VILLAGE NEWS AUGUST 2016 Issue No.10

Village Party for the Queen on 11th June 2016 (see centre pages)

Westmill Art Exhibition Bank Holiday Weekend 27,

28 and 29 August 2016,

10am to 5pm - Westmill Village Hall

Everyone welcome Come and enjoy the many works of art on display

Entry FREE OF CHARGE

All works for sale

This is our 30th Year!

Look forward to seeing you! Information or to Exhibit; Sue on [email protected] om or Olga on 273654

Funds raised go to village charities and other local causes

St Mary the Virgin, Westmill Church News

Summer has now arrived and the churchyard looks at it best with the flowers in bloom beside the church path and the grass being regularly mowed. All thanks to the Friends of Westmill Church for tending the flower beds and to Michael and his team of volunteer grass cutters who at the moment are mowing away on a regular weekly basis. As mentioned in the previous church news we are hoping to start the ball rolling for toilet and kitchen facilities in the Church. We are glad to say that a start up meeting was held with our architect, Melanie Hey, on the 20th June which went very well with a good attendance. At the present time Melanie is drawing up plans showing our proposal which is for a small building adjoining the church on the north wall housing a toilet and kitchen area. This is the proposal at the moment but could be subject to change. There is a long way to go but it is a good start. Everything is on schedule for the refurbishment of the organ which will be starting at the end of August. Discussions are ongoing with regard to the additional War Memorial in the church for Peter Mildren. On the Sunday of the Queen's 90th Birthday celebrations members of the local bell ringing team rang for half an hour (see photo above) which rounded off a weekend following the Queen’s Birthday Picnic in the Park on the Saturday. Archdeacon Venerable Dr Trevor Jones has now retired and we look forward to meeting his successor Revd Janet Mackenzie in her new capacity as Archdeacon. The Beds and Herts Churches Trust annual ‘Bike and Hike’ sponsored event is on Saturday 10th September which will soon be here. Sponsorship forms are now available at the back of the Church. Please do have a go, you can ride round as many Churches as you wish or alternatively walk. Half the money raised by the Church comes back to us. It would be good to sponsor such a good cause especially as The Trust gave us a very generous grant towards the Church roof repairs Date for your diary – don’t forget the annual Churchyard Clearance 10am on Saturday 8th October. Refreshments available. It would be great to see everyone. We hope you enjoy the rest of the summer.

St Mary the Virgin Westmill PCC

Herts Healthy Homes Service Herts Healthy Homes is a free information and support home-visit service funded by HCC and the NHS, to support vulnerable residents. A home visit can provide a range of tailored support to help keep residents warm, safe and healthy in their homes, this includes everything from:

Information and advice on energy efficiency and ways to reduce the costs of heating homes. Help accessing grants for home insulation and new boilers as well as financial support to help cover energy costs.

Installation of draught-proofing and other energy efficiency items such as radiators reflector panels, water-saving shower heads and much, much more! Referrals to free services available including fire and home safety visits, falls prevention, smoke free teams, community meals, gardening support and more.

Advice on staying healthy and hydrated and information on exercise classes locally with free items including pedomet ers and cooling fans.

If you, or someone you know, needs help or support to stay healthy and well at home call HertsHelp on 0300 123 4044 and quote 'HOME 1’ Calls are local rate and cost no more than a national rate call to an 01 or 02 number. Lines are open Mon - Fri 8am to 6pm.

Regards, Derrick Sweeney Watch Liaison Officer Neighbourhood Watch Email: [email protected] Tel: 01707 355841

Successive generations of humans have modified the appearance of the landscape through the creation of fields, enclosed parks, roads and settlements of varying sizes while leaving areas of woodland here and there. In his recent talk to Society members, Tony Morton told us about woodlands in and around , many of which are Wildlife Trust nature reserves. He explained the special features of such flower-rich ancient woodlands and discussed the traditional management techniques required to maintain them.

During the 18th century those with extensive estates developed a passion for large scale landscape improvement and 2016 marks the tercentenary of the birth of Lancelot “Capability” Brown. He is remembered for his involvement in over 170 parks across the country, many of which still survive. An astute project manager, he was nicknamed "Capability" because he would convince his clients that their estate had capability for improvement. He had an effective team of contractors who were able to implement his recommendations, many requiring reconfiguration of lakes and substantial plantings of trees. Brown’s skill was to reshape these parks and gardens from formal geometric plots into more natural pastoral scenes, creating the vision of the English countryside we know today. His local commissions included the wonderful grounds at Audley End House.

Brown was also involved at Hatfield Forest, which is well worth a visit at any time of the year. This August, to help commemorate Brown’s actual birthday, there is the added attraction of 18th-century themed teas!

We are fortunate that the local area also includes some wonderful private gardens which are holding open days in the coming month. Details of these and other opportunities for days out can be found on the What’s On page of our website: www.hundredparishes.org.uk

Tricia Moxey, Trustee

WESTMILL PARISH COUNCIL

The last WPC meeting was held on the 12th May in the Village Hall. The minutes are available to view on our Westmill Parish Council website (www.westmillparishcouncil.co.uk).

The parish council, along with several villagers, have continually been putting pressure on Hertfordshire Highways to get the verges cut back, specifically at the north junction from the village on to the A10. This is a dangerous junction at the best of times, but made much more so when vision is severely restricted with the high growth of nettles, weeds, etc. Eventually we managed to get this done but we continue to remind Highways that this requires attention every few weeks in the growing season.

East Herts Council (EHC) are presently carrying out a review of the Westmill Conservation Area (WCA). This has involved several meetings between the WPC Chairman with the Assistant Conservation Officer. The EHC proposals will be shared with the other parish councillors in late August. This will be followed by EHC then holding a village meeting / exhibition, probably in late September, to discuss their draft report with parishioners. There will then be a consultation period when they will welcome views and comments before the WCA is finalised.

The next Parish Council meeting will be held on the 14th September at 7.30pm in the village hall.

Mike McRae, Chairman, WPC

CAN YOU SPARE A LITTLE TIME? The Friends of Westmill Church are looking for some help in maintaining the flower beds along the Church Path. At present the flower beds are maintained by a group of 8 people working in pairs who take a monthly responsibility throughout the year to keep them tidy and weeded. In the Summer months this usually involves 2 visits during the month taking about 1 hour. In the Winter months 1 visit is usually sufficient and if we could recruit, say another 4 people, then the rota would only involve being called upon twice a year. If you wish to help please ring Winston on 01763 273519 or email at [email protected].

T & MGreg Trust

The work to all the front windows at our Grade 11 listed cottages on Pilgrims Close, facing the village green, has now been completed. This has also included the complete exterior decoration of these properties. The trustees are very pleased with the work carried out which has considerably improved the appearance of these lovely cottages.

Our annual Children's Playground inspection is due to take place this month, so we await this independent report to ensure this village facility meets safety standards. The grass is being cut every 10 days through the growing season along with strimming to the surrounds to the field as necessary.

We are sure people will enjoy seeing the two shire horses now 'living' in the Trust's grazing field adjacent to the Recreation Field.

Interior decoration of the Village Hall is due to take place in early August before the annual Art Exhibition holds its 30th anniversary exhibition over the August Bank Holiday weekend. The trustees wish them every success with this special Westmill event.

Mike McRae

WESTMILL EVENTS – FORTHCOMING ACTIVITIES.

After the successful picnic we are arranging a

on Saturday 8th October at 7.15 in the Village Hall.

This is after the annual church yard clear-up. A fish and chips supper will be provided. Tables will be of 6 people. Final details, including how to obtain tickets, will be circulated in September.

We are also planning a Westmill Bake-Off in November which will be followed by the Village Supper.

