The independent journal for Buntingford & Villages published by Buntingford Civic Society Buntingford Journal

A drawing by James Wilcox shows the façade of St Peter’s as it looked in 1841 (courtesy of BuntingfordInOldPhotographs) Inside this month: The unusual origins of Buntingford Market; the Buntingford Cougars 5-a-side Tournament; Vyse ponders the false eyelash phenomenon; Herts Air Ambulance invite us to take afternoon tea! Plus fetes, fairs and summer sounds.

60p July/August 2015 Volume 40, No.6

July/August 2015 Contents Anstey Fair / Anstey First School ...... 23 / 33 Art @ Gravelly Barn – 10th Anniversary Charity Exhibition & Concert ...... 30 Aspenden Village Fete & Dog Show ...... 40 Attend2Health – Sports Massage Offer ...... 29 BALA – Minibus Trips / Coffee Morning ...... 44 Buntingford Carnival – The Overtures at Freman College ...... 21 Buntingford Cougars – Biggest Ever 5-a-Side Tournament ...... 47 Buntingford Dramatic Society – ‘Boeing Boeing’ ...... 48 Buntingford Gardeners Club ...... 11 Buntingford In Transition ...... 19 Buntingford Scout Group ...... 9 Buntingford Social Club ...... 41 Buntingford Town Council ...... 20 Buntingford Town Football Club ...... 46 Buntingford W.I...... 45 Cambridge Gliding Centre host National Gliding Championships ...... 29 Celebrate 400! – A celebration of St Peter’s Church ...... 12-13 Church Services ...... 14 Craft Group at Buntingford Library ...... 18 Cream Tea in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care ...... 44 Curwens – Has the Court opened the door to claims from ex-partners? ...... 26 Diary of Events – What’s On & Dates for Your Diary ...... 2-5 East Herts Citizens Advice Bureau – Holidays and Holiday Pay ...... 27 East Herts Council Community Activities Grants ...... 30 Editor’s Letter ...... 7 Edwinstree Middle School ...... 36 Ermine Street Allotment Association – Open Day ...... 11 Friars Vintage Rally and Country Fayre ...... 23 Friends of Orchard Surgery Coffee Morning ...... 45 Freman College ...... 38 Hare Street Horse and Pet Supplies – A new business ...... 28 Hertford Chess Club – Do you want to play chess? ...... 28 Herts Air Ambulance – Time for Tea! ...... 10 Isabel Hospice Sponsored Walk at Furneux Pelham ...... 10 Jazz in the Garden at North Farm, Reed ...... 23 Layston C of E First School / Friends of Layston Family Fun Friday ...... 34 / 29 Leapfrogs Preschool ...... 31 Letters to the Editor ...... 8 The Local Interview: Ken Durrant ...... 24 Millfield First & Nursery School ...... 32 The Origins of Buntingford Market ...... 16 R.A.T.S. – New kennel manager ...... 28 Royal British Legion – Trip to National Memorial Arboretum ...... 19 Royston and District Ramblers – Walks for July & August ...... 22 Sir Oliver Heald QC – MP’s Surgery at the Manor House ...... 9 Summer Sounds of Sandon ...... 31 U3A Buntingford ...... 41 Vyse – Eye, Eye! ...... 42 Westmill Art Exhibition ...... 21

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Diary of Events – July/August 2015

MONDAYS 10:30am – 12 noon Iyengar Yoga at URC Hall, Baldock Road (term time only). Contact Jen Harris on 01920 821288. 10:45am – 11:30am Stretch’n’Grow for children who are walking. At Seth Ward Community Centre. £2 per family. 01763 273008. 1:30pm – 3:00pm Stay & Play at Jenyns First School, Braughing. £1 per family. 01763 273008 1:30pm – 3:30pm Senior Citizens Club at URC Hall, Baldock Road. Bingo and an afternoon of socialising. For more information contact Jeanne Clark on 01763 274631. 4:30pm – 7:30pm Rib Valley Trampoline Club at Freman College (term time only). Contact Andrea Allen 07989 980038 or email: [email protected]

6:30pm – 7:30pm Cougars U9s training, Norfolk Road Floodlit Multigames Area. For more information email: [email protected]. 6:30pm – 8:00pm Shotokan Karate at Seth Ward Community Centre. Contact Peter Deacon on 01462 642922. 6:45pm – 8:15pm Tai Ji at URC Hall. Contact Steve Burton 01279 777032 / 07968 052716 7:00pm Bridge for experienced players at Buntingford Bowls Club. £2.50 per session. Contact Eddie on 01763 273640 or 07976 896718. 7:00pm – 8:00pm Pilates at Layston School. Contact Jacqui 01763 273815 / 07956 647806. 7:30pm – 8:15pm Abs (body toning) at Fit Together Gym. Contact Al on 07739 131694. 7:30pm – 9:00pm Buntingford Community Choir at Millfield School, Monks Walk. No need to read music, no auditions, just bring your enthusiasm! For info see www.buntingfordchoir.co.uk or email: [email protected] 7:30pm – 9:45pm Buntingford & District Youth Club for young people aged 13–19 years, at the Technical Institute, Baldock Road. Contact Danny Band on 07879 853849 or email: danny.band@hertfordshire.gov.uk. 8:15pm Circuit Training at Seth Ward Community Centre. Contact 01920 823677. TUESDAYS 9:15am – 10:15am Badminton at Seth Ward CC, £2.50 per session. 01763 273712.

9:30am – 11:00am Tuesday Toddlers at URC Hall, Baldock Road. £2 for first child, then 50p for each additional child of same family, includes drink and snack. Term time.

10:00am – 11:30am Under 1s Group at Buntingford Bowls Club. £1 per family. 01763 273008. 10:00am – 9:00pm The On Site Massage Clinic at Seth Ward Comm Centre. Contact Kate

Smith MBRCP on 07720 298306 or visit www.onsitemassageclinic.co.uk. 10:45am – 11:30am Cheeky Chimps (2 separate sessions) at Seth Ward Community Centre. 11:45am – 12:30pm £2 per family. 01763 273008. 3:30pm – 9:00pm Dance classes with Buntingford Dancing School, at Freman College. Contact Philippa on 01763 271010. 5:30pm – 6:30pm Cougars U15s Whites training, Norfolk Road Floodlit Multigames Area. 6:15pm – 7:15pm Cougars U10s training, St Edmunds School Floodlit Astro Turf. 6:15pm – 7:15pm Cougars U12s Blues training, St Edmunds School Floodlit Astro Turf. For more info on Cougars training, email: [email protected] 7:00pm Boot Camp at Layston School. Jacqui 01763 273815 / 07956 647806.

