Chipperfield News

June 2007

News From St Paul's School

The Spring Term ended with a lovely Easter Service which was well attended by parents. The children told the story of Jesus passion and resurrection through their art work, readings and music. Rev. Jim Stevens spoke to the children about Easter not just being a story, but a real event. We said goodbye and good luck to Miss Mildner as she left us for her new role as a head teacher in Pinner. She was presented with presents from the children, parents, staff and governors. We also sent our congratulations and best wishes to Mrs Dunne who has had a baby girl, Ciara. The start of the summer term has been a busy one. Mrs Mary Nobbs came to present the village history prizes to some of our Year 5 pupils; our Tag Rugby team won the Saracens Schools tag rugby tournament and our Lacrosse team has also been victorious over other schools in the area. We have registered as an Eco School and are looking at ways to take care of our environment. We have welcomed some of the players from the Saracens rugby team, who as well as doing some rugby coaching, spoke to the children about teamwork and being active. Our after school sports clubs this half term are athletics, basketball, multi skills and rounders. This month Year 4 are heading to an activity holiday in Norfolk and Year 6 are spending a week in the Isle of Wight where they will have lots of fun unwinding after their SATs! Norah Tattersall, Head teacher

Open Gardens - Sunday 1 July 2-5pm

The following gardens in Chipperfield will be open on Sunday 1 July between 2 and 5pm in aid of the British Red Cross: Burford House (Mr & Mrs Richard Edwards) A large informal garden with lawns, mature trees, herbaceous borders, water garden, vegetable garden, beautiful views. Mahogany Hall (Mr & Mrs Donald Main) A natural garden in a woodland setting with large pond and water garden. Doggetts (Mr & Mrs Alan Toulson) A family garden of about an acre with mixed beds, vegetable plot, greenhouse, meadow, established and newly planted trees. Lamington House (Mr & Mrs Peter Thomas) A delightful one acre garden which includes a Mediterranean gravel garden, small woodland garden, and pond with waterfall. Music by Mosaic Orchestra and teas at Burford House. Plants by Elborns Hardy Plants at Mahogany Hall. Children may use the pool at Doggetts with parental supervision from the poolside. Ice cream at Doggetts.

Combined admission adults £4.

Chipperfield Theatre Group - The Pompeii Panto

No sooner had the likes of Su Pollard taken off her tights and Christopher Biggins stopped rubbing his magic lamp, Chipperfield Theatre Group were donning their togas for the Pompeii Panto. It was a brave attempt to revitalise the genre and even if, ultimately, it didnt quite hit the heights of their superlative recent efforts, there was still plenty to admire. Nobody more than the star of the show - Dame Simon Phillips, who it seemed, had been waiting for his chance to ham it up in a frock for years. His enthusiasm, reminiscent of Gunner Beaumont from “It aint half hot Mum”, was that of a man whose lifes destiny it was to entertain us with his one man drag act.

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Elsewhere, the usual parade of goodies and baddies (mostly) resplendent in wonderful costumes dutifully played out the formulaic plot against a splendid backdrop which had swallowed up a healthy slice of the budget. But Rob Hine was probably wondering why there was no money left in the kitty for him. As, despite his best efforts, Senator Bilius lacked an element of menace inherent in some of the better known panto villains. Pleasingly, Paul Instrall gave his camp snob routine another outing as Nero while the stooges, Anne Pinkus and John Oglesby gave us an idea of what the offspring of The Chuckle Brothers and The Krankies might be like. Im certain we have not seen the last of Mark Whitewood either. His cameo as the aptly named Hilarious went down very well. So although the song and dance routines lacked their usual polish and the script wasnt brilliant, there were enough highlights - the riotous banquet of Bilius, the fashion parade and another clever use of ultra violet light amongst them, to give more than just the blatantly plugged sponsors their moneys worth. Finally, its worth noting in the cast list that there was a nod to the future as younger relations of established cast members took the romantic leads. Amba Bottril made a decent fist of the fey princess but perhaps the reason for Luke Phillips surly expression was an awareness that, with tremendous performances such as these, Simon is not quite ready to hand over the acting baton just yet. Jason Cox

