September 2002
Congratulations to Angela Panayi and brother-in-law Vas of The Chipperfield Larder on their recent award as Delicatessen/Specialist Food Retailer of the Year at the Hertfordshire Food and Wine Awards 2002. The awards are sponsored by Sainsburys in association with Archant Hertfordshire (publishers of The Comet, Welwyn & Hatfield Times and the Herts Advertiser). Customers throughout Hertfordshire were invited to nominate businesses concerned with food and wine which they considered provided quality products and service. There are ten categories for nominations which include restaurants, pubs, cafés, wine and beer selection and specialist foods and all nominations submitted went before an independent panel of judges. Unaware that they had even been entered, Angela and Vas were surprised to receive a letter from the organisers informing them that The Chipperfield Larder was one of four finalists in the delicatessen category. Feeling pleased to be finalists, they accepted the invitation to attend a dinner and awards ceremony at Hitchin Priory on 5 July. "You can imagine our astonishment and delight when it was announced that we had been chosen as the delicatessen and specialist food retailer of the year" says Angela. "We often receive appreciative comments about the quality of our food and service but to know that our customers think we are of award-winning standard is particularly gratifying" she added.
VILLAGE OF THE YEAR COMPETITION
The Judges for the Hertfordshire Village of the Year Competition paid two visits to Chipperfield this year. First they came in May to judge the village on how it cares for its environment and were given a tour by Councillors Holliday and Nobbs. Then on 9 July they were given a presentation in the Baptist Church Hall on other aspects of village life on which we shall be judged. To illustrate how business and the community interact, Angela Panayi gave an exciting account of taking over and running Chipperfield Larder, culminating in the news, hot off the press, that the shop had been declared Hertfordshire Delicatessen of the Year. Examples of the way in which provision is made for older people were provided by Valerie Briselden, who described the Golden Jubilee tea party in the Parish Room, by Graham Breen on the Over-50s Short Mat bowling and Rita Forsythe, one of the duty officers for Chipperfield Care. Daniel Shaw, Jack Foskett and Lizzie Melhuish from St Paul’s School gave a good account of how young people play their part. The presentation ended with accounts of how volunteers support community life in general. Anne Breen spoke about ‘Chipperfield News’, Mary West on the Thursday Lunch Club, Vida Metcalfe on the provision of secretarial help and Steve Hall on Chipperfield Corinthians Football Club. The Judges told us they were impressed. Our thanks go out to all who participated. Now all we have to do is wait for the results, which will be announced on 5 September. David Nobbs
HERTFORDSHIRE MINERALS LOCAL PLAN REVIEW
At its meeting held on 5 July, the County Council’s Aggregates Panel considered all comments received together with new information about the proposed sites identified for future sand and gravel extraction. The Panel agreed to take the plan forward on the basis of making the minimum provision necessary for mineral extraction to meet the county and regional needs.
The two sites recommended at this stage for inclusion in the draft plan are: • land at British Aerospace, near Hatfield, and • land near Rickneys Quarry, north of Hertford.
A third area at Coursers Road, London Colney, north east of the M25 has been identified as a preferred site for extraction after 2016.
The Panel will meet again on 3 September and a First Draft Plan will then be considered by the County Council’s Cabinet meeting on 16 September and recommended to all members of the County Council at its meeting on 19 September as a basis for public consultation.
FAREWELL TO FIONA
After five years at the Post Office, Fiona has decided to move on and she left in August to start a new job. Although she lives in Sarratt, she soon became a "Chipperfield person", always kind and prepared to go out of her way to help people. Everyone who uses the Post Office and the Stores will miss her. We should particularly like to thank Fiona for all her help and support over the past 16 months while we settled in to the Post Office Stores. We wish her all the best in her new job.
With help from Dorothy and Clare, we shall endeavour to continue to provide the same level of service the village has received in the past from Fiona.