7:00pm – 8:15pm Grade 5 Ballet Lessons, Layston School. Philippa 01763 271010.

7:30pm Buntingford Karate Club, Edwinstree Gym. Bill Hooper 01763 273123.

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What's On

7:30pm – 8:30pm Cougars U13s training, Norfolk Road Floodlit Multigames Area.

8:30pm – 9:30pm Cougars U16s training, Norfolk Road Floodlit Multigames Area. For more

info on Cougars training, email: [email protected] WEDNESDAYS 9:30 – 11:15am Great Hormead Baby and Toddler Group at Great Hormead School Hall. Term time only. From 0 to 4 years. Toys, activities, arts & crafts and singing. £1.50 for first child, 50p for additional children, includes a drink and snack. Contact Annabel on 07787 562265, or just turn up.

9:30 – 11:30am Barkway Parent and Toddler Group at Barkway Village Hall. Children 0–4 years. Singing, stories and activities; tea, coffee, juice and snack provided. Contact Kim Semple on 07964 151288.

10:00am – 11:00am Story Sacks at Jenyns First School, Braughing. £1 per child 01763 273008. 10:30am BALFF 10-week course started 14 January, ‘Current Affairs’, at the Community Centre, Luynes Rise. Coffee served from 10am. For details contact Julia Peacock on 01763 272584.

6:00pm – 7:00pm Cougars U14s training, Norfolk Road Floodlit Multigames Area. For more information email [email protected]. 6:00pm – 7:00pm Circuit Training for 50+ at Seth Ward CC. Contact Rita on 07957 558782. 6:30pm – 7:30pm Freestyle & Shotokan Karate at Freman College. Contact Sensei John Srinivassan, Mushin Academy of Karate, 07722 071408. 7:00pm – 8:00pm Cougars U15s Blues training, Norfolk Road Floodlit Multigames Area. For more information email [email protected]. 7:30pm – 8:30pm Body Circuit classes at Seth Ward CC. Contact Rita on 07957 558782. 7:30pm – 8:15pm Boxercise/Tae Bo session at Fit Together Gym, Buntingford. Contact Al on 07739 131694. 7:30pm Slimming World Group at Millfield School. Tel: Glenda McLellan on 01462 894351 / 07983 224121 or email [email protected] 8:00pm Horizon Divers at Freman Pool. Contact 01920 823955.

THURSDAYS 9:30am – 11:00am Anstey Toddlers at Old School House, Anstey. Arts & crafts, free play and singing for toddlers & babies with their carers. £1 per family. Term time only

01763 273008.

9:30am – 11:00am Bramble Hill Stay & Play at the Scout Hut, Bowling Green Lane, Buntingford. Term time only. £1 per family. 01763 273008.

11:00am – 12:00pm Fitness for 50+ at Seth Ward Community Centre. £4 per class. Eileen

Dixon 01763 257474 / 07966 222272, email: [email protected]

1:00pm – 3:00pm Baby classes run by the Best Start Club at the Scout Hut, Bowling Green Lane. Magical Musical Playdays, for 1 to 3 years olds, start at 1:00pm; followed by Baby Signing classes, for 0 to 16 months, at 2:00pm. Contact

Laura Sheriff on 07801 796334. Email: [email protected].

4:30pm – 6:30pm Drama workshops 15–18 year olds, with Stagefrights Theatre at Seth Ward Comm Centre. Dave 01438 232181; email: [email protected]

5:30pm – 6:30pm Cougars U7s training at Norfolk Road Floodlit Multigames Area.

5:30pm – 6:30pm Cougars U8s training at Norfolk Road Floodlit Multigames Area. For more information email: [email protected]

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Diary of Events – July/August 2015

5:30pm – 10:00pm Buntingford Swimming Club, Freman Pool. Adelaide Boon 07710 550050.

7.30pm Buntingford Karate Club, Edwinstree Gym. Bill Hooper 01763 273123.

8:00pm – 9:30pm Badminton Club at Seth Ward CC. Contact Liz James on 01763 274010.

8:00–10:00pm Buntingford Dramatic Society, Benson Hall.

FRIDAYS 9:15am WeightWatchers at Benson Hall.

9:30am – 10:30am Badminton at Seth Ward Community Centre – term time only.

10:00am & 11:00am Baby & toddler 'Rhyme Time' at Seth Ward. £1 first child, 50p for additional children to include tea & coffee. Contact Bramble Hill 01763 273008.

10:00am – 9:00pm The On Site Massage Clinic at Seth Ward Comm Centre. Contact Kate Smith MBRCP on 07720 298306 or visit www.onsitemassageclinic.co.uk.

11:00am – 12:00 Drop-in Breastfeeding Support Group at Bramble Hill, 01763 273008.

11:00am All Abilities Multi Sports at Seth Ward Community Centre. Contact Jacqui on 01763 273815 / 07956 647806.

3.30pm – 8:00pm Dance classes with Buntingford Dancing School, at Freman College. Contact Philippa on 01763 271010.

5:30pm – 6:30pm Cougars U11s training, Norfolk Road Floodlit Multigames Area. For more information email: [email protected].

5:30pm – 8:00pm Friday Project, Buntingford & District Youth Club for young people aged 13–19. A range of activities at the Technical Institute, Baldock Road. Contact Danny Band on 07879 853849 or email [email protected].

6:30pm – 7:30pm Cougars U12s Whites training, Norfolk Road Floodlit Multigames Area. For more information email: [email protected].

SATURDAYS 8:30am – 2:45pm Dance classes with Buntingford Dancing School, at Freman College and URC Hall, Buntingford. Contact Philippa on 01763 271010.

9:15am – 2:00pm Musical Theatre School for 4–14 year olds at Seth Ward Comm Centre. Call Anna 07545 788433 or email [email protected].

10:00am – 11:30am 3rd Sat in the month, Dad’s/Male Carers Group at the Scout Hut, Bowling Green Lane, Buntingford. £1 per child. 01763 273008.

10:30am – 11:30am Cougars U6s training, Buntingford Community Centre (on grass). For more information email: [email protected].

11:am – 2:00pm 1st Sat in the month, BuntsBoutiqueFair at Benson Hall. Crafts, Food, Art & Gifts. Refreshments. Charity Raffle. Free squash & lollypop for children!

2:15pm – 4:15pm Drama workshops 6–15 year olds with Stagefrights Theatre at URC Hall, Baldock Road. Dave 01438 232181 or email [email protected].

2:00pm – 4:00pm Police Surgery at Buntingford Police Station, Baldock Road.