Chipperfield Horticultural Society

SUMMER SHOW - SATURDAY 23 JUNE Our Summer Show is always a wonderful display of colour and scent and this year we have several classes for roses and sweet peas. Delphiniums, pansies, sweet williams, pinks, carnations and herbaceous perennials all have classes of their own. Fruit and vegetables from strawberries to cabbages, blackcurrants to potatoes will be on display. Pot plants, vases of flowers, floral arrangements, handicraft and domestic sections as well as photography and juniors. All this to be seen and admired when the doors open at 2.30pm. After a cup of tea and a delicious piece of cake there will be a raffle and an auction of produce followed by the prizegiving at 3.30pm. Entry forms are in the 2007 schedule and can be given to any committee member, to the Post Office Stores or Stanleys Stores by 2.00pm the day before the show. Nothing could be easier, so come along and enjoy yourself and take part, its great fun. Ann Soanes 01923 262756

Village Hall Quiz Night

A most enjoyable evening, organised by Hugh Clifford, was held at Chipperfield Village Hall on Saturday 12 May, in aid of Village Hall redecorations, due to take place in August. Richard Crafter from Epping acted, once again, as a most effective Quiz Master, ably assisted by his wife, Valerie, and two children, Rebecca and James. Fish and chips were served to the 100 competitors. The raffle was organised by Alex Clifford. The Chairman, Richard Edwards, thanked Richard Crafter and all those involved in the event for their support and hard work in making the evening such a success. He also congratulated Gladys Taaffe as the worthy winner of the Heads and Tails competition. An estimated £ 900 was raised during the evening. The next Village Hall event will be a Barn Dance on November 3. This promises to be another successful evening, organised by Anne Stickland, so put the date in your diary now.

Walks This Month

Sunday 3rd at 2pm - Discovering Chorleywood House Estate. 2.5 miles, includes inclines and uneven ground. Refreshments in the Summer House afterwards. From A404 Rickmansworth Road turn into Chorleywood House Estate and meet in car park opposite the lawn cemetery. Grid ref: TQ 032 968. Contact: 01727 848168.

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Thursday 14th at 1pm - The meadows of Bunkers Park. 2 miles. A gentle stroll around Bunkers Park providing an opportunity to see its wild flowers and butterflies. Meet at Bunkers Park off Leverstock Green Road, Hemel. Grid ref: TL 088 060. Contact: 01727 848168. Friday 15th at 6pm - Pond dipping on Chorleywood Common. Family event for children & adults; wear wellingtons and bring nets for dipping. Meet at Vicarage/School Pond by Christchurch car park (free) off the A404 Rickmansworth Road, Chorleywood. Grid ref: TQ 032 961. Contact: Mike Warburg 01923 282848. Sunday 24th at 10am - A guided walk along the Nickey Line. 4 miles. The return leg of the route will involve some stiles; there will be the option to return back to the start point along the Nickey Line. Meet at entrance to the Nickey Line, off Hunters Oak, Hemel. Grid ref: TL 081 096. Contact 01727 848168.

Village People

Two new Simmonds babies! Congratulations to Nicola and Simon on the birth of their gorgeous daughter Amelie Eva, born on 9 December, and to Mark and Caroline, who had an equally gorgeous son, Alfie James, on 17 March. Both were born at the Luton and Dunstable Hospital with granny Jacky supporting. Emmas baby, Jasmine, is delighted to have two new cousins to play with!

Frank and Lesley Baker are delighted to announce the birth of a beautiful granddaughter. Amelie Sennen Gillard is a first child for their daughter Sarah and husband Alexei. Her middle name is taken from "Sennen Cove" in Cornwall, where Alexei proposed and they became "betrothed". Amelie has brought delight and joy to the whole family.

A daughter, Amber Carys, was born to Helena and Kirk Pattinson on 25 April at home. Their second child is a sister for Lily and cousin for Lauren and Cameron. Jarlath and Stephanie Pattinson are delighted with the arrival of their fourth grandchild. Such joy!

The marriage took place at St Andrews Church, Folkingham, on Saturday, 14 April, between Michael Wells, son of Mr Arthur Wells and the late Mrs Dorothy (Doris) Wells, of Caddington, Bedfordshire, and Annabel Heathcote, third daughter of Mr Michael Heathcote and the late Mrs Dorothy Heathcote (of Dorothy Heathcote Florists) of Watford, Hertfordshire. The bride was given in marriage by her father and attended by the couples two year old daughter, Harriet. Mr Gary Hyde was best man. The service was conducted by the Reverend Charles Robertson and was held at St Andrews where the brides father is the patron of the church. A reception was held at The George Hotel, Stamford. The couple, who live in Chipperfield, would like to thank the large number of their guests who travelled from across the country to celebrate their day with them.