Bipin and Aruna Pathak
CHIPPERFIELD CORINTHIANS FOOTBALL CLUB CENTENARY BALL
Congratulations to all those involved in putting on such a wonderful evening. It was a credit to all concerned - to get over 300 people together at one event takes some doing. Many of those present had played for the club at some time during the past 50 years and some had travelled over 100 miles to attend. Some of us found it difficult to recognise those players of yesteryear, with hair now silver, waists rather fuller and legs which could only manage a trot! But when it came to the dancing, those rock and rollers still had a spring in their feet.
I think we can all be proud of our football club and its achievements over the years and prouder still of those who organised such a superb evening. Without them, none of it could have happened and it was a pleasure to be part of it. Well done to all those ladies and gents.
However, one thing marred this special event. When everyone had gone home, hooligans got into the marquee sometime between 2am and 7am, overturned tables and smashed glasses, causing damage which cost the club money they could ill afford. Shame on those involved. They don’t deserve a football club. If you know who they are, why not name them and shame them? We don’t need these people!
Terry Timberlake
LAW AND ORDER
Statistics tell us that Chipperfield has one of the lowest crime rates in Dacorum but this does not make the recent spate of acts of theft and vandalism in the village any more palatable. There are vandals in our midst, some from our community and some from outside, who are prepared amongst other things to damage public amenities, let animals out of paddocks and torch cars.
The Parish Council has expressed its concern about the situation to the police, who are working hard with limited manpower resources to deal with the situation. They tell us, quite rightly, that they alone cannot remedy the situation and that the whole community needs to be involved in working with them to deal with the problem. One thing in particular is frustrating the police in their efforts. In a number of cases, where they have a good idea who the vandals, thieves and troublemakers are, they need evidence to proceed further in bringing them to justice. They know that often village residents have that evidence. Sometimes residents have actually seen an offence take place, but will not agree to make a formal statement about it, as they do not want to be involved. At other times residents do not bother to report the crime in the mistaken belief that the authorities are not interested. The police need us all to be prepared to come forward to help them help our community in the fight against crime.
Another way to help is to join or to help set up a Neighbourhood Watch Group. They do work. Over the last year or so there have been over 30 cases in Dacorum where a Neighbourhood Watch member has passed information to the police, which has resulted in the arrest of a suspect. There are ten Neighbourhood Watch Groups in the Village, but there are a number of areas of the village without them, including Tower Hill, Scatterdells Lane and Langley Road. If you would like to know more about what is involved in starting a group and the benefits it brings, please ring the Dacorum Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator, Phil Anslow on 01442-271020.
And please remember if you see an offence being committed at any time, do not hesitate to dial 999. If you have any concerns or suspicions, then Michelle Buttleman, our local community police officer, can be contacted on her mobile on 0773 622 5273.
CHIPPERFIELD ART GROUP
The next meeting will be held at 8.00pm on Wednesday 18 September in the Youth Club, when the results of the Group’s bank holiday exhibition will be discussed and arrangements made for future meetings. New members are always welcome. For more details phone Rita Musk on 01923 263525.
LUPUS COFFEE MORNING
The coffee morning held in the Parish Room on Saturday 20 July raised the marvellous sum of £568.64. On behalf of the Herts & Beds LUPUS Group, we should like to thank all our family and friends who so willingly gave their time and effort to make the morning such a success. Thank you also to all the business people and friends who provided raffle prizes, cakes and other produce for sale. It was a wonderful contribution by all concerned. We left the Parish Room with £487.89, but since then have received further donations from people who could not, for various reasons, attend on the day and this has brought the total raised to £568.64.
We should also like to thank Garden Scene for their continued support by sponsoring the Group’s newsletter.
Margaret & Tony Rance
JUNE WEDDING
Kirk Pattinson and Helena Jordan
Kirk Pattinson and Dr. Helena Jordan, who met while studying at Cardiff University, were married by Canon Christopher Clark at St Andrews Church in Sonning in June. Members of Chipperfield Choral Society sang at the wedding.