SUNDAYS 2:30 – 5:00pm Cromer Windmill open to the public till mid-Sept. Also on 2nd and 4th Saturdays in each month and on Bank Holidays.

4:30 – 7:30pm Starting 2nd Aug & 6th Sept, 4-week Hypnobirthing Courses with Breeze Birthing at The Coffee Shop. Contact [email protected].

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Dates for Your Diary

JULY st Wed 1 Buntingford Gardeners Club members only garden visit (see page 11).

2nd to 5th 10th Anniversary Exhibition & Concert @ Gravelly Barn (see page 30).

rd Fri 3 7:30 for 8pm Leapfrogs Preschool Summer Quiz Night (see page 31).

Sat 4th 11am–2pm BuntsBoutiqueFair at Benson Hall.

Sat 4th Buntsfest 2015 at The Bury with live music from 12noon.

Sun 5th 10am Isabel Hospice Walk at Furneux Pelham (see page 10).

Sun 5th 10am–4pm Antiques & Vintage Fair at Barkway Village Hall, SG8 8BS. Entry £1. Rosei Frost 07720 647696, [email protected].

Tues 7th 8:00pm Buntingford & District Cage Bird Society at Benson Hall.

Wed 8th 2:30–4pm Cream Tea at Benson Hall for Marie Curie (see page 44).

Thurs 9th 7:45pm Buntingford W.I. at URC Hall (see page 45).

Fri 10th 3:15–4:30pm Family Fun Friday at Layston School (see page 29).

Fri 10th 5–6:30pm MP’s Surgery with Oliver Heald at the Manor House (page 9).

10th to 12th Celebrate 400! at St Peter’s Church (for details see page 13).

Sat 11th 7:30–midnight Summer Sounds of Sandon (see page 31).

Sun 12th 1–5pm Anstey Fair (see page 23).

Mon 13th 1:30pm U3A Monthly Meeting at Seth Ward CC (see page 41).

Sun 19th From 12:30pm Jazz in the Garden at Reed (see page 23).

10am–5pm Friars Vintage Rally and Country Fayre (see page 23). 1–6pm Aspenden Village Fete & Dog Show (see page 40).

Wed 15th 10:30–12noon BALA Coffee Morning at Benson Hall (see page 44).

Fri 17th 8pm Buntingford Railway & Local History Society, meet at The Crown.

‘A Historical Walk in Buntingford’ with Robin Webb. th Sat 18 10am Buntingford Craft Group pre-meeting at the Library (see page 18).

Sun 25th 4:30–6:30pm Relax, Breathe and Birth Antenatal Class with Breeze Birthing at The Coffee Shop. Also on Sunday 30th August and see left

for 4-week courses. Contact [email protected] to book. AUGUST Sun 2nd 10am–4pm Antiques & Vintage Fair at Barkway Village Hall, SG8 8BS. Entry £1. Rosei Frost 07720 647696, [email protected].

Wed 5th 10am–12:30pm Free Coffee Morning at URC Hall, Friends of Orchard Surgery (see page 45).

th Wed 5 7:45pm Buntingford Gardeners Club at URC Hall (see page 11).

Sun 16th 10am–2pm Ermine Street Allotments Open Day (see page 11).

If you would like to advertise your event in The Journal, please contact Christine Noble on 01763 273095 Or email: [email protected]

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Useful Local Information

POLICE STATION: Non-emergency telephone: 101 Baldock Road, Buntingford In emergencies dial 999 Police surgeries: 2–4pm on Saturdays at Buntingford Police Station

GAS: Emergency (gas leaks) – Freephone 0800 111 999 ELECTRICITY: Emergency (power loss) – Freephone 0800 7838 838 WATER (Veolia): Emergency – Freephone 0800 376 5325 SEWERAGE (Thames Water): Emergency – Telephone 0845 920 0800 FLOODLINE: Emergency – 0345 988 1188 or 0845 988 1188 Environment Agency Incident Line: 0800 80 70 60

DOCTORS: The Medical Centre – White Hart Close Tel: 01763 271362 (24 hours) Orchard Surgery – Baldock Road Tel: 01763 272410 (After hours: 272411)

B A S H (Buntingford Action Providing transport for hospital and doctors For Social Help): appointments. Tel: Jane Winter 01763 271484

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, RAPE, Confidential Information Helpline: 01992 554440 RACE or HATE CRIME: (in emergency, dial 999)

LOCAL COUNCILS: Buntingford Town Council – 01763 272222 East Herts District Council – 01279 655261 Housing – 01279 714714 Benefits – Freephone 0800 373852 For emergencies out of office hours: 01279 655261 Adult Care Services – 0300 123 4042 Children’s Services – 0300 123 4043 Hertfordshire Highways – 0300 123 4047, or report faults online: www.hertsdirect.org/highwayfaults

BUNTINGFORD LIBRARY: Opening times: Mon & Thurs 09:00 – 18:00 High Street, Buntingford Tues & Fri 14:00 – 18:00 Saturday 09:00 – 13:00 Telephone enquiries – 0300 123 4049 Option 1 – Renewals 03:00–23:45 every day Option 2 – All other enquiries Mon–Fri 08:00–20:00, Sat 09:00– 6:00

CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU: Opening times: Monday 10:00 – 16:00 The Manor House Tues & Wed 10:00 – 13:00 Market Hill, Buntingford Telephone advice: Mon to Fri 10:00 – 16:00 Call 03444 111 444

HOUSEHOLD WASTE & Opening times: Mon to Fri 17:00 – 20:00 RECYCLING SITE: Sat & Sun 10:00 – 13:00 Watermill Industrial Estate, Aspenden Road