Chipperfield Short Mat Bowls Club

The club held its end of season dinner at Little Hay Golf Club on Friday 4 May when 39 members and guests sat down to an excellent carvery meal. Ron Ray, President, gave a short summary of the season. The club met on 57 occasions, although average attendance was slightly down on the previous year. As usual, the club played several friendly matches, although Ron made the point that it was increasingly difficult for both our club and visitors to raise a team. The Chairman, Terry Timberlake, thanked the committee for their help during the year, especially Dave Piper who had again organised the Pairs Competition. The winners were Roy Wildman and Colin O'Donnell and the runners- up were Michael King-Jones and Vera Piper. The John Prestwich Trophy for the most improved player was presented to Jonnie Wood. The Chairman wound up the evening by thanking the caterers and looked forward to welcoming members at the new bowls season which will start again on Tuesday 2 October.

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Non-impact Aerobic Dance Classes

Weekly on Thursdays - 9.30-10.30am Classes will take place at The Dance Studio, above Blackwells Café, Chipperfield. Cost £8 per class (discount on block bookings). Youll tighten, tone, lengthen, strengthen, lose pounds and inches – and have fun while youre doing it. The holistic approach unites the body and mind, and creates an exhilarating path anyone can follow towards a healthy fit body. More info or to book call Michele 077861 72407

Roman Catholic Church

It was with great sadness that we learned of Bishop James OBriens death on 11th April. Shortly after his appointment as Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster he assumed responsibility for the Church in Hertfordshire, where he was to serve his priests and people with total dedication for the next twenty nine years. It was at this time, in September 1977, that he contacted Fr Des - who was then working in the Portsmouth diocese - and invited him to come to Hertfordshire as chaplain to St Michaels School, Garston. He also established, under the care of Fr Des, a Pastoral Area of some fifty square miles which eventually evolved into the Catholic parish of Chipperfield. Bishop OBrien lived, very simply and frugally, in the Gate House at the Pastoral Centre in London Colney. Fr Des recalls his first visit to meet him for lunch. Des was instructed to butter the toast whilst he, the Bishop, scrambled the eggs. His parting gift was a jar of homemade marmalade, with words to the effect ‘we need to look after each other! Bishop Jims culinary expertise peaked when eventually he was able to present a rather good spaghetti bolognaise to his guests. Bishop Jim always retained a warm and deep interest in the growth and development of the Pastoral Area. He attended and gave evidence at the Public Enquiry which preceded the building of our church in Dunny Lane, and, ten years after its construction, unveiled a plaque commemorating the repayment of all debts on the building. Bishop Jim epitomized the description of a gentleman and a priest. His ready smile; his response when asked about his well-being "Splendid, my dear"; his advice "Dont take life too seriously", were expressive of his deep faith and knowledge of himself. In his humility, he was able to laugh at himself and indulge in his great hobby of long walks, bee-keeping and latterly caring for his beloved Labrador dog, Ben. At the onset of his final illness he wrote to his people in his usual gentle way: I am even more grateful to God for the wonderful life with which he has blest me. Fifty two years in the priesthood, over half of which were spent as a bishop in Hertfordshire have given me great joy.... Illness can have many benefits. It gives one a chance to reflect - to realise ones dependence on God and the love of others and to recognise that Gods Grace is everywhere... Please continue your prayers now that Gods holy will be done so that He may be glorified in all things. In the end, that is all that really matters. We thank God for the good life and dedicated ministry of this holy man. May he rest in peace.

Baptist Church

When you read this, our May Fair will have come and gone - and church life will have got back to some normality, for a while at least! We are always grateful to village folk who support our events so loyally. As the summer progresses, we shall be preparing for our Flower Festival to be held on the Bank Holiday weekend of August 25th - 27th. Please note this very special bi-annual event in our church in your diaries now.

Diary Of Services At The Baptist Church

June 3rd 10:30am Family Worship with Communion 10th 10:30am Family Worship

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17th 10:30am Family Worship with Communion 24th 10:30am Family Worship, Lay Preachers Sunday July 1st 10:30am Family Worship with Communion

St Pauls And Holy Cross

It rained! – Sunday night – May 6th – for the first time for weeks. Good rain too, which soaked into the very dry hardened soil. Vegetables I had sown and planted over April would profit greatly: the ground in which I wanted to plant other things for the months ahead was now just right. I uttered a heartfelt "Thank you Lord, for this rain": but with the rain, comes the weeds! I have often wondered why it is that weeds grow three times faster than plants! Maybe that defines a weed! The things I plant take much more time to grow than that which is self-sown. That set me thinking – for I am a bit like that. The things of real value which God longs to plant, nurture and develop in my life somehow grow much more slowly than that which is "self-sown", like the weeds in my garden, which ultimately offer me little or nothing, and spread so easily. As the sun gives warmth, and the rain moisture, the ground gives its nourishment to both what I plant, and what is self-sown. I sense that too easily we can give our energies to that which is "self-sown"- or just comes along, which in the long-term is unhelpful: that means there is so much less energy and resource given for nourishing that which is good, Christ-like, and fruitful: the things which our Creator – the master gardener longs to develop within us. What do we nourish in our daily living – and what might the Creator think of our choices? With my greetings, Jim Stevens

Your Garden In June

After a very dry April and very wet May things might settle down for a busy time in the garden this month. We have not had a frost during June for the last quarter of a century, so it should be safe to plant out the most tender of bedding plants now and all those vegetables which were raised in the glasshouse can go in as well. There is still a fine choice of bedding plants in the garden centre including fuchsias, begonias, geraniums, busy lizzies and petunias, as well as trailing plants for hanging baskets, tubs and window boxes. After planting, always keep plants well watered and an application of liquid fertiliser should be applied every fortnight. Keep on top of the hoeing and watering in the vegetable garden. Runner beans, tomatoes, peppers, sweet corn, celery, brassicas and courgettes can be planted, and peas and salad crops can be sown. In the glasshouse feed tomatoes with something like Tomorite and water them very regularly to prevent fruit developing Blossom End Rot. Keep the greenhouse well ventilated in hot weather. Fitting a simple automatic ventilator will help here. Damping down the greenhouse will help to keep up the humidity. The lawn will need to be mowed at least once a week, but when the weather is dry do not cut the grass too short. Never water established lawns but always water new turf or freshly seeded areas at intervals during the first few weeks. Container-grown plants such as trees, shrubs, climbing plants, roses, hardy border plants and alpines can be planted at any time. When planting these, mix organic compost with the soil which goes round the plant and put a little bonemeal in the bottom of the hole before putting in the plant. Leave out the bonemeal when planting rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and heathers. Established shrubs can be pruned a little after they have flowered. Roses need to be sprayed every few weeks with Roseclear and will need feeding with Toprose fertiliser, which is also the best feed for shrubs and herbaceous plants. Make sure that tall plants in the hardy borders are staked, and dead-head plants which have finished flowering. Moisture in the soil can be preserved by putting down mulches of organic matter, such as bark chips on top of landscape fabric, and this combination will also help to keep the weeds down. Save water wherever possible but do not forget to keep the pond topped up and do put out water for the garden birds in dry weather. The BBC Gardeners World Live Show is at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, from June 13-17. It is a special show this year and tickets can be obtained by phoning 0870 040 0370; tickets give free admission to BBC Good Homes Live and the Good Food Summer Festival as well. A number of local gardens are open to the public this month and they are well worth a visit. Ashridge Gardens are open on June 2 and Serge Hill, Bedmond, is open on June 17. A number of gardens are open on June 24

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including Benington Lordship near Stevenage; Mackerye End, Harpenden; and North Mymms Park, Hatfield. Its the Chipperfield Summer Flower Show on June 23 and the Bovingdon Summer Show on June 30. Terry Simmonds

New Arrivals, Three Times The Fun

How quickly time passes - it's lambing time again. Last summer's heat wave left me desperate for grass to feed the sheep and lambs, so I decided to keep one less ewe and, as they usually have twins, it would be three less mouths to feed this summer. Bryony had developed some sort of allergy and I had to keep putting ointment around her eyes, which seemed constantly itchy. So I am afraid her number was up. Beth, as usual, was enormous just before Easter and looked fit to burst at any moment, while Katy has such a wonderful fleece that its a job to tell how much is sheep and how much is wool. They both seemed to spend a lot of time sitting in the shade and panting whilst I nipped up and down the garden to check on them. Just about the only time they make use of their shelters is to lamb and so seeing Katy going in and out of the wooden shed was a pretty sure sign things were going to happen shortly. Sure enough on my next visit she was in the shed with 2 wet little new born lambs. I always spray their navels with antiseptic as there are several diseases that can develop if one does not do this. A girl and a boy, a little small, but then Katy is quite petite. Katy got up and the 2 little ones staggered towards her. Then she looked at me as if to say "Whats wrong with the other one" and there in the corner was another lamb! Our first ever triplets! Another little boy. The 3 were all the same size and all disappeared under Mum for a drink. As ewes only have 2 teats I do not know how they all manage, and one can not see for wool, but manage they do! Often one triplet will be smaller than the others and the mother will reject it, but Katy is a great mum and loves them all and all have prospered. Beth had twins the next morning and is taking care of both, so 5 little lambs are running races and having fun in the garden, not the 4 I had intended. The Carrion Crows built their nest in a Silver Birch tree in full view of our main windows. Just to get their names in print again I thought! But it was not such an exposed place once the leaves came out. Now one can only just see it if one knows where to look. I often see the parents gliding out of the tree to perch on the Wendy House roof. They look so graceful and are masters of the air that one forgets they eat young birds. I never know whether to play gamekeeper or say "Every thing has to make a living" and let them be. This pair are real characters and we would miss them if they were not around. Maybe they would like to catch some young rabbits for a change, we are getting over-run with them! Wendy Bathurst

Goodnight Walk

Iain Rennie Hospice at Home The Iain Rennie Hospice at Home is organising a "Goodnight Walk". The walk is taking place on Saturday 14th July at midnight from Aston Clinton Park. We are hoping that the IRHH women-only sponsored walk will raise enough money to fund at least one IRHH nurse for one year. To do this we need 500 ladies to walk the half marathon (13.1 miles) and lots of willing volunteers to help to marshal the walk and help on the night. The Iain Rennie Hospice at Home has cared for more than 7,000 terminally ill patients and their families across the Chilterns area. Our pioneering service began in 1985 when five nurses helped our first patient, Iain Rennie, to come home from hospital to be with his young family during the final stages of his battle with cancer. We continue to offer practical, hands-on nursing care at home for our patients, combined with support for their families and access to a 24 hour on-call nursing service. For a registration form please visit www.goodnightwalk.org.uk or contact IRHH Fundraising on 01442 890222 or email: [email protected]

Garden Vandals

Jo Deacon, Clerk to the Parish Council, writes:

I have been contacted by a Kings Langley resident (who lives on the border with Chipperfield) to let us know that

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there have been many problems recently with unknown persons removing or damaging boulders/ rockeries and lanterns from the front of peoples gardens. Could I ask that everyone is reminded that, if this happens, they should report these incidents to the police either as criminal damage or theft; that way the incidents are logged and the local officer can take action. They can tell from the report how often this happens and if there is a pattern to the crimes. The last incident resulted in boulders being placed in the middle of Chipperfield Road in the darkness and a serious accident occurred, fortunately no one was hurt.

Letter To The Editor

Dear Editor I would like to express my gratitude to the people who deliver Chipperfield News, they go out in all weather and it is always a pleasure to know what is going on in the village. I do wish to receive it and am very grateful to all the people who contribute to its publication and delivery. I know that very little thanks ever goes their way. However, I am rather concerned about the way in which the paper is left, last month it was found lying outside our front door and this month it was sticking half way through the letter box. Unfortunately, in this day and age, we all have to be aware of protecting our properties and need all the help we can get. The fact that there may be cars on the drive does not necessarily mean that the house is occupied, and for safety's sake it would be appreciated if the paper could be pushed through the letter box at all times. Would it be possible to add a little article in the next edition of Chipperfield News to this effect. I do not wish to give you my name and address, guess that you can appreciate why. Many thanks.

A letter to the Daily Telegraph from Mrs. Pamela Hatt of Berkhamsted - Some time ago, when I applied for a new driving licence, it was posted to me as Mrs. Watt. I sent it back, with the request: ‘Please note that my name is Hatt, not Watt. Back it came – addressed to Mrs. Hattno Twatt. They did get it right the third time.

www.chipperfield.org.uk

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