Herts (Picton). The judges gave us 89% in the second round and we ended up as runners-up in the county as a whole. An excellent result in view of the difficult weather and an advance on our score of 86% achieved last year.
On 25 July Parish Council Chairman, David Nobbs, attended a presentation ceremofly at Flaunden and received a framed certificate to mark our performance from Mr Simon Bowes-Lyon, Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire.
THE FUTURE OF HEALTH SERVICES IN WEST HERTS
Most residents will have seen references in the press to the consultation currently being conducted by West Hertfordshire Health Authority into the future of health provision in our area. Of particular concern are proposed changes for our local hospitals.
If, like your Parish Councillors, you feel that there are a lot of unanswered questions about what has been presented to the public so far, you have the chance to find out more at a short Public Meeting at 8.lSpm on Monday 14 September at St Paul’s School The speaker will be Andrew Morgan, the Director of Commissioning for West Herts Health Authority. This meeting will provide you with an opportunity to find out
OPEN DAY AT HEMEL HEMPSTEAD MAGISTRATES COURT Saturday 26 September
A rare opportunity to see behind the scenes and visit the cells. Local members of the Magistrates Association will be presenting mock trials to show how the law is applied to the benefit of the community. There will also be an exhibition showing all aspects of the court’s work. Why not drop in and find out how the 68 members of the Dacorum Bench deal with cases ranging from motoring offences to murder.
The Court House is just behind Hemel Hempstead Library and the Police Station in Dacorum Way.
VILLAGE ART WORKSHOP
If you would be interested in coming to a weekly art workshop on Thursday afternoons 2.30-4.3Opm at the KGV Pavilion in Sarratt, please ring Liz or Laurie Young on 01923 264537. If there is support for the idea, the workshop could start in the autumn and run in association with Chipperfield Art Group
CAR TAX RENEWAL
The Post Office offers a next day service to renew car tax, provided you supply all necessary documents with your payment.
Our Autumn Show will be taking place about the same time as you receive this edition of Chipperfield News. It usually proves to be our best show of the year and we hope to see you there. Also, don’t forget that our shop is currently closing at ll.3Oam on Saturdays now that the nights are closing
in, and will continue to do so until the end of October.
Although activities in the vegetable garden have concentrated on harvesting rather than cultivation recently, there is still plenty of work to be done. The winter leeks have been dibbled into the spaces left by the early potatoes, the spring cabbages have been sown and the supports for the raspberries have been reconstructed since this year’s crop was so heavy that they collapsed under the strain. Meanwhile the war on pests has continued unabated, although the slug and snail population seems to be showing no signs of decline and I have spent many a happy hour scouring the brassica patch for clusters of Cabbage White Butterfly eggs. I’m obviously not the only one with such problems, since during our highly successful visit to Yalding in June, many of our members were overheard asking the resident gardeners how they coped. For those of you who were unable to make the trip, I can recommend a visit next time you are in the Maidstone area, as it really is a fascinating place.
Finally, a couple of “advertisements”. One of our members has a l4ft x lOft cedar framed greenhouse which is free to a good home. Give me a ring on 01923 268852 if you are interested and I’ll put you in touch. Also, I have had a letter from Mr Tony Massingham of the charity Age Concern Dacorum. They are looking for volunteers to help elderly and disabled people in the area to tend their gardens. If you feel you might have a little time to help this worthy cause please contact the charity direct at Half Moon Yard, High Street, Hemel Hempstead or phone 01442 259049 for further details.
ANTS, SNAILS AND GRASS
At the moment the garden is full of ants, snails and grass! The ants are certainly making the Green Woodpeckers happy and their laughing calls are ringing out all around the garden. Ants are their favourite food and they have been enjoying probing a large nest near the edge of the lawn, giving me a nice view of these very colourful birds from my kitchen window. Woodpeckers have an exceptionally long tongue and are able to reach well down into the ants’ nest to get the grubs. However, the ants put up a good fight and we have seen the birds using their feet to wipe off ants that are obviously attacking their faces.
The blackbirds also make use of the ants, sunbathing on top of the nest so that the ants come out on the attack and spray their formic acid on to the birds. This drives parasites from the blackbirds’ feathers. If the ants don’t seem quite cross enough, the blackbirds will peck at them to ensure a good spray!