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Editor’s Letter

I hope some of you got the chance to enjoy the Heritage Walks organised by the Civic Society to mark national Civic Day on 21st June, as well as the opportunity to get a close-up look at St Bartholomew’s Church. I know we’re all going to miss reading Martin & Mandy’s articles, but all good things come to an end and it will be great to see the restoration complete. Another thing some of you may miss this month is the regular article from the BCS Chairman. Unfortunately due to a family illness Graham was unable to write his usual piece. Hopefully normal service will be resumed in September. One of Graham’s ideas for the Civic Society earlier this year was to run a ‘Buntingford in Bloom’ competition, but it was just too late to get it organised. It did, however, get me paying more attention while walking around town with Toby and I have to say that there are some lovely beds and borders, some carefully planned, others looking like happy accidents. One that impressed me is the communal garden around Dixon Place, which has been beautifully planted and really brightens up that corner of town. I am told by the manager Julie Brand that it is entirely the work and inspiration of the residents. I took some photos thinking I would feature one, but I’ve left the lead that links the camera to the computer up north at my sister’s house so those (along with all my recent holiday snaps!) are inaccessible for now. I hope the Civic Society manages to get the gardening competition off the ground next year – Dixon Place will certainly be a contender. Buntingford sees an historic anniversary in July as St Peter’s Church celebrates it’s 400th birthday. To mark the occasion Rev. Ian Hill completes his history of our unique church and extends an invitation to everyone to take part in various day-time and evening celebratory events. We also have an article by Brian Thompson, leading light in the campaign to save the Library, on the unusual circumstances that led to the founding of Buntingford Market. The local interview this month is on Ken Durrant, surely one of the best-known faces around town and one of our most active volunteers. And we have a report on Buntingford Cougars’ biggest and best ever 5-a-side Tournament. Summer is about getting out and having fun and there is plenty going on to suit all tastes and ages, from live music in Sandon and jazz in Reed, to village fetes and fairs in Aspenden, Anstey and Braughing Friars. So whatever the weather, enjoy your summer. Christine Noble

Many thanks to Debbie Lemay for proofreading Editorial copy deadline for the September 2015 Journal is Saturday 15th August 2015

Copy and diary entries: Christine Noble – 01763 273095 68 Hare Street Road, Buntingford SG9 9HN email: [email protected] Advertising enquiries: Keith Edwards – 01763 272032 email: [email protected]

The Buntingford Journal is published by, but is editorially independent of, the Buntingford Civic Society.

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Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor May I through your Journal, draw attention to the indiscriminate and thoughtless car parking along the High Street, beginning early evening, when the ‘eateries’ and ‘takeaways’ attract attention. Cars and vans mount the pavement and restrict pedestrians and wheelchair users. This was drawn to my attention when one of the guests at the recent WI Centenary celebrations at The Manor House could not navigate the pavement due to the non- thinking car drivers leaving their vehicles up on the pavement. As a result of this she herself was forced out onto the road. There is no need for this – the car park is but 5 minutes away! Not too much to ask is it? The short walk may help them rid themselves of a few calories that they purchase! In some areas a line is marked on the pavement which indicates to drivers how far from the kerb they are allowed to be parked. Could this be tried here? Yours sincerely Veronica Easley, Chairman BALA Dear Christine Buntingford Library It is all change at County Hall and the councillor who is the Cabinet member for libraries is now Mrs Teresa Heritage. Our own councillor, Rose Cheswright, has also joined the panel and so I e-mailed them both to express our concerns about the proposals for our library. One thing has not changed: I received the stock reply. Our MP, Sir Oliver Heald, is also now involved and he received the same reply from Rose Cheswright. They seem hell-bent on spending unnecessarily on an unsuitable scheme. Apart from the safety aspect of the increased traffic in the area as a result of all the new house building, we will end up with a smaller library with a reduced stock of books and no meeting space. For less money the present premises can be enhanced to provide the bright, attractive modern and welcoming space they seek. I fear we are being led by donkeys. Regards, Brian Thompson Dear Christine This is to thank you and the Journal for helping to advertise the Great British Sausage Tossing competition, held on 6th June in the beer garden of the Countryman in Chipping. Over 200 people came to play the sausage tossing game, drink real ale and eat varieties of hand-made sausages generously donated by local butchers to cook and sell at this charity fundraiser. First off at the sausage-oche was District Councillor Jeff Jones, who failed to land his sausage in the target. The afternoon saw more than 1,000 tosses, all raising money for our charity: £175.00 was raised just from tossing the re-inforced black puds! By 8pm we had our champions: Chris King, appropriately named, won the title of ‘King Tosser’, while Olivia Seguna, aged 9, was crowned ‘Princess Tosser’. Some of the pub regulars had built a 24ft rustic stage in the garden where four local bands generously provided by some brilliant music: Paul Whitton from Royston gave us eclectic sounds of the decades, and we had the inaugural performance of Buntingford's ‘Smoking Goats’. Hertford’s ‘Wasted Rhymes’, more used to large stages supporting bands like Big Country, played a brilliant country-rock set and 'Bad Monkey Driver', from Royston & Haverhill, played the night out with some lively rock numbers.

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Thanks go to the four butchers – Mark Doel, Piggotts and Hamels Park Game Products of Buntingford, and Leech & Sons of Melbourn – who freely provided their award-winning artisan sausages for the event: over 400 were barbecued by Mark & Harry from the Rustic Roaster. Staging and logistics were organised by Steve Reynolds and myself; David Plummer and Chris Borsberry provided the sound engineering. The organisers are grateful for the support they received from everyone involved. In all, the sum of £1,049.52 was raised for The Sheringham Woodfield School for children with specialist needs. Steve Lawson-Smith

BUNTINGFORD SCOUT GROUP: Sponsored Walk As part of our very busy programme, Mark Perryman, cub leader, arranged on Sunday 8th June for a Group walk for all members and their families. Amazing weather turned out in excess of 140 people, with the Scouts setting off at 10am for a 10.5 mile walk, Cubs at midday for a 6.5 mile walk and Beavers at 2pm for a 2.5 mile walk. At the end the Group came together to enjoy a much needed cold drink and BBQ (right). A 50/50 raffle saw a donation of £35 being made to a nominated charity, Up on Downs. All other monies raised will be added to the Group funds for equipment and hopefully to start building our minibus fund. The final amount collected through sponsorship will take a while to confirm, but should take the amount from the day to over £500. Thank you to Kay (Assistant Group Scout Leader) and Gemma Perryman (Group Chair) for making this event such a success, with Mark co-ordinating the whole event.