Events is pleased to announce that Vicky Hadden and Richard Wood have joined the committee.

Raymond Partridge , Chair Westmill Events.

HER MAJESTY'S 90TH BIRTHDAY VILLAGE PICNIC

th Saturday 11 June

The day dawned fair promising the start of good day. Meeting at 11am a band of volunteers were ready for the off to prepare for the picnic. The ladies decorated the playground so well Her Majesty would surely have been impressed! Michael Thody very kindly lent us his marquee for the day and the men had a wonderful time erecting said! Tables were laid and party bags and balloons done with the help of children from the village. All was set.

Everyone started to arrive at 2.30pm and the party got under way. We were so lucky to have as our entertainer Richard Wood who had lined up several games which were thoroughly enjoyed by children and adults alike throughout the afternoon. The rains threatened but held off which enabled everyone to enjoy their picnic plus the many other cakes kindly donated by several people in the village. During the afternoon the ‘Queen’s Birthday

Cake’ was cut by Cath, whose friend Sylvia of Herts Vintage Tea Parties had made the beautiful and delicious cake which even had a crown on top! Everyone enjoyed a piece and more was distributed around the village to people who were unable to make the picnic. The celebrations finished on a rendition of ‘God Save the Queen’ and a vote of thanks from the Revd Ian Hill.

A good afternoon was had by everyone. There are lots people to thank very much who helped make it all possible, we hope that we have included all but sincere apologies if anyone has been missed. Our thanks to Richard and Jan for carrying out the risk assessment, also to Richard for entertaining us so brilliantly, to Mike for the loan of the marquee and to all the Westmill gentlemen who helped erect it.

Our thanks to Louise for the cake, and to Ray Olga and Cath for organising it. To Sarah and family, Owen and Bernadette, Cath, Sally, Vicky, Lesley, Helen and everyone who helped with the preparations beforehand and during and also to those who kindly donated cakes. Thank you to Mike, Alan, Steve and Earl of the Greg Trust for allowing us the use of the playground. Many thanks to Alex for the super village photo that she took (on the front cover) at very short notice but as you see it has come out really well and is a smashing memento of the day. Finally and very importantly to all the people who came and supported, without you guys it would never have happened. See you at the 100th birthday bash! Westmill Events Committee

Over the past 50 years we've seen declines in two-thirds of UK plant and animal species. But together we can help to halt the slide.

Wild About Gardens Week 2016 is a joint initiative by the RHS, The Wildlife Trusts and Bat Conservation Trust to encourage people to support wildlife in their gardens, with a focus on our UK bats. This is more important than ever. In 2013, wildlife researchers found that 60 percent of UK animal and plant species have declined in the past 50 years. Among the variety of reasons for this is loss of habitat.

Many of our common garden species – bats, hedgehogs, house sparrows, and common frogs, for example – are becoming much less common. There are an estimated 15 million gardens in the UK. Together they cover a greater area than all the National nature reserves! By making our own gardens and local green spaces more wildlife-friendly, we can help support a wide range of species.

in association with:

Bat Conservation Trust

Wild About Gardens Week runs from 24-30 October 2016

This year we’ll be looking at steps we can take to support bats and other wildlife. But don’t wait until

October! There are lots of things you can do right now to support wildlife in your garden or community green space. We’ve created some fantastic resources to help you along the way, from building insect hotels to creating hedgehog highways. There are plenty of fun activities you can do throughout the year to help your local wildlife.

For even more wildlife gardening tips, visit the Wild About Gardens website for ideas on things that can be done in an hour, a day or a weekend. And to be kept in the loop about plans for this year’s Wild About Gardens.

Follow #WildAboutGardens on Twitter for regular tips on how you can make a difference to the wildlife in your garden. Have a question? Contact us on Facebook or Twitter and we'll do our best to help.

From hedgehogs and butterflies to birds and bats; it's time to join forces and do something to help wildlife in your garden!

http://www.wildaboutgardens.org.uk/

Badgers are a night-time visitor to many gar FOUND a grey hoody top was found in the Children's Playground in mid July. If anyone has lost this please contact the Greg Trust on 01763 272147. If it is not claimed before the end of September it will be passed to a charity.

Daddy Fell into the Pond (Alfred Noyes)

Everyone grumbled. The sky was grey. We had nothing to do and nothing to say. We were nearing the end of a dismal day, And there seemed to be nothing beyond, THEN Daddy fell into the pond!

And everyone's face grew merry and bright, And Timothy danced for sheer delight. "Give me the camera, quick, oh quick! He's crawling out of the duckweed."

Click!

Then the gardener suddenly slapped his knee, And doubled up, shaking silently, And the ducks all quacked as if they were daft And it sounded as if the old drake laughed. O, there wasn't a thing that didn't respond WHEN

Daddy fell into the pond!

Unit 5a Stocking Pelham Hall Stocking Pelham, Hertfordshire SG9 0HT Mobile: 07734775358 Email: [email protected]

NOW DELIVERING IN WESTMILL

Ideal for garden parties or events where weather conditions might be a worry, you can hire this splendid FREE RANGE marquee for a EGGS £1.00 nominal charge. per half dozen. It will hold Will deliver in Westmill village. 40-60 people. 01763 272516 Enquiries to: 07791 491293

VILLAGE HALL

The Greg Trust hires out the Village Hall which is especially suitable for daytime gatherings and children's parties.

All enquiries to: Mike McRae on 272147 or email [email protected]

ANDREA'S GARDENS

GARDEN

SERVICES

01763 272595

Logs cut to size and 07455 delivered to your home. 128717

Mr J Moule 01763 272516 07813 249778

DON'T FORGET! BRITISH SUMMER TIME ENDS ON

SUNDAY 30TH OCTOBER AT 02:00:00 WHEN CLOCKS ARE

TURNED BACK ONE HOUR TO 01:00:00

VILLAGE LOTTERY BE IN IT TO WIN IT!

Since it started a minimum of £100 every month comes out in prize money with winners of £50, £30, £20 and the occasional £10. Friends of Westmill Church also benefit - receiving an equivalent amount each month which helps maintain the fabric of St Mary the Virgin. Ring Jan on 272217 to join.

VOLUNTEERS URGENTLY REQUIRED for Church Grass Cutting Rota, If you could spare an hour a month to be included on the rota that would be very helpful. Please ring Michael Thody 271321

If you'd like to write a short article, place a wanted/for sale advertis ement or just air a view in the newsletter please contact Jan James: email [email protected] or telephone 272217

Our grateful thanks to:

Vision (Office Automation) Ltd who produce the Newsletter free of charge .

ST MARY THE VIRGIN, WESTMILL September, October, November Services 2016

Sunday 4th September 9.30 Morning Worship

Sunday 11th September 9.30 Holy Communion

Sunday 18th September NO SERVICE (9.30 Holy Communion at St Mary’s and 11am Communion Service at St Peter's Buntingford)

Sunday 25th September 9.30 Holy Communion with Harvest Festival

Sunday 2nd October 9.30 Morning Worship

Sunday 9th October 9.30 Holy Communion

Sunday 16th October NO SERVICE (9.30 Holy Communion at St Mary’s Aspenden and 11am Communion Service at St Peter's Buntingford)

Sunday 23rd October 9.30 Holy Communion

Sunday 30th October 9.30 Holy Communion - All Saints Day - Clocks Change

Sunday 6th November 9.30 Morning Worship

Sunday 13th November 9.30 Holy Communion

Sunday 20th November NO SERVICE (9.30 Holy Communion at St Mary’s Aspenden

and 11am Communion Service at St Peter’s Buntingford)

Sunday 27th November 9.30 Holy Communion

ALL VERY, VERY WELCOME