Stephanie and Jarlath Pattinson, the bridegroom’s parents live in Scatterdells Lane, Chipperfield and the bride’s parents’ home is in Shiplake. Following a reception at Phyllis Court Club, Henley-on-Thames, the couple left for their honeymoon in the Seychelles and Mauritius.
FROM PETER HART Dear Friends,,
I have been privileged to witness a number of exciting events in Chipperfield over the last two months. I have seen and taken part in the development of CHIP CHOPS - a camping and outdoor pursuits club for young people from 8 to 12. Thanks to Simon Wood for the idea and for much of the hard work. At the Flower Festival there was a real feeling of people working together to bring praise and glory to God, as well as raising nearly £2700 for the Organ Fund. As a totally non-musical person I really enjoyed the excellent concert on the Saturday. I have also watched and taken part in the wonderful Holiday Club, On Fire, with over 80 children every morning for a week and an enthusiastic atmosphere. Two or three memories recall something of the flavour of each event: ‘Someone can’t get out of the pothole’. Children doing a relay-race in over-large boots. ‘AaaaMEN’ at the end of the prayers. Sally trying to instill a winning streak into her team, without too much success!! Children from St Paul’s giving up a Saturday and Sunday afternoon to dance round the maypole. Lesley Baker hoping the children would all turn up. Me trying to lead the Morris Men to the car park without dancing all the way out of step! So much to enjoy in so many ways! So what next?? At the beginning of October we join with the rest of the Deanery in a Mission Weekend (see Calendar for details), with a special Holiday Club on Saturday 5 October, a special Toddler Praise on the Thursday, a special Harvest Lunch on the Sunday and the big event - an Evening Special at Sarratt Village Hall at 7.30 pm. These events are all about proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus to the whole of our community and should allow everyone to think about the Christian faith. You are all welcome to any event and I hope you will have some very happy memories of them.
As in much of village life, there are the occasional special moments and also regular events. Please look at the Calendar for September and see where you can join in. I have one request, where I would welcome your help: I am aware that because I do not live in Chipperfield, I do not always pick up on people who are ill or in hospital. I would be grateful if I could be included in the village drum or tom-tom system.
Yours in the name of Christ, Peter Hart
JUDY WELLER (neé Sellwood) 1959 - 2002
It is with great sadness that we report the death of our daughter Judy. She was diagnosed with cancer in late February and died on July 31.
As a girl, she, with her great friend Nichola Furlong, were pony-mad and as teenagers the two young blonds on their two grey ponies were a familiar sight around the countryside. After school, in spite of having a great artistic talent, Judy opted to go into farming and went as a student to Balls Pond Farm. She joined the Young Farmers and met David Weller, whom she was later to marry.
Judy was involved in a dreadful accident at the Royal Oak crossroads which shattered her right leg. After three months in traction and some months recuperation she was able to ride and work again.
She married David in 1981 and enrolled as a mature student at Watford College of Art. On completion of her studies she decided to take a further degree course at Corsham College in Wiltshire and they moved to Box, near Bath. Soon after this she began to get pain and swelling in her leg. Cancer was diagnosed and after chemo-therapy failed to halt it, her leg had to be amputated. Her courage throughout was staggering and with David’s unfailing support they built a wonderful life in Box and produced three lovely children. Judy’s warm and generous nature endeared her to everyone in her village and she involved herself in the PTA and many other activities. She also became a committed Christian and her faith gave her great comfort during the last months of her life. Box church was packed and although her memorial service was sad it was also a joyous celebration of a short life well lived. She will be greatly missed. Rick and Joan Sellwood
KATE FARROW
We are much saddened by the death of our very good friend Kate Farrow. Over many years Kate gave invaluable support to the Horticultural Society through her help at the shows and the many exhibits of flowers and produce from her lovely garden. Until quite recently the silverware for best roses had a permanent home at The Brambles. Kate could fairly be described as "first lady" of the Society, supporting Stanley through his many years as Chairman and President. She will be greatly missed by us all.