SIR OLIVER HEALD QC MP MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR NORTH EAST HERTFORDSHIRE Sir Oliver’s next surgery in Buntingford is on: Friday 10th July 2015, 5–6:30pm At the Manor House, High Street, Buntingford SG9 9AB FOR AN APPOINTMENT Please Telephone: 01462 486074 Email: [email protected] Or look online at: www.oliverhealdmp.com

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The Isabel Hospice Sponsored Walk has been held annually in Furneux Pelham for over 20 years. It covers 5 miles and sets off from The Brewery Tap on Sunday 5th July at 10am. Everyone returns to The Tap for family fun including a Hog Roast, BBQ, face painting, fire engine, raffle and auction. If you would like to take part, be an event sponsor, or donate a prize for the raffle or auction, please cal 07885 320 629 (Barry) or 07768 111 134 (Andy at the Brewery Tap) All proceeds to the Isabel Hospice For other Isabel Hospice events in July & August see their website: www.isabelhospice.org.uk

Time for Tea with Herts Air Ambulance Herts Air Ambulance is calling on the tea and cake-loving folk of Hertfordshire to hold their very own fundraising tea party in aid of their local Air Ambulance. Simply get your friends and family together for Afternoon Tea over the weekend of Friday 24th to Sunday 26th July. You can hold it at home, work, school or a local club; just ask each of your guests to make a donation to Herts Air Ambulance. Hosts can serve up anything from a cream tea with scones and jam to a Ritz-style High Tea with cucumber sandwiches! You can buy cakes or bake your own – it’s up to you! For some refreshing ideas see: HertsAirAmbulance.uk.com. Carly Duffett, Head of Fundraising, said: “We want people to enjoy a fun afternoon with friends and family whilst raising money for their local life-saving Charity … [and we] would love to see what you get up to ... so please do share your pictures with us on social media!” The campaign is supported by Master Chef 2015 Semi-Finalist Ben Crittenden. To register for an Afternoon Tea Host Pack call 03452 417 690 or email [email protected]

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BUNTINGFORD GARDENERS’ CLUB In June we enjoyed a most interesting talk on Dassel Bury. Apparently ‘Bury’ denotes a manor or big house – one for the trivia quiz! What a mammoth undertaking by owners Kate & Martin Slack. First they decided what they wanted and then drew a plan on paper. However, this was not a true representation of the garden’s contours and contractors had to excavate and remove tonnes of top soil, clay and subsoil. Walls had to be repaired but as they were listed there were restrictions, another thing to take into account. Drain pipes were added to stop water-logging, along with retaining walls to stop earth falling on to other areas of the extensive garden. Trees and shrubs were removed to make way for herbaceous borders, fountains, ponds and the most important item to Martin – raised vegetable beds. They also opened the garden out so that the countryside could be seen from the garden. After months of work the hard landscaping was complete and the fun could begin putting in plants, which went into the thousands over a period time. The end result is a beautiful garden and we can only congratulate them on their enormous achievement. The club’s visit to Wisley was a success and as usual there was plenty to see. On a personal note I should also like to mention two gardens that you might like to visit if you are in the Cotswolds area. My favourite is Kiftsgate, a private garden maintained by its lady owner along with some part-time helpers. There are plants for sale, which is always welcome to visiting gardeners. The other is Bowood House, with its well- maintained gardens. Bowood’s owners have even thought of the children and have had a ‘Pirate Ship’ built in the grounds. Good food is available in the restaurant. That’s enough of my travel guide but I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. For our July meeting we are visiting a garden in Cold Christmas Lane. Hope the weather is kind! A preview of our meeting on 5th August: Jackie Aviolet is returning to entertain us. Lots of laughter on that night! Why not come along? URC Church Hall, Baldock Road, 7.45 pm. Watch out for the poster around town. Heather Pope Club enquires to our Chairwoman Janet Murrells on 01763 274341

ERMINE STREET ALLOTMENT ASSOCIATION – OPEN DAY Sunday 16th August , 10am to 2pm Join us to celebrate National Allotments Week. Come and visit us at our open day at Ermine Street Allotments. There will be locally grown produce on sale, plot holders will be available to give you their handy hints and there will be a tombola. Entrance to the allotments is off Bowling Green Lane near to Freman College. Everyone welcome.

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A celebration of St Peter’s Chapel in Buntingford It is 400 years since St Peter’s Chapel was dedicated as a ‘House of Preaching’ in 1615. As would be expected, it has been altered at various times over the years since, initially by Reverend Alexander Strange, the driving force behind the building, who himself added the north and south transepts placing it on a North–South axis. After he died Alexander Strange was buried in St Peter’s and a stone was inscribed in his memory. A translation of the Latin inscription reads: “Let it be known that beneath this stone, awaiting the sound of the last trumpet, are the remains of Alexander Strange, Bachelor of Theology, and late vicar of this parish, who for 46 years was taken up with instructing the people and mediating peace between quarrellers, and, amongst other good works, caused the establishment of this house of God. He died unmarried, in his eightieth year, on 8th December in the year of our Lord 1650.” As with most historic buildings, scant records survive of alterations made over the years, but some can be deduced. St Peter’s came through the Civil War we think relatively unscathed, and although Alexander Strange died in 1650 before the Restoration of the Monarchy, he was posthumously commended for maintaining faithful worship through that turbulent period. St Peter’s patrons in the 18th century were the Lords of the Manor of Corneybury. Hertfordshire Records Office has some pictures drawn in the 1790s which we are hoping they will allow us to print in our history booklet. One of these illustrates a stone and is titled: “Initials and date over the North front of Buntingford Chapel before the alterations made by Sir Hanson Berney.” Tantalisingly it doesn’t tell us what these alterations were, but there is also an illustration of a coat of arms removed from the north window at the same time. Whose arms they are is as yet sadly unidentified. The family at the time lived at Little Court and they may have been moved there. The biggest changes were made in 1899 when major work was undertaken. This work was controversial at the time, loathed by some and presumably loved by others. This “thorough restoration” changed the appearance both inside and out. Many repairs were put in place, replacing damaged windows and brickwork, and remodelling was also done, including raising the height of the apse and adding a vestry (which is now used as a kitchen) and a porch. A new roof was also put on (using the old tiles where possible). Inside, the original carved pews were removed and replaced with “modern seating”, which was actually uncomfortable yellow pine pews, and the ceiling was replaced with the current barrel vaulted ceiling. At the opening service on 18th October 1900 the Bishop remarked that money had been tight, and although they hadn’t achieved all they had hoped to accomplish they might take credit that they had done what they could. It is a shame that although the changes left most of the structure unaffected, aesthetically they left the church looking more late-Victorian and less Jacobean. The bricks they used, whilst a good match, were also softer than the originals as can be seen on the apse where the newer bricks used to increase the height are much more weathered than the older bricks below. The changes were not universally popular at the time. According to Rev Fillingham (Rector of Hexton near Hitchin) “a unique and beautiful building has been ruined by a band of Goths … awful seats of dazzling pine have replaced the pews and are enough to afflict with jaundice any man of taste who may have the misfortune to enter the building”. By the 1970s, problems with the 1900 re-ordering were becoming apparent, as was the lack of a church hall. Permission was granted to remove the controversial pews and replace them with chairs, to install the upstairs room and to build the extension on the front replacing the small porch and providing what is now the parish office. Once again,