The thrushes are enjoying the snails, though not quite as many as we would like! We don’t use the blue slug pellets in the open garden because of the birds so it has been nice to open the curtains and watch a thrush beat a snail out of its shell on its stone anvil and then devout it for breakfast before flying up to our chimney pot for a song which drifts down into our living room. Our two pairs of thrushes seem to have raised their broods successful but there are more than enough snails to go round.
Meanwhile, the grass is driving me mad! I try to keep some areas fairly short but leave some patches to encourage different wild flowers. The yellow Meadow Vetchling and the mauve Tufted Vetch have both done well this year. So far it has been too wet to make hay of the long grass where the daffodils were and even with nine extra mouths to feed I have still spent too long on the lawn mower. The nine sheep have not been trouble free - mint sauce has been mentioned a few times - but I hope we have got the better of them now!
Wendy Bathurst
CHIPPERFIELD COMMON - WOODLAND MANAGEMENT
Following the site visit to the next compartment of woodland scheduled for work this season, Cameron Lewis, the Woodlands Officer of Dacorum’s Environmental Services Department, writes:
“The meeting took place on the evening of 8 July when about 20 residents gathered to look at compartment 2 and discuss the proposed works.
“The compartment structure can be split into three broad categories: maturing oak/birch woodland; small groups of individual mature sycamore; an extensive area of young seedling trees of mixed species.
“The oak/birch woodland needs little work other than a very light thin and the removal of seedling sycamore. Mature sycamore shall be selectively felled and poisoned. The young seedling trees shall be thinned to favour native species such as birch, rowan and cherry. Finally, the number of cherry laurel should be reduced through coppicing.
“Other work planned for the area is to upgrade the permissive bridleway to improve the surface and to make the access to Dunny Lane safer.
“I found our joint visit most helpful and informative and suggest that a pre-works visit becomes a routine part of the woodland management programme.”
THE NEW BREWERS
Since it re-opened on 27 July, The Two Brewers has been inundated by thousands of customers, curious to see what the restored premises are like, testing the beer, sampling the wine and trying the food. On the Sunday evening before it officially opened, dozens of neighbours living round The Common and in The Street enjoyed a preview of the premises and a drink by special invitation from landlords Frederic and Julia Dubois.
Great care has been taken with the restoration as The Two Brewers is a listed building and advisers from English Heritage were involved throughout the work. So far, 99% of customers have passed favourable comments on the extensive restoration work and the new layout of the premises, although some have mourned the passing of the lounge with its armchairs. The four-month restoration has opened up the entire ground floor making room for 29 tables which can accommodate 150 people. There are also extra tables outside and in the central courtyard. An additional fireplace has been opened so there are now five open fires, which is why the pub is adult orientated and no longer suitable for customers with young children.
The lack of a lounge is the reason why The Two Brewers can no longer be “officially” described as a hotel, although it has 20 completely refurbished bedrooms for guests. The conference room on the first floor overlooking The Common has all mod. cons. (ISDN and modem lines, large screen TV/video, etc.) is air-conditioned and seats 14-16 delegates comfortably. Food is served all day, every day, including Sunday, from 11am until about 9pm, although the bar stays open until 11pm. The extensive menu offers ten starters, twenty-four main courses plus desserts as well as a selection of snacks, which include cream tea. Main courses range from ham and eggs and steak and kidney pudding to chef’s specials. All food is cooked to order from fresh ingredients so there can be a considerable delays, particularly at busy times when the kitchen is working at full tilt. As a Frenchman, Frederic Dubois is particularly interested in and knowledgeable about wine although he will also be introducing guest beers, which will change every two to three weeks. Both Frederic and his wife Julia have had many years experience in the trade and have come to Chipperfield from Bolton although both have previously worked in the south of England. They have been delighted by the warm welcome they have received from the village and the support and interest residents have shown in the new Two Brewers.
HOUSING NEEDS SURVEY L C G B
Dacorum Borough Council have commissioned a survey to assess the housing needs of residents. It is five years since the last survey and the council needs to bring its information up to date. Interviewers will be visiting a sample 1000
households selected at random in all parts of the borough within the next four to six weeks. If your household has been selected the interviewer will have a letter of introduction and will also be carrying identification. All information gathered is treated in the strictest confidence and processed by the research company so that individual replies cannot be identified by the council. Dacorum Council is anxious to make the survey a success and asks all selected residents to help, even if they feel they do not have a particular housing need. Should you have any queries contact
Stephen Finlay or Chris Haynes at Dacorum Borough Council on 01442 228836.
Locomotive Club of Great Britain St Albans Branch
This local organisation for railway enthusiasts meets in Chiswell Green United Reformed Church Hall, Watford Road, St Albans at 7.3Opm on the second Thursday of the month from September to May. On 10 September P. le Blond, Rail Strategy Manager, BAA will be speaking about The Heathrow Express. Visitors are welcome. For further details call 01727 861839
BONFIRES
Am I alone in my concern about the latest trend in the neighbourhood of lighting bonfires during the day?
I appreciate that with the better weather it’s a great idea to tidy up the garden and burning garden rubbish is certainly more environmentally friendly than adding to the rubbish going into land fill sites. However, is it asking too much for a little consideration of others before lighting up?
Most of us like to take full advantage of the good weather to get the washing out to dry and let the children out to play in the garden. It is very frustrating if within half an hour the washing is smelling of bonfire smoke and the children are breathing in the fumes and have to be chased indoors to play.
I have no objection to the lighting of bonfires but do ask for a little courtesy to others. Before you light your bonfire please ask yourself if you have to do it now or can it wait until the evening?
L. Panayi
JUNE WEDDING
On the 27 June at the Church of Our Lady, Father Desmond Cantwell celebrated the marriage of Grace Clements, elder daughter of Joe and Mary Clements (formerly of Chandlers Cross and now in Bovingdon). and Karl Moore, her school sweetheart from St. Clement Danes.
Six-year-old Lucy was bridesmaid and carried the bridal train. The bride placed her bouquet of lilies at the feet of the new statue in the church grounds.
DACORUM CARD
If you live in the borough and are receiving meanstested benefit, you may be entitled to a Dacorum Card. The card is free and gives you discounts and privileges at over 100 local businesses and facilities, including sport and leisure, food and drink, transport and Council services.
The scheme has been running for just over 18 months and there are currently 8,500 cardholders. There are still 16.000 people who have not yet claimed their Dacorum Card. If you think you might be eligible to benefit from this scheme, phone 01442 228619 for more details.
MEDIATION SERVICE
The Dacorum Mediation Service was launched in July. This new service, intended to reduce friction between neighbours, is free to residents of the Borough. Trained mediators help people identify what is at the root of the friction and then try to create a solution by helping the parties come to an understanding which takes all points of view into account.
Paul Bridges, the full-time coordinator of the service, is located at the Hemel Hempstead office of the Citizen’s Advice Bureau. (01442 213368 and 263501)
1998 BEST KEPT VILLAGE COMPETITION
Some of the comments made by the judges following their visit to Chipperfield
1. Trees, hedges, walls, fences, verges, residential properties, roads, gardens and outbuildings:
Favourable: Gardens lovely throughout; Scatterdells Park Caravan site lovely
Unfavourable: Some dog dirt on footways; a few weedy gutters; household rubbish dumped at the end of Croft Meadow
2. Open spaces, playing fields, allotments, ponds, footpaths
Favourable: Allotments very good; ponds promising; playing fields immaculate; school field very good; Croft Meadow play equipment good.
Unfavourable: Alien plants at Apostles Pond need control, as does erosion at margins.
3. Public and community buildings and their surroundings, village hail, school, bus shelters and telephone kiosks
Favourable: Village Hall and School very good; Youth Club much improved; bus shelters fine.
Unfavourable: Croft Lane telephone kiosk surrounded by litter; Village Hall grass needs a cut; Youth Club a bit messy at rear.
4. Exterior of places of worship, war memorial and burial grounds
Favourable: Churchyard lovely, graves well tended, wildlife encour aged; War Memorial good (improvement in hedge noted); Baptist Chapel lovely
Grass cuttings left under trees in churchyard
workshops, garages, advertising displays, notice boards Garden Centre good; lovely flowers at The Windmill; shops, inns, garage excellent; Church and Parish Council notice boards good
Unfavourable: Dacorum Borough Council notice boards have let Chipperfield down