John Foulgham, President, Chipperfield Horticultural Society
" JUST PASSING BY - WHAT A JOY!"
The headline above was the comment of one visitor to St. Paul’s Flower Festival held in July and it sums up a superb weekend of beautiful flowers, music, refreshments and friendship and, luckily, the weather!
The 33 flower arrangers were brilliant with their interpretations of the subjects given to them with the theme "With Hearts, Hands and Voices" and children, particularly, were well represented. In front of the altar was a beautiful collage of a bird made in coloured card from the silhouettes of the hands of the children from Toddler Praise and Sunday Special. The colours used were taken through to a very beautiful, contemporary flower arrangement on the altar. At the back of the church was a maypole depicting the dancers in flowers and this echoed the maypole dancing by children from St, Paul’s School, which took place on The Common. The Brownies’ display showed the work required to earn four proficiency badges.
Among the other arrangements, one that stood out was The Nutcracker Suite. The flowers used were very dainty, pink and white, with white net frou-frou here and there and sugar plums representing the fairies. The many other lovely arrangements reflected the caring, sharing and talented community of Chipperfield. If you missed the festival you missed a treat!
Throughout the weekend the organ was played continuously by local organists, friends and pupils from the New Organ School in Luton. There was a lovely concert of summer music on Saturday evening and Songs of Praise on Sunday featured hymns and songs chosen by the flower arrangers. Refreshments were first class and I heard more than one person refer to the Parish Room as The Restaurant.
Thank you to everyone who came and helped to raise the superb amount of £2,700 for the Organ Fund. If you missed it this year make a note in your diary for two years’ time when I’m sure someone will organise another festival!
Mary Fox
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
Life has been a bit hectic since I wrote my last notes. In the middle of June a high-pressure system came up from the Azores to settle over southern England. It was time to jump on the tractor and mow the hay down at the farm. I am not the best tractor driver in the world. I soon get bored of driving up and down the field and then an interesting bird comes along and my rows are no longer straight. This time it was a kestrel. We never see kestrels at home, so this was quite a treat. I imagine this one usually catches most of its prey on the verges of the A41 Kings Langley bypass, which cuts the field, formally known as Long Field, into two short halves. It was quick to see the opportunity of some easy prey. There are always plenty of voles in the bottom of a hay crop and the mower inevitably injures some of them: a handy bonus for the kestrel who obviously had a family to feed. It hovered above the row of hay I had just cut, its tail fanned out, before pouncing on the unfortunate vole with its wings half closed. Then it flew off with the vole dangling from its talons, down and along the bypass. It made seven or eight journeys before I had finished the field, getting ever closer to the tractor until it was so close that I could clearly see the dark bars on its lovely chestnut tail. This one was a female. The males have a chestnut back, but a grey tail. We were lucky with the hay, safely gathered in with no rain falling!
About five years ago we had a "big hole" dug with a JCB for a wildlife pond down at the bottom of the ride that leads away from the bungalow. With one thing and another we had never got around to getting the liner in it. How could we manage a 44foot by 44foot butyl sheet? Well the answer was we couldn’t, so we finally got someone to do it for us. We had just the minimum amount of work done and have been working on it flat out ever since. Just like the kestrel, the heron was quick to spot our activity. The first evening that the under liner was spread in the hole, the heron took a slow leisurely flight over, just to keep his eye on things. Three days later and he was over again whilst I was up to my waist planting water lilies. The next day he was standing in it! This is a wildlife pond: a gentle saucer shape with 4 inches of soil over the liner and a pebble beach for the birds to bathe from. The plants will be a mixture of native and garden plants, the shape and the 4 inches of soil are the important things for the wildlife. The dragon flies and damsel flies have already arrived, but more of this to come,back to work now! Wendy Bathurst
TO BEE OR NOT TO BEE ?
Are you looking for a new hobby which is environmentally friendly, rewarding and slightly challenging?