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as with the original building and the Victorian restoration, the work was done to a very tight budget. In fact, it was done mostly by the vicar himself (Reverend John Moore) and members of the congregation, often using second-hand materials, many of which were donated. This work was finally completed in 1984, giving us the church as it looks today. Over time St Bartholomew’s Church became more rundown and St Peter’s was more and more used as the de-facto parish church, with marriages finally being permitted in 1938. In law, however, St Peter’s only became the parish church in 1952, at which time St Bartholomew’s was relegated to a churchyard chapel, with the roof of the nave removed. The story of St Bartholomew’s and its rescue is a different, but related story, already told in this journal. So what of the future? The original vision of St Peter’s as a convenient place for the people of Buntingford to come to worship God and learn about Him is still being fulfilled. The original vision of it being the church for the town is still fundamental for the church – now as then, everyone is welcome. It may not though have escaped your notice that some of the brickwork is failing. I think this is predominantly the soft Victorian bricks, but it will still be an expensive job which needs to be done to keep St Peter’s for another 400 years. The flat roof on the 1970s porch has always leaked, and it seems everything has been tried to remedy it to no avail, so an element of rebuilding may be needed at some point. Please do come to our ‘Celebrate 400’ weekend of events. As it is a celebration, all the events are free to attend and un-ticketed, but donations would of course be gratefully received as we get no state funding and so everything has to be funded through people’s generosity. Reverend Ian Hill

A weekend to celebrate 400 years of St Peter’s Celebrate 400! Church in Buntingford 10th – 12th July @ St Peter’s Fri 10th 400yrs of St Peter’s 7:30pm A talk on the history of the building and people; with wine & cheese. Sat 11th 400yrs of Provision 10am Explore the church & history exhibition and eat LOTS of CAKE!! Sat 11th “Forte 400” 7:30pm A musical evening through 4 centuries of styles – choral, opera, classical, jazz, organ, rock and much more; with wine. Sun 12th Communion through the Ages 11am A service of communion using music and words from 1615 to the present. Sun 12th Celebration Songs of Praise 6:30pm A short service of praise (with no sermon!); followed by Fizz and Cake! ALL EVENTS FREE BUT DONATIONS MUCH APPRECIATED

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Christ Church

Baldock Road, Buntingford SG9 9AA

Minister: Rev Duncan Goldie Secretary: Peter Godbert The Manse, Meeting Lane, [email protected] Melbourn, Cambs SG8 6AN Tel: 01763 281359 Tel: 01763 260747

Services and Junior Church at 11:00am every Sunday July 5 Morning Worship Mr Chris Wright 12 Holy Communion Rev Duncan Goldie 19 Morning Worship Mrs Maureen Kendall 26 Morning Worship Rev Duncan Goldie August 2 Morning Worship Dr Janet Bottoms 9 Holy Communion Rev Duncan Goldie 16 Morning Worship Mr Richard Lewney 23 Morning Worship TBA 30 Morning Worship Rev Prof David Tomlinson

REGULAR EVENTS Junior Church – Sunday at 11am during term time, for young people and children. Bible Study meeting – Second Wednesday of each month in the Hall. Lunch from 12:30pm (bring your own food, tea & coffee provided) followed by Bible Study at 1pm. Finishes prompt at 2pm. We will be discussing events in a newspaper and seeing how they relate to the Bible. All are welcome. The Bright Hour – Next meetings are on Tuesdays 7th and 21st July at 2:30pm in the Church Hall (no meetings in August). Coffee & Company – Every Thursday from 10:30am for anyone wanting fellowship and time for a chat. Lunches organised by Christian Aid – First Friday of the month,12:30 to 2:00pm. www.buntingfordurc.freeserve.co.uk

ST RICHARD OF CHICHESTER Catholic Church 3 Station Road, Buntingford Telephone 01763 271471 Parish Priest: Father John White

HOLY MASS is celebrated each Sunday at 9:15am Holy Days at 10am and 8pm; Weekdays at 9:30pm Saturdays at 10am

CONFESSIONS are each Saturday from 10:30 to 11am

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United Benefice of St. M ary's – Asp ende n St. Peter's – Buntingford St. Mary the Virgin – Westmi ll Church of England Reverend Ian Hill – Telephone 01763 274072 There is a full and varied pattern of worship across the three churches: St. Peter’s in Buntingford has a more contemporary style; St. Mary’s in Aspenden has a more traditional style; St. Mary the Virgin in Westmill has a more liturgical style. Everyone is welcome at any of our churches. Services for July 2015 Sun 5th 9:30am St Mary the Virgin, Westmill Morning Worship 10:00am St Mary’s, Aspenden Family Service 11:00am St Peter’s, Buntingford Holy Communion

Sun 12th 9:30am St Mary the Virgin, Westmill Sung Eucharist 10:00am St Mary’s, Aspenden Morning Worship 11:00am St Peter’s, Buntingford Family Worship

Sun 19th 9:30am St Mary’s, Aspenden Holy Communion 11:00am St Peter’s, Buntingford Holy Communion

Sun 26th 9:30am St Mary the Virgin, Westmill Sung Eucharist 11:00am St Peter’s, Buntingford Family Worship Services for August 2015 Sun 2nd 9:30am St Mary the Virgin, Westmill Morning Worship 10:00am St Mary’s, Aspenden Morning Worship 11:00am St Peter’s, Buntingford Holy Communion

Sun 9th 9:30am St Mary the Virgin, Westmill Sung Eucharist 9:30am St Mary’s, Aspenden Morning Worship 11:00am St Peter’s, Buntingford Family Worship

Sun 16th 9:30am St Mary’s, Aspenden Holy Communion 11:00am St Peter’s, Buntingford Holy Communion

Sun 23rd 9:30am St Mary the Virgin, Westmill Sung Eucharist 11:00am St Peter’s, Buntingford Family Worship

Sun 30th 9:30am St Mary the Virgin, Westmill Sung Eucharist 11:00am St Peter’s, Buntingford Family Worship

Please join us on Sunday 13th September 2015 at 4.00pm at St Peter’s Church for a special ‘Service of Remembering’ to remember those we love who have died. Everyone is welcome at this service, whether your loved one died recently or a while ago, whether they lived locally or not, and regardless of where their funeral was held. Please bring along a single flower to represent each person you are remembering; these will be laid on the Altar during the service and made into an arrangement afterwards. The service will be followed by refreshments, please do also stay for these.

