The Society £1 when sold

Volume 162 Spring 2020 Established 1957 Thumbs down for CDC Plan Andrew Ketteringham of Chesham Rennaissance Community Interest Company, writes... As 2019 came to an end the directors of Chesham Renaissance In Page this 2 issue CIC were in refl ective mood. In the relatively short lifetime Chairman’s Report of the company’s existence we have produced a ‘Masterplan Page 3 for Chesham’; we have undertaken a consultation period on Editor’s letter The sweet taste of success the proposed plan; produced a second version of the plan; and Page 4 promoted it within the district, including to town and district Profile: Peter Hawkes of Hawkes councillors. Design & Publishing Page 5 Civic Voice calls for ABC Planning System to give citizens their say Page 6 More than merely a place to shop: revitalising Chesham High Street Michael Browne: hands-on at COAM Page 7 Chesham Grammar School students investigate the local environment Page 8 Chesham’s guerilla Page 9 The Chesham Society gets its feet back under the table Page 10 We have been pleased a new retail area Drought and flood that our proposals based upon the High Chesham election climate hustings have been very well Street, from Market Square to the Page11 received by councillors as well as War Memorial, plus the Star Yard Car Restored to glory others in the town. But we have been Park and the station car park. Page 12 both surprised and disappointed that So, in about the same amount of Chesham Heritage Open Day Councillors voted time that it has taken Chesham almost unanimously for a Local Plan Page 13 Renaissance to produce a that bore no resemblance to the A permanent voice for the Chilterns comprehensive and widely welcomed Join us Masterplan. plan for the town, Chiltern District Page 14 As I wrote in the Autumn edition of Council has produced a plan which, Chesham Folk Club this magazine the Council reverted as far as I can see, is not much more back to what it knows best, a proposal than a revision of the previous plan Page 15 to build the required number of new which was rejected by local people Calendar of visits & events homes on greenbelt land on the and the government inspector sent Page 16 outskirts of the town. In an attempt to to review it. Lenten organ recitals provide some ‘vision’ it has suggested Continued on page 3 Contacts and credits

Putting Cheshamwww.cheshamsociety.org.uk first www.facebook.com/cheshamsociety @cheshamsociety The Chesham Society SPRING 2020 Chairman’s report Welcome to our fi rst 2020 edition of Focus in which we review past activities and look forward to the future.

At the Chesham Society absence of a committee member for planning, we have AGM, held on 30th January, been unable to attend recent meetings. A volunteer we were able to look back on to fulfil this role would be very welcome! Regrettably, the last six months with some ANTAS (The Association of North Thames Amenity satisfaction. As you know, a Societies) has ceased operation, but we have been Special General Meeting was held in July 2019 to find a represented at a meeting of local amenity societies, which way forward for the society after the resignation of the the Chiltern Society arranged. We have also taken up our previous committee. Our constitution was amended seat on ‘Impress the Chess’, which has been very involved to require a committee of six, whose task has been to in the Chalk Stream crisis over the summer, and are also restore the Society to active life and to represent the participating in the High Street revitalisation exercise lead Town in the ongoing preparations of the Local Plan and by Chesham Connect. the new Unitary Authority. The lighter side of the Chesham Society has not been All were re-elected to the committee forgotten. Focus re-emerged in October as a bumper edition, for 2020: Jean Slater was actually for which we thank our designer elected to three different offices – Andy Roker for all his splendid work. illustrating our ever-present need for One trigger for calling the Members’ events have proved popular: more committee members. both our re-launch cheese and wine SGM was the need to evening and our Christmas tapas night One trigger for calling the SGM respond to the consultation at The Junction were fully booked. We was the need to respond to the have experimented by holding a couple consultation on the Chiltern and on the Chiltern and South of ‘Coffee Mornings’ at the Drawing South Bucks local plan. We arranged Room Café where society members a meeting with Brown Not Green Bucks local plan. can discuss any concerns with some of and Chesham Renaissance ahead our committee, and these will continue. of the SGM and, as the deadline for consultation was extended, we were later able to hold a Future plans public meeting to consider our response – which was that To ensure that the society speaks on behalf of its members the plan was poorly constructed and did nothing to further when commenting on planning applications, we will the interests of Chesham. More recently, we supported shortly be compiling a list of those who would like to give a letter composed by CPRE Bucks, suggesting that the us their views, by email, before we submit the society’s existing plan be abandoned, and a revised plan submitted response. We also hope to establish a Planning Forum, by the new Unitary Authority. Some parties declined to through which members can explore how best to tackle sign, on the grounds that any plan is better than none, but their planning and building issues in their neighbourhoods. it is our opinion that the impact on Chesham in particular In the coming year, the society will receive a generous would be so destructive that ‘no plan’ is the better option. legacy from the estate of a local resident and we face the The responses recently appeared (in a fragmented form) pleasant challenge of managing and spending this wisely on the council website, and we have received an invitation for the good of the town. to participate in the public examination of the current plan, which we are considering. Our Calendar of Visits & Events (on page 15) has entries up to July and there will be more to come. Heritage Open Regular monitoring Day falls on Sunday 13th September (see page 12) but we The society has continued its regular monitoring of local will be calling for new recruits to lend a hand this year. planning applications. Since July, we have commented on proposals for Asheridge Road, Nashleigh Hill, Hollow Thanks go to everyone who has supported the society, in what Way Lane and for the café at the Rose & Crown site started out as a rather difficult year, but has finished with the in Hawridge – opposing the first three, and supporting society once more in a position to represent (and entertain) the last. We remain a member of Civic Voice, but in the the residents of Chesham. Jim Conboy