Robert Wilton (Bucks Hill) and Don Newman (Penmans Green) have kept bees in Chipperfield for 20 years and have produced nearly 8000 jars of honey, which is more than 31/2 tons! Their honey is often for sale at the Hollyberry Fair, Hospice and Red Cross coffee mornings. Robert and Don are cutting back their production and have seven classic
WBC beehives available - free to a good home in the Chipperfield area and if anyone likes the thought of a new hobby but knows nothing about beekeeping, Robert (01923 264602) or Don (01923 265340) would be pleased to explain everything and help to get you started. But BEE CAREFUL - its totally fascinating and you could get hooked!
THE VILLAGE CHEST
At the Annual Parish Meeting in April 2001 it was unanimously agreed that funds in the Village Chest should be transferred to the Dacorum Community Trust to be administered by them for the benefit of the village.
Unfortunately, this has not been a simple process. The Parish Council passed a formal motion to effect the transfer and completed the appropriate Charity Commission transfer forms. However, the Commission then advised us that it was not up to the Parish Council to give notice of the proposed transfer, but the task of the Village Chest trustees. As they had resigned and wished to retain anonymity, the Charity Commission agreed that the Parish Council could nominate three people to be appointed as trustees of the Village Chest with the purpose of effecting the transfer. The new trustees, Tony Briselden, John Nichols and David Nobbs met on August 7 and duly passed a resolution to transfer all the Village Chest funds to the Dacorum Community Trust. A notice to this effect was posted on the Notice Board at Brits News. Once the Charity Commission confirm that they approve of the transfer, the Village Chest can be wound up and the funds made available to assist those in need in the village. In the meantime, the Dacorum Community Trust can provide help in suitable cases from its existing funds to groups and individuals in Chipperfield.
1st CHIPPERFIELD BROWNIE PACK
Since the beginning of the year we have welcomed nine new Brownies: Rebecca Scott, Amy Fitzpatrick, Agnes Vane, Tara Hastings, Sophie Novell, May Critchfield, Eleanor Pritchard, Georgie Wilkins and Annie Wheeler. We also welcomed Lydia Nicholson as our Snowy Owl. Lydia has become a valued member of the team and has always got some good ideas up her sleeve! Sadly, we said goodbye to Charlotte Barton, Rebecca Nicholson, Camilla Braine, Sidony Holdsworth, Rhiannon Griffiths and Edith Bond. Rebecca joined the 1st Kings Langley Guides after Easter 2002 and Rhiannon will be joining 1st Abbots Langley Guides this month.
The Brownies have enjoyed a fun-packed year with many activities and events. These included a fancy dress Halloween Party, a Christmas Concert for families and friends, and a Bring and Buy Sale for the Blue Peter Wheel Help Appeal. This was Rhiannon’s idea and was incredibly successful - we raised over £200 in just two hours. We all enjoyed a craft evening at Planet Ceramic, Watford and took part in the Kings Langley Carnival with the Kings Langley Brownies and Guides.
The girls have worked hard and all have completed their Fire Safety and First Aid badges. We had some evenings related to the Friend to Animals badge with visits from a Shetland pony, a hampster, snake, tarantula and an iguana. The Brownies learnt a lot during these evenings as well as having fun touching the animals. We took part in the Flower Festival this year and the Brownies worked together to make an excellent display with the theme "helping hands". The year ended with our annual family barbecue.
The results of 2002 Super Brownie of the Year were: 1st Rhiannon Griffiths (130 points), who won an engraved cup; 2nd Rebecca Sturgess (110 points) and 3rd Lucy Boreham (98 points).
I should like to thank everyone who has helped me during the past year - we’ve had a great time. Next term starts on 10 September and although the Brownie Pack is full at present, if you would like to put your daughter’s name on our waiting list (6 years or under - the starting age is 7 years) please contact me on 01923 268852.
Sian Hopkins, Brown Owl