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The Origins of Buntingford Market An abbreviated version of a talk given to the Buntingford Library Local History Group If you refer to the latest Buntingford Town Guide you will find that the town’s status and the establishment of the weekly market are said to be as a result of a charter granted by Henry VIII in 1542 for a market to be held on the manor of Corneybury. This is, however, somewhat short of the truth. Our market dates from almost two centuries earlier. Thanks to an essay by Mark Bailey, a Fellow of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, and a couple of articles in the Buntingford Journal in 1976 by Phillip Plumb, which are currently held in our library, I think it will be seen that the establishment of our market was a much more interesting event. Mark Bailey’s essay, entitled “A tale of two towns: Buntingford and Standon in the later Middle Ages”, argues that both economic issues and location had much to do with the rise of Buntingford and the decline of Standon. But was this all? Buntingford is not mentioned in Domesday Book while Standon is. Was there something else that could be responsible for such a dramatic change only two centuries later? Well I think there is and the critical factor, which is surprising for the time, was a woman. Before we get to the lady, I need to set the scene and pose some more questions. Mark Bailey regards the geographical location as important: Buntingford is situated at a point where Ermine Street, the great north–south Roman road, crosses the river Rib and meets the route from Baldock to Great Hormead. There was also an east–west Roman road from Baldock to Braughing; it is still possible to walk it today from just south of Cottered. Bailey suggests that Buntingford’s position at the intersection of five medieval parishes – Wyddial, Layston, Alswick, Throcking and Aspenden – was equally important. Phillip Plumb provides an indication why: land at the edges of parishes was less likely to be intensely cultivated so fewer rents were lost when this land was taken for dwellings. But why should there be a settlement there at all? Between departure of the Romans and arrival of the Normans was a period of uncertainty and insecurity, with a succession of invasions from Scandinavia. Roman roads assisted invaders so settlements tended to be established at a distance from them at sites which could be better defended. It would have been no coincidence that Layston, the village that existed here, was not in the valley but up on the hill. Mark Bailey acknowledges that greater political stability and the growth of commerce post Norman Conquest encouraged migration of some settlements to roadside sites and many of these new trading centres developed into small towns where the commercial activity of merchants was controlled and taxed by feudal lords. This is one clue to the development of Buntingford. William the Conqueror rewarded his followers with gifts of land, so the Norman nobility largely superseded the Anglo-Saxons. In this part of the county the Domesday Book records some very important names. There is Odo, Bishop of Bayeux and half-brother of William; Eustace, Count of Boulogne; Eudo FitzHerbert, William’s steward who married the daughter of Richard FitzGilbert of Tonbridge who was also Lord de Clare – the Clare family was very important in East Anglia. To complete to picture there is Peter Valognes, a nephew of William I, who married the sister of Eudo the steward, who became Sheriff of Essex and Herts in 1086. Having such powerful landowners and their successors in this area, it is not surprising that there should be economic development here and early in the 13th century there is mention of Buntingford as a hamlet and also of a chapel of St John’s established by 1292. The involvement of Odo and Count Eustace may have been peripheral, but Eudo and his brother-in-law would undoubtedly have been commercially minded to ensure that their lands were managed profitably. The important factor, however, is that there was no Lord of the Manor in Buntingford itself. And there were two markets nearby: one at the manor of Corneybury which was held by the Prior and Convent of the Holy Trinity at

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Aldgate, London, and the other at the lay manor of Pope's Hall at Chipping, part of the inheritance of the Earls of Clare. There were further manorial landowners at Alswick, Downhall, Throcking and Aspenden and Mark Bailey suggests that the extra-parochial and multi-manorial structure of the Buntingford settlement would have attracted informal traders because there was no one authority to control or profit from any unsanctioned trading. Buntingford was a bastard settlement surrounded by legitimate markets. Comparison with Standon highlights the uniqueness of the achievement of Buntingford at this time. The borough of Standon was probably created by the Clare family. From their rural manor there they created a market in the early 13th century and linked it to Ermine Street by a new road. The market was successful and Standon prospered: by 1334 it was the eleventh wealthiest town in Hertfordshire with a population of over 1000. But then Hertfordshire was stricken by the Black Death and a severe agrarian recession. Buntingford seems not to have been so affected and Standon increasingly lost out to its rival which was capturing more of the victualling trade along Ermine Street. Buntingford was also gaining at the expense of Chipping: in 1360 the Chipping market was described as “a vacant space”. And here at last we come to the lady – the lady of Popes Hall, Elizabeth de Burgh. She decided to cut her losses and relinquish her right to hold the market at Chipping, transferring it to Buntingford. In April 1360 Edward III granted her the right to hold a Friday market in Buntingford for the annual sum of 6s 8d on the understanding it was held in lieu of the Chipping market. To consider transferring the right to hold a market to the people of Buntingford was a most unusual step. Did Elizabeth see an entrepreneurial spirit that could help to restore her fortunes? By further encouraging trade in Buntingford perhaps Pope’s Hall could recoup income through rent increases on land it held there, and indeed the London Public Record Office confirms that net receipts from Pope’s Hall rose from £5 2s 9d in 1357 to £7 18s 0d in 1372. Unfortunately Lady de Burgh did not live long enough to enjoy the fruits of her decision for she died later in 1360 and the manor of Pope’s Hall was inherited by her nephew, Lionel, Duke of Clarence. Clarence was also a member of the Clare family by marriage and was Lord of the Manor in Standon. As already mentioned, Standon was declining and Clarence probably saw an opportunity to revive its fortunes. So in July 1367 he petitioned the King to have the Buntingford Charter revoked. The King agreed and quashed the Buntingford market, replacing it with a Friday market in Standon. However, just 12 days later the “lords and tenants” of Buntingford were able to prove that Lady de Burgh had transferred control of the market from the Manor of Pope’s Hall to the inhabitants of Buntingford and had done so within the terms of the Royal Charter. King Edward was forced to re-grant the Charter to the “lords and tenants” of Buntingford, although the market now had to be held on a Saturday to avoid a conflict with Standon. The result was a unique situation: a chartered market had been created at Buntingford without a presiding lord or burgesses. A settlement which did not exist as a civil, manorial or parochial entity now had its own chartered market. And it survived apparently without any further attempt by a local manor to obtain control. Moreover, its inhabitants were fiercely protective of their independence. In 1385 Richard II granted the Crown’s annual rent to a Thomas Stout, a former groom of the royal buttery. The Buntingford inhabitants protested to the King that they had been “unjustly disturbed” by Stout and in 1387 the grant was revoked and Stout’s influence over the market ended. We know little of Buntingford at the time of Elizabeth de Burgh’s momentous decision, but there must have been some nascent civic structure for her to consider making the offer. It could be that the market was run by some kind of informal village co-operative. A chapel was already established so perhaps a local religious fraternity acted as a controlling body: such things occurred elsewhere at the time. Attendance at chapel