2 Putting Chesham first Focus Spring 2020

Editor’s letter In this edition of Focus, it’s good to see so much input from contributors around the town. We carry pieces by Chesham Renaissance, Chesham Connect, Chesham Grammar School, Chesham Museum, Chesham Folk Club, Chesham Town Council and Chesham United Reform Church as well as our own in-house reports. Thanks also go to Profi le subject, Peter Hawkes, to the Chesham station garden team and to Chesham Society member Michael Browne for sharing their stories and photos with us. We would love to feature more from members in our future editions. If you have a bee in your bonnet or a story to tell, do please just drop us an email at [email protected]. Jean Slater

Thumbs down for CDC Plan Continued from page 1 Not surprisingly, therefore, this new plan has not met with My view is that the Chesham Society has been widespread approval and the inspectors have written to resurrected just in time. In your own words, ‘the need the council with questions that might suggest they are not for a civic society is as strong today as it has always convinced either! been’. Indeed, I would take that thought a little further: the need for the Chesham Society is greater now than it Just what has CDC been doing all this time? Certainly not has ever been. I have the feeling that you will be pushing convincing local people that they have a good case and, at an open door if you resist the Chiltern Plan. It’s time it seems to me, not involving the majority of councillors to fight back. – many of whom appear to be underwhelmed by the proposals, despite voting for them. Chesham Renaissance is fighting back and will support a plan, soon to be put to CDC, that reflects the Masterplan It has been suggested that the overwhelming vote for the Plan and not the proposed Local Plan. was based upon the view that ‘any plan is better than no plan’. That prompts the riposte that: a bad plan must be better than As soon as we are able, we will want to discuss that plan no plan. Can that be true? My answer is a resounding ‘no’. with your members. The sweet taste of success The approach of Easter signals a busy time for two of Chesham’s well-established family businesses. Our two award-winning chocolatiers will With their small team of assistants, be calling on all their skills to create that they hand-make indulgent, premium idea egg and other luscious Easter treats. chocolate and ice cream and invite Sophie Webb, owner of Sophie’s chocolates parties and groups to experience and cakes, started her training by working the lush pleasures of chocolate- for top Swiss chocolatiers, Lessiters, and making in their workshop. Their high-class patisserie chefs before starting visionary approach, with daring up her business in The Gatehouse in 1988. flavours and original combinations, has earned Auberge du Chocolat Three generations of the family have now over 70 of Chocolate, worked in the shop. Over the years, Sophie’s ICA and Great Taste Awards. Here hand-made chocolates and ‘couture’ too, the passion for chocolate runs celebration cakes have featured on television in the family: son Jonathan is the and in numerous national magazines and her youngest winner of an Academy chocolate has won Gold and Silver at the of Chocolate Award and was the Guild of Fine Food’s Great Taste Awards – winner of the prestigious 2012 the Oscars of the fine food world. Quinta do Novel international Husband and wife Ian and Anne Scott set chocolate award. up Auberge du Chocolat in the Chess Sophie’s Easter show stopper Jean Slater Business Park in 2005 ©John Graves

www.cheshamsociety.org.uk www.facebook.com/cheshamsociety @cheshamsociety 3 The Chesham Society

Profi le: Peter Hawkes of Hawkes Design & Publishing

Chesham is fortunate in having a superb series of books which capture different and fascinating aspects of our history in words and pictures. We asked Peter Hawkes to tell us how it all came about.

Although local publisher Peter Hawkes was born at the north end of Chesham town, he spent most of his childhood at Ley Hill, where his free time was whiled away most happily walking in fields and woods or cycling down narrow lanes to Latimer and the River Chess. Along with Matt Kirby he has just written the book ‘The Best of Chilterns Wildlife’ which celebrates this love of nature, with wonderful images by local photographers. Even in his childhood Peter gained a real sense of his roots and he remembers being fascinated by Clive Birch’s ‘Book of Chesham’, published in the 1970s. On researching his family tree he discovered his forefathers had been living and working in Church Street for at least 500 years. So after University it was to Chesham that Peter also looked for work. During 30 years in business here, he has moved his studio from Chiltern House At the Elgiva Open in Waterside (previously Day in January: Peter Shackman’s, the jewellers), to Hawkes with some of the old British School House his publications in East Street, to Hector Smith’s vacant photographic ©Matt Writtle studio above Chittenden’s and thence to Laceys Yard A real Old – the domain of the Cox Chesham family and their old saddlery character business. Perhaps Peter’s most fortuitous meeting was In print The Hawkes family tree has been fi rmly rooted in with Ray East, a well- In 1994 Peter volunteered Chesham for generations. Above, his grandfather and known photographer and to design a new magazine father’s bycyle shop at 16 Red Lion Street local historian. It was a ‘Chesham Town Talk’. In so doing he befriended the then great friendship with a Clerk of Chesham Town Council, Mike Kennedy, and the man 40 years his senior, who sold Peter his collection of forthright founder of the White Hill Centre, Mrs Cic 10,000 photographs and postcards of Chesham prior to Upcott. With Cic he designed his first book ‘Treasures of his death in 2015 at age 87. Peter admired Ray for his love the Chilterns’ in 1999. This led to further work for the of freedom and independence. He was a real Old Chesham Chiltern Society, Chiltern Open Air Museum and the Elgiva character who had never been far from home. He tried to Theatre. He has created the theatre’s What’s On brochure drive to London once, but got lost and turned back! He for the last 23 years and the Chesham Town Guide for the had long wanted to see his collection of old photographs last 5 years. ‘Chesham Town Talk’ itself lasted for 20 years, published, and so Peter was glad to include many of them in run by a fantastic team of writers, researchers and editors. an ever expanding series of books on old Chesham.

4 Putting Chesham first Focus Spring 2020

Branching out Tylers Hill, and historical publications about Czechoslovakia In 2006 Peter partnered with Keith Fletcher to publish ‘Pubs and Albania and their wartime links to . & Inns of Chesham & Villages’ which has sold towards 3,000 copies, and two years later they joined with Lesley Perry to publish ‘Chesham at Work’ which looks at the town’s Changing fortunes Peter’s most ambitious book to date was for the Lye Green rich industrial heritage. In his 50th year Peter published farmer Doug Mash entitled ‘25 Miles to Torrington’. The ‘Chesham in Living Memory’ – co-authored with Phil Cox Mash family has run several farms in the area and also owns - a book which was inspired by the public’s love of photos Bovingdon Airfield. This hardback is a fantastic insight into from the 1960s, especially of cars from that era. the changing fortunes of farming in the Chilterns over the The following year he wrote ‘Chesham Stories – Illustrated,’ centuries. How much of this Green Belt farming land will a book of heavily captioned photographs, to raise funds be lost to housing remains a great concern for Chesham for the town’s Museum. In 2018 he printed Lesley Perry’s Society members. ‘Chesham at War’ (1914-1918) and in 2019 the Chesham In 53 years Peter has been to one football match! This was Local History Group launched their remarkably successful last year at Chesham United to celebrate the launch of ‘The book ‘A History of Chesham Shops’ via Hawkes Design. Journey to Wembley’, a book about the team’s greatest Peter has worked with two colleagues from Ley Hill and success in 1968. Always open to new experiences, and Botley, Neil Lamond and Neil Rees. Mr Lamond is a transport after 30 years of serving the Chesham community, Peter’s enthusiast who has written about & Wycombe dream is to live in and write about Cumbria. However, he Bus Company and the Amersham Bus Garage, whilst Mr Rees has begun to question whether his roots will ever let him works for the Bible Society and travels all over the world, truly leave the town! leading to local books on churches, including St George’s at As told to Jean Slater Civic Voice calls for ABC Planning System to give citizens their say Civic Voice, the national spokesman for our civic societies, has called for an urgent rebalancing of power within the planning system. In calling for an ‘ABC Planning System’ Civic Speaking at the launch of the Civic Voice Manifesto for 2020 – Voice is urging the government to: 2023, Chair Joan Humble quoted recent research undertaken Introduce a ‘pre-application community by Grosvenor Britain & Ireland, which found that the public consultation stage’ and a ‘limited community right has a significant distrust of the planning process. Just 2% of of appeal’ into the planning system. the public trust developers and only 7% trust local authorities when it comes to planning for large-scale development. Strengthen Statements of Community Involvement so that they set out, in Plain English, how the local “Our call is simple”, she said. “We are calling for an accessible, authority and developers will be expected to balanced and collaborative planning system to ensure everyone engage with local communities on planning. has a meaningful voice to shape where they live. We need to Introduce an ‘Office for Public Participation’ to move away from ‘consultations’ to ‘conversations’ and open the oversee standards and consistency in public planning system up to ‘collaboration and participation’. If we give consultations. citizens a genuine meaningful voice in the planning process, we can confidence and trust in the decisions being taken. Utilise planning technology to move the decision Whether right or wrong, people believe that the decisions making process from talking to the ‘already engaged’ to having ‘everyone engaged’ in shaping impacting their local area are not made locally, but by outside our towns, cities and villages. interests, who, once the development has finished, move on. By calling for a meaningful right to participate at every stage of With such changes in place, Civic Voice believes the planning system, we can change this. With the use of new we can ‘build the homes that we need and ensure planning technology, there is no reason why this cannot happen.” that everyone in can say “we care about Jean Slater where we live’.”

www.cheshamsociety.org.uk www.facebook.com/cheshamsociety @cheshamsociety 5 The Chesham Society

More than ‘merely a place to shop’: revitalising Chesham High Street Chesham Connect, the revitalisation group for Chesham and Greater Chesham, is working with other groups which share its aims to develop a Strategy that will breathe new life into Chesham High Street. The vision of The High Street Strategy 2019 – 2025 is to make our main shopping street, its adjacent yards and surrounding retail areas the thriving nucleus of the town, with a wide range of independent shops and cafés contributing positively to the local economy. Its stated mission is ‘encouraging more people to come into Chesham, to prolong time spent and increase the individual visitor spend, by showcasing Chesham High Street in a series of interlinked campaigns.’ The project builds on work carried out with a cross-section of Chesham people in March 2019, which include a SWOT © Chesham Connect (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) and PEST (political, economic, social and technological) analysis. The Chesham Connect work has since been strengthened by input from a brand The Chesham Society has been involved in the consultant and market and competitor analysis carried out development of this strategy and looks forward to by Chesham Connect. The Strategy takes as its starting working with Chesham Connect to bring about real point the many positive attributes of Chesham (not least improvements. One immediate objective might be to the proximity to the Underground Station and the presence campaign for a number of free parking spaces, as are of a significant number of independent retailers) but also provided in many of our neighbouring towns. considers the negative aspects of the High Street and Jim Conboy how these might be addressed. Negative aspects identified include a lack of visual cohesion, the erosion of the visual non-users and new visitors from out of town; to increase aesthetic and the view held by some local people that the the ‘dwell time’ of visitors to the High Street; to make the High Street is devoid of interest and has ‘no sense of place’. High Street more than merely a place to shop.’ To address the challenge, the Strategy sets out these specific Chesham Connect acknowledges that, ‘at the heart of the objectives: ‘to create a unique identity for the High Street; Strategy is the need to build consensus and to encourage raise the profile of the shopping experience in the High the whole town to engage with the plan and its associated Street; improve the shopping environment as an appealing activities.’ With a 3 to 5 year timeframe, these may well place to visit; encourage new and varied retailers to come to change as circumstances and new opportunities dictate. the town; attract repeat visits to the High Street from local Michael Rowan, Chesham Connect

Michael Browne: hands-on at COAM A long-term member of the Chesham Society, retired architect Michael Browne has been working as a volunteer at the Chiltern Open Air Museum since 2005. Under the guidance of buildings’ manager John Hyde-Trutch, Michael puts his professional skills to good use preparing and erecting new buildings and carrying out maintenance and repairs. In this picture Michael (on the left) works on the walls of 19th-century Haddenham Croft Cottage, which is now fully reconstructed. The walls are built up from layers of wychert (a special white earth unique to the area) mixed with chopped straw, which rest on a low wall of limestone blocks or ‘grumplings’. See page 15 for details of our visit to the Chesham Open Air Musuem. ©Chiltern Open Air Museum

6 Putting Chesham first Focus Spring 2020

Chesham Grammar School students investigate the local environment Each September the newly joined Year 7 students at Chesham Grammar School spend a day getting a close-up view of Chesham, from the High Street to Lowndes Park. Come rain or shine, students walk down White Hill to the town centre to enjoy the day of outdoor activity - from sketching the clock tower to watching the geese land on the pond in the park.

The school trip is part of the first year of the Geography curriculum at CGS, where students are introduced to local field work skills and learn to examine the environment around the town. Students set out to prove or disprove a hypothesis and carry out research looking at the people and places around their own local area. Each group studies their surroundings, considering issues such as whether there is litter or pollution in various sites, how the town’s public areas have been designed for the use of pedestrians or vehicles or how many people use the high street. They also make sketches of buildings and garden areas around the town centre. CGS Geography teacher Katy Davis says, “It is important to give our students a real experience of geography outside the classroom and for them to undertake an investigative study in a ‘real life’ situation”. Back at school, the Year 7 students write up and present their research, having collated their data and reached conclusions about the quality of the environment within Chesham. Martha Ware – Development Director, Red Kite Schools Trust The Red Kite Schools Trust includes Chesham Grammar School, Waterside Primary Academy and Ivingswood Academy. Martha’s main role within the Trust is to provide support for the schools and their activities, which can encompass charities and community relations, social media and PR, contacts for clubs, careers and work experience, sponsorship, grants and fundraising. Accompanying school trips with students is, she says, “just a lovely perk of the job!”

Top: students commented on an apparent difference in the level of air pollution around the clock tower compared with the Broadway, where idling buses had their engines running. Right: the well-kept park always comes in for praise ©Chesham Grammar School

www.cheshamsociety.org.uk www.facebook.com/cheshamsociety @cheshamsociety 7 The Chesham Society Chesham’s guerrilla graffiti Like , they hide their identity and strike when no-one is around. For several years now, Chesham’s guerrilla knitters have been brightening up parts of the town centre by ‘tagging’ bollards, railings, bicycles and other mundane objects with their home- spun form of urban art. Whilst technically classed as graffiti, guerrilla – also known as bombing and yarn storming – is now a world-wide phenomenon complete with its annual International Yarn Bombing Day on 11th June. In the words of www.daysoftheyear.com, this is when (somewhat scarily) “fiber-freaks from around the world go on a knitting rampage to embrace the world in warm fuzzy comfort.” The internet offers various versions of how this all began, but the mother of the textile graffiti movement is generally considered to be Texan yarn-bomber Magda Sayeg. In 2005, when managing a clothes shop, she felt an urge to “add colour to my world” by knitting the shop a door handle. Encouraged by the reaction of passers-by, Magda had soon graduated from a door handle to a double-decker bus and has proved unstoppable since. She is now a sought-after textile artist, whose work includes large-scale installations at prestigious venues and events.

Knit the city Lauren O’Farrell is credited with establishing Britain’s first significant guerrilla knitting group, Knit the City. Lauren took up knitting Today, Lauren O’Farrell (a.k.a. as a distraction from cancer treatment Deadly Knitshade) describes herself and, in March 2007, she celebrated as “author, artist, graffiti knitting being given the all-clear by tying a pioneer, traveller, photographer” 550ft scarf round the lions in Trafalgar and – interestingly – “giant squid Square. In 2009, under the names wrestler”. of Deadly Knitshade, the Fastener, Jean Slater Shorn-a the Dead and Lady Loop, her group embarked on a yarn-storming mission to stitch up London. Knit the City went on to tag other London A labour of love for landmarks with knitted and crocheted Remembrance Day: the hundreds art works, pioneering their hallmark of crocheted poppies that spring ‘stitched stories’ featuring ‘arigurami’ up on railings and around the (stuffed) creatures – a style which War Memorial form a tribute of caught on with groups around the which we can all be proud world. ©John Graves

8 Putting Chesham first Focus Spring 2020 The Chesham Society gets its feet back under the table The Special General Meeting held in July last year kicked-off the hitherto dormant Chesham Society and put us back on the map as the town’s voice, and it was good to see such a high turnout from the Society’s members. However we were keen to mark our re-emergence from the doldrums in more celebratory style and so, in November, we held a free cheese and wine tasting at the Town Hall as a Thank You to all those members who had remained incredibly supportive during 2019. For those that attended the event - and a large number of you Michael Boniface from the No.2 Pound Street delicatessen did - there was an inspirational and unusual choice of British in Wendover. We were talked thorough each pairing artisan cheeses and wine pairings that had been selected by prior to the tasting which was great fun, not to mention utterly delicious. Your correspondent can recommend the terrific Mrs Bells Blue, an award-winning blue sheep’s milk cheese from Yorkshire. The wines came from all corners of the world, often from small, independent producers.

Gastronomic feast Our Christmas event was also a gastronomic feast which took place at the recently-opened The Junction Eatery in the High Street. Members were given a very warm and festive welcome and there was a large selection of tapas to choose from. For those who have not yet eaten there, The Junction Eatery is a café by day and a tapas bar on Friday and Saturday evenings. The modern British/Mediterranean menu uses locally sourced produce from trusted suppliers, and the décor signals Chesham’s “Metroland” heritage. As its website says, “Swing by and hook up, a good service is running at all times”. I’ll drink to that. Tapas (and more wine) at The Junction John Graves A Christmas cracker! Chesham’s Christmas street party (always held on the last Friday of November) was one of the most successful yet. There were 64 stalls (the highest number ever) and over 30 High Street premises stayed open late to take part. The crowds enjoyed ten music and dance acts from participants including Theatre Shed, My Town Choir and Elm Tree School. Stars of the Elgiva’s Cinderella, and the Town Choir, assisted Town Mayor Cllr Qaser Chaudhry in switching on the lights. Thanks go to Chesham Connect for organising the event. ©Chesham Town Council

www.cheshamsociety.org.uk www.facebook.com/cheshamsociety @cheshamsociety 9 The Chesham Society

Drought and flood Despite some serious fl ooding across parts of the UK this winter, our Chesham area is still offi cially in drought following three years of lower-than-average rainfall. As a result, the groundwater levels in the chalk aquifer that feed the River Chess and supply our drinking water are below normal and Affi nity Water may need to introduce temporary use restrictions this Spring. However, modelling carried out by the Met Office predicts an increase in rainfall intensity in Chesham due to climate change. In fact, 35% of properties in Chesham are predicted to experience flooding in the next 100 years. These include properties in seemingly unlikely parts of the town, including some of the hilltop areas. The combination of high groundwater levels and heavy rainfall will create surface water flooding – especially in steep areas during heavy downpours. Ironically, we will also be at risk from the River Chess and it tributary, the Vale Brook, which carries run- off surface water from most parts of Chesham in its culvert beneath the town. If you’d like to check on the long-term risk for your immediate neighbourhood, just go to https://flood-warning- information.service.gov.uk/long-term-flood-risk/map and enter your post code. Jean Slater Chesham election climate hustings The Chesham Society’s pre-Christmas social gathering wasn’t the only event going on in the High Street on the evening of Friday 6 December. Eight local community groups collaborated in organising a climate hustings in the council chamber of the Town Hall that started at eight o’clock. Indeed a couple of our members even managed to attend both events. The groups that coorganised the event were The Chiltern Society, Stop HS2, The Chiltern Peace and Justice Group, The River Chess Association, Chesham and District Natural History Society, Sustainable Chesham, XR Chesham and Friends of Lowndes Park. It proved to be a popular draw - the council chamber was packed with some attendees having to listen to proceedings in the adjacent corridor, while thirty-or-so others were left outside in the car park due to safety restrictions on the number of people permitted in the chamber. It was quite a coup for the organisers in that all four candidates who were standing for the Chesham Dame Cheryl Gillan MP, Dan Gallagher, Alan Booth and and Amersham constituency in the general election Matt Turmaine answer Chesham’s questions on all things attended the hustings - Alan Booth of the Green climate-related Party, Liberal Democrat Dan Gallagher, the incumbent subjects that were then asked by a representative person in Conservative MP Dame Cheryl Gillan and Labour’s Matt the audience. The panel was given the questions in advance. Turmaine. It was a golden opportunity to listen to - and to At the start each of the candidates were invited to speak interrogate - the four candidates on issues relating to the for up to two minutes on their personal stance on the environment, climate change, biodiversity loss and the green climate and ecological emergency and, towards the end of belt. the evening, they had the opportunity to deliver a short resumé on their own party’s views. In the Chair’s introduction, she stressed that the evening’s debate would be “Brexit-free” and, indeed, other issues For those who did not attend the hustings and would like not related to the climate emergency wouldn’t be tabled. to know more, the debate was filmed and can be seen on A large number of questions were submitted ahead of the YouTube by searching on Chesham Election Hustings. meeting and these were collated and bundled into broader John Graves

10 Putting Chesham first Focus Spring 2020 Restored to glory It was a lucky day for Chesham when garden- loving, Met-Line enthusiast John Harrison retired. A resident of Chesham for the last 55 years, John was brought up in Pinner where he commuted to school on the Metropolitan Line and paid regular visits to Chesham to photograph steam trains in the station. This early fascination with the Met Line became a lifetime interest and John travelled extensively to photograph subjects all along the line. When he retired, John turned his attention once more to the station closest to home. He was struck by the sorry state of Chesham’s station garden which had enjoyed its

first flowering under the loving care of London Transport’s Mark Stevenson and colleague Barbara Brown. Since their Jenny at work in the garden (above): and hard work departure, some fifteen years of neglect had reduced it to rewarded! a weedy patch of rough ground. Never one to let the grass © All images John Harrison grow, John asked Transport for London for permission to It’s this supportive spirit that keeps the garden, and its creators, take over the care and management of the garden and they so cheerful. “If you ask, people are very generous,” says John. readily agreed. Thus in 2016 John, his wife Jenny and their Chesham Town Council, Chesham Connect and Chiltern neighbours John and Tris Johnson set about the daunting District Council have provided funding towards the cost of task of bringing the garden back to life. buying seeds and growing plants, whilst “scrounging where we can” for other items (gravel from Wickes, pumpkins from All the clearing, planning, planting, weeding and watering Waitrose, a lawnmower–cum-planter from Workaid, the annual has been well rewarded with plenty of interest, colour and Christmas tree from Matthews) produces a willing response variety all the year round. The garden is at its peak in the that is always much appreciated. Passengers are appreciative too: summer, stocked with many plants grown in the Harrison’s occasionally donations of plants are left on the step, or a box of own greenhouse and complemented by platform displays chocolates is handed in at the ticket office, with a note from a provided by the foursome in support of Chesham in Bloom. grateful commuter. To this they add special displays put in place for Easter, Halloween, Remembrance Day and Christmas, each with its The Chesham Society adds its thanks for what has been achieved own eye-catching installation such as the big, brass March here. For the many hundreds of passengers who use this branch Hares offered on loan to the garden last year by of the Metropolitan Line, Chesham station garden now creates sculptor and artist Stephen Charlton, who also produced a first and last impression that is worthy of our town. the sculpture for Lowndes Park pond. Jean Slater

www.cheshamsociety.org.uk www.facebook.com/cheshamsociety @cheshamsociety 11 The Chesham Society Heritage Open Day Chesham to open its doors again for Heritage Open Day on 13 September Established in 1994, Heritage Open Days is England’s contribution to the European Heritage Days and over the last 25 years it has grown into the country’s largest community heritage festival.

new places to open. It’s a chance for communities nationwide to come together to learn, explore and have fun by sharing the treasures on their doorstep. Chesham has been celebrating Heritage Open Days since 1996 when just one venue in the town opened its doors - The Bury. In 2018, when the event last took place here, 25 events attracted more than 4700 visits. Attractions included behind-the-scenes tours of The Elgiva Theatre, trips up the bell tower of St Mary’s Church, a rare opportunity to see the Edwardian Chesham Fire Appliance, an exhibition on the 100-year history of JPS’s premises in Market Square, a stroll around the award-winning garden of Chesham Bois House, and a live studio family day at Chiltern Voice FM. John Graves Left: Chesham 1879 Tennis & Squash Below: Chesham Mosque Far left: Weedons Alms houses New venues The Chesham Society, the organisers of Heritage Open Days in the town, always aims to open new venues and encourage new events, and this year is no exception. So if you have an Heritage Open Days continues to flourish interesting house, garden, vehicle, with more events every year, reflecting the place of work or worship or, rich and diverse cultural heritage of England indeed, know of anything in the and its communities. Spanning the public, town that would be of interest private and voluntary sectors, the festival is a to the local community and is of unique and powerful partnership. Working with relevance to our town’s rich and organisations and individuals across England, fascinating heritage, then do get in Heritage Open Days is our national local festival. There are always new stories to tell and touch with us.

We will report in more detail on upcoming events in the next edition of Focus. In the meantime, put the date in your diary now - 13 September - it’s going to be a great day!

12 Putting Chesham first Focus Spring 2020 A permanent voice for the Chilterns Ofcom has just awarded four new community radio licences in England and Northern Ireland which includes Chiltern Voice FM, the station that broadcasts from The White Hill Centre and covers Chesham, Amersham and neighbouring Chiltern District. The news, which was announced at the end of January, was met with jubilation by the team of volunteers that runs Chiltern Voice FM as the station now has for the fi rst time a fi ve-year full-time FM broadcasting licence.

It’s been almost four years since Chiltern Voice FM burst on to our airwaves with a short Ofcom licence to test whether a radio station would be of benefit to the Chilterns. It was the brainchild of Emily Culverhouse and Mark Rann who teamed up with radio professionals David Rees and Phill Cannon. Following a second FM temporary licence during the summer of 2018 which proved to be highly successful, the station now has at last a full-time FM licence from Ofcom, securing its long term future as a community broadcaster. David Rees, Project Director says: “there has never been any doubt that Amersham and Chesham deserved and needed a local radio station, better still, media outlet. We are delighted to be the custodians to launch the radio station serving the Chiltern District”.

Dedication The station is run entirely by volunteers, many of whom have full time jobs, so getting to this point has entailed much dedication and it’s been a labour of love for Emily, Mark and the team. The station is self-financed through grants and local advertising. If you’d like to be involved in any capacity the team would welcome your support and you can listen and find out more by visiting the station’s website, www. chilternvoice.fm. Sounds great. Emily Culverhouse and Jane MacBean being vocal about John Graves Heritage Open Day in 2018 Join us... To join the Chesham Society fi ll in the form at: https://chesham-society.org.uk/?GoTo=Join or call us on 01494 786382

www.cheshamsociety.org.uk www.facebook.com/cheshamsociety @cheshamsociety 13 The Chesham Society Chesham Folk Club a local club with a long tradition

Our club traces its roots back to its founding in the early 1960s as the ‘Trap Door’ club, when it met in an upstairs room off East Street, entered through a trap door! We subsequently moved to other venues, notably the Tudor Rooms at the Crown in Amersham, when we became known as Tudor Folk Club. Finally, in 1989 we moved to the White Hill Centre, and changed our name to Chesham Folk Club to better indicate our location. The White Hill Centre has provided us with a stable long-term home. Many folk clubs have faltered at the whim of a brewery or a landlord, due to the closure of the venue. We have prospered due to this stability, which has allowed us to plan our future with confidence. The Centre has a well-stocked bar and disabled access, with none of We are proud to be a club rather than a concert venue. You the noise and distraction problems often associated with a can get ‘up close and personal’ with our guests and regular licensed venue. performers, in a room which has superb acoustics and a great atmosphere. Over the past 50+ years our guests have ranged from Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel (in 1964) to other well-known The club meets every Monday (except bank Holidays). artists such as Martin Simpson, Martin Cathy, Kate Rusby, Each month (except August) we have a Guest Night, when Fairport and the last ever performance of Lindisfarne (best special guests will play 2 x 40-minute spots. We also have a known for ‘Fog on the Tyne’). monthly Feature Night for local and emerging artists, with 2 x 20-minute spots, and local performers completing the Up close and personal line-up. On the other two Mondays we hold ‘Singers Nights’, Our guests, who cover all aspects of folk and acoustic when those attending will (if they wish) take their turn to music, come from all over the globe; be they young or old, sing or play for those present. However, there is no need traditional or contemporary, song based or instrumental, for you to perform – just come along and listen to those famous or just beginning, they all meet our key criteria – to who do. As a club we actively seek out and promote young provide quality. performers. We may be one of the longest established clubs in the area, but our eye is on the future and not the past. We are passionate in our task of providing a platform showcasing the best in Folk and Acoustic music. To find out more, visit our website www.cheshamfolkclub.org.uk. Better still, come along and see us on a Monday night. John Hatton – Honorary Treasurer Chesham Folk Club

Left: Folk Club dog Alex shares the stage on Monday nights ©Chesham Folk Club

14 Putting Chesham first The Chesham Society

CALENDAR OF VISITS & EVENTS:

MONDAY 9TH MARCH 2020 Sunday 12th JULY 2020 - Chesham in the County Archives: date to be confirmed 10.30 – 12.30pm at the Centre for Little Friars: a visit to Chesham’s Buckinghamshire Studies, County Hall, “accidental arboretum” at Pednor Walton Street, Aylesbury. The archivist will Bottom, Chesham HP5 2SS. Purchased draw on the riches of Buckinghamshire’s by Merelene Davis in 1992 to protect county record office to show us material the land from development, this 2.4 specifically relating to Chesham, including acre site began as a Christmas tree early maps, photos, parish registers, Tables will be set up ready for everyone venture and has since grown into a Lowndes’ documents and other items who brings their photos to roost and collection of over 100 varieties of requested by our group. The Centre will reminisce. Everyone is welcome: if you trees. Christmas trees still support this be closed to the general public on that are bringing some images – or need unusual arboretum, in which trees and day. Members: £5. Guests: £10. Places are some special equipment – please get in shrubs combine to nurture the whole limited so booking is essential. After the touch (see how to book) to let us know. ecosystem, including that below the visit, the Chiltern Brewery’s King’s Head Members: free. Guests £2. ground. Meet and park at Monksfield, may beckon. for the guided visit starting at 3pm. 7pm on 21st May SUNDAY 19TH APRIL 2020 Monksfield is the house on the right The History of Teddy Bears/Chiltern Bears (going away from Chesham) about 50 Vernacular Buildings of the Chilterns: A Chesham Museum event – bring your own yards past the arboretum. Members: 2.30 – 4pm, The Chiltern Open Air bear! free. Guests: £4. The Society will make Museum, Newland Park, Chalfont St Lowndes Room, Chesham Town Hall a donation to the charity designated on Giles HP8 4AB. The Chiltern Open Air The speaker for the evening is Jo the Little Friars Arboretum website. Museum was founded in 1976 with the McDonald who is a Teddy Bear specialist aim of rescuing threatened local buildings at Vectis, the world’s largest specialist toy which would otherwise be lost. Since auction house. Jo has a particular interest then, 35 examples of ‘vernacular’ buildings in Chiltern Bears and will bring along her have been rescued and re-erected at the own collection: attendees are invited to site. This huge achievement has created do the same – all bears accepted! Tickets a lively, diverse and fascinating collection cost £5 and will be on sale in April. Please with exhibits ranging from a post-war check all details nearer the time on https:// ‘prefab’ to a Victorian toll house, a cheshammuseum.org.uk/ tin chapel, a furniture factory, a fully- ©Chesham Museum functioning Edwardian public convenience and a historic Chilterns farm. We have We aim to hold Chesham Society Coffee organised a 90 minute guided tour of Mornings every month (except August) buildings around the Village Green, leaving from 10.30 – 11.30am at The Drawing time for further exploration of the site Room in Francis Yard. Dates will be on our and a visit to the cafe before closing time website: www.cheshamsociety.org.uk and at 5pm. Paths are not ideal for wheelchairs, we’ll be in touch by email. Come along but mobility scooters can be booked in and meet committee members to discuss advance. Members: £8. Guests: £10. Places ideas, opportunities or concerns. are limited so booking is essential. THURSDAY 14TH MAY 2020 Images of Chesham: The Council How to Book: please note that Chamber, Chesham Town Hall. Drop in Sunday 14th JUNE 2020 booking is essential at some events. between 7.30 and 9.30pm and share ‘Co-op Town’: join guide Keith Fletcher To reserve your place, please contact: your images of Chesham past and present for an easy town walk that explores the [email protected] or call over a glass of wine – or just come along amazing history of Chesham Co-op from 01494 786382. and enjoy what is on display. Dig out 1875 to 1984 and learn how, with its Grand Information is correct at the time your albums of old photos of the town Premises and other outlets, the Co-op of publication and we will email or bring along more contemporary met all the needs of Chesham shoppers you if any changes occur. You can views that capture something of its “from the cradle to the grave”. Meet at also check last-minute details on changing character. We’ll bring along our The War Memorial at 3pm. Members: free. www.cheshamsociety.org.uk and Chesham Society archive pictures and Guests: £4. Places are limited so booking via the booking contacts. other contributors are already on board. is essential.

15 15 Putting Cheshamwww.cheshamsociety.org.uk first www.facebook.com/cheshamsociety @cheshamsociety The Chesham Society Lenten organ recitals at Chesham United Reformed Church For the third year running Chesham United Reformed Church (URC) will be hosting an organ recital series every Friday lunchtime during Lent. Each of the recitals will start at 12.30pm and will last approximately 25 minutes. Admission for the organ recitals is free but donations will be gratefully received. They will be followed by an optional light lunch in the Church hall at a cost of £4. The recitals are organised jointly by Chesham URC and Buckinghamshire Organists’. Association. The organ at Chesham URC, which is original to the building, has been awarded a certificate Grade I by the British Institute of Organ Studies in recognition of it being an outstanding example of an instrument by Forster & Andrews, dated 1886. It is the first use of tubular-pneumatic action by this builder and the organ has been sympathetically refurbished in recent years. Rona Gibson – Chesham United Reform Church Chesham United Reform Church ©John Graves

The following are the dates for the recital series, and names of the organists who are performing along with the church where they play. Details of the selection of music will be available nearer the time: 28 February - Peter Williams, Ickenham United Reformed Church 20 March - Jenny Hoare, Northchurch Parish Church 6 March - Frances Atkinson, Chesham United Reformed Church 27 March - Gerard Anderson, St Aiden’s Catholic Church, 13 March - Derrick Matthews, Aylesbury Methodist Church 3 April - Andrew Winton, All Saints Parish Church, High Wycombe The 2018 and 2019 recitals at Chesham URC proved to be both well-attended and much appreciated and we look forward to another enjoyable series of recitals with a similarly varied selection of pieces and styles.

The Chesham Society £1 when sold Putting Chesham first President: Helen Salisbury 07940 803463 E: [email protected] Chairman: Jim Conboy 07730 230405 E: [email protected] Vice Chairman: Jean Slater E: [email protected] Honorary Secretary: John Graves E: [email protected] Treasurer: Gerry Griffi n E: [email protected] Design & layout: Andy Roker Membership secretary: Richard Gamester E: [email protected] T: 01494 775489 E: [email protected] Committee Member Mora Walker Photography: Contributors Not serving on the committee: Printed by: Ink Link, Planning: Nicolas Moss E: [email protected] Unit 4, Waterside Business Park Archivist Dr Angela Bishop Waterside, Chesham, Focus Editors: Jean Slater E: [email protected] Buckinghamshire HP5 1PE Peter Hawkes 07548 735719 Publicity: Vacant T: 01494 791320 E: [email protected] W: www.inklinkprinters.co.uk Website: www.cheshamsociety.org.uk

16 16 Putting Cheshamwww.cheshamsociety.org.uk first www.facebook.com/cheshamsociety @cheshamsociety