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would enhance a sense of common identity. Certainly from this modest beginning the settlement prospered and evolved a stronger system of self-government with two bailiffs elected to run its affairs in the period 1452 to 1461. Thereafter Buntingford continued to expand and the present market place was constructed, its location being assisted by the fact that the east–west roads did not form a perfect crossroads with Ermine Street, the road from the west joining north of the Rib and that from the east being south of the river. The facts speak for themselves, but what sort of a woman was Elizabeth de Burgh? This was an age where a woman’s main role was to produce an heir and a spare. For some reason Elizabeth had no husband or children to inherit. Did she have the financial acumen to appreciate the significance of Buntingford’s development? Perhaps she had a good steward who would know the people of Buntingford from collecting the rents? Or was there a more personal reason? Elizabeth was a Clare and her successor, her nephew, was also a Clare, albeit by marriage. Why didn’t she let him inherit the market? Given her death so soon after transferring the market to Buntingford and the speed – just 12 days – with which the people of Buntingford were able to persuade the King to overturn Clarence’s request, it was almost as if they were expecting these events. Did Elizabeth know that her days were numbered? Was she unhappy to have Clarence take over her market and so arranged for the people of Buntingford to deny him? Did she tell the people of Buntingford what to expect when she died so that they could have a plan of action ready? We shall never know, but it suggests an interesting view of events. Almost two centuries later came another Charter, but the circumstances in which Henry VIII granted it were very different. This was the time of the Dissolution of the monasteries and the Corneybury market was an ecclesiastical one. The beneficiary, Thomas Audeley, was Lord Chancellor (if you read or watched Wolf Hall he comes after Cardinal Wolsey and before Thomas Cromwell). It was a time when monastic riches were up for grabs and no doubt Audeley saw an opportunity. So this Charter was more the result of national events. Its one significance locally was to change the day on which the market was held to Monday, where it has been ever since. I hope that when the Town’s Guide is reprinted consideration is given to mentioning the role of Elizabeth de Burgh. She deserves to be remembered in the history of Buntingford. Brian Thompson

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN A CRAFT GROUP IN BUNTINGFORD? I’m hoping to start a craft group held in a meeting room at Buntingford Library. The meetings will be monthly – possibly on a Saturday morning? Possibly not? It will be aimed at any craft that is portable, and not too messy! So no full-size looms or potter’s wheels, but that still leaves lots of crafts that you can do. Initially it will be on the lines of a ‘Knit and Natter’ group – a meeting place for crafters doing their own thing, rather than a demonstration-led meeting – but this may change, depending on members. It is for all levels of adult crafters, from beginners to experts, and hopefully we can all help each other. Library books on craft subjects will be available to borrow at each meeting. If you think you might be interested, come along to a pre-meeting at: Buntingford Library, Saturday 18th July, 10am (bring some craft to do if you like!) It could lead to a whole new set of friends with similar interests to you! Chris Scott-Hake, Buntingford Library

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Buntingford In Transition In a busy month, Buntingford in Transition has held meetings with representatives of both the Wheatley Homes and the Bovis developments in Buntingford. As we all wish to see Buntingford a happy, sustainable and prosperous place to live in 2050, our goal was to see if we could move from adversarial confrontation towards more constructive collaboration. In this, both sides agreed, we were modestly successful. We are preparing a report to the Buntingford Response Group and will bring you news of how we, and they, agree to move forward. With Jonathan Ling, we reviewed the Project Phoenix Shared Space Proposal, the somewhat counter-intuitive idea of mingling vehicular traffic with pedestrians to create safer streets. A video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vzDDMzq7d0 shows how a scheme works in Poynton in Cheshire. We were impressed by the idea – it might make our town stand out amongst the small towns in our region – but we worry about potential danger to children. However, we have to do something to bring our town into the 21st century, and the shared space proposal is a great place to start the conversation. Meanwhile, staff at the Fire Station say that architects have been round to prepare plans for moving the Library and Police Station onto the Fire Station site. To us High Street residents, this would mean losing a treasured asset – and we resist it with a passion! We want Buntingford in 2050 to have its Library flourishing in the heart of town. So we are exploring the appendices to the Localism Act (2012) to find a legal challenge to the County Council’s plans. The ‘Our Place’ provisions put the community at the heart of decision making; the ‘Community Right to Bid’ gives community groups a fairer chance to save assets that are important to them; and ‘Community Right to Challenge’ allows community groups, charities, social enterprises and parish councils to bid to run services where they believe they can do it differently and better. We think we should at least pursue these avenues. See: https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/giving- people-more-power-over-what-happens-in-their-neighbourhood/supporting- pages/community-right-to-build. Our next meeting, on ‘sustainable eating’, will be on Tuesday 30th June, after which, like the Journal, we shall take a rest for the summer, and resume meetings in September. Watch this space for news. David Woollcombe

The Buntingford Branch of the Royal British Legion is organising a trip to the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire on 17th October 2015. The coach has been booked: it will leave Buntingford at 9am and get back at around 7:30pm the same day. The cost of the trip depends on how many people want to go – the more the merrier and the cheaper it will be. If you are interested please call the trip organiser, Peter Branagan, on 01763 272364 to reserve a place.

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Buntingford Town Council A QUALITY TOWN COUNCIL Councillors have now filled the four vacancies following the uncontested election and we would like to welcome Sue Coote, Steve Bowman, Simon Judd and Surjit Basra to the Council. Sue and Simon will serve on the Amenities Committee and Steve and Surjit the Resources Committee. Unfortunately, shortly after the co-options took place, Toby Archer tendered his resignation from the Council. Filling this vacancy is slightly different: if we do not receive a request from residents for an election, the Town Council will be free to co-opt after the 30th June. We wish Toby well and look forward to seeing him trading in the town for many years to come. Work on the Phoenix Project (Shared Space Scheme) continues. Phase 1 will be considered complete once the public consultation has taken place and priorities identified. Phase 2 will be to source external funding for the project and ensure that there is no cost to the tax payer. Work is also moving forward on the Cemetery project. Initial designs have been drawn up and once it’s established that planning consent will be granted the Council will move forward in negotiating to purchase the land. The initial designs will be published shortly. We have received complaints that the dog bins in the town are overflowing. The District Council has confirmed that the bins should be emptied twice weekly from 1st April. The Town Council has approved the replacement of the dog bins at River Green and the Tannery, these will be fitted shortly. We have also received many complaints that people are not clearing up after their dogs especially around the recreation areas of the town. Many young children use the recreation areas and it’s a severe health hazard for them. Please collect your free dog bags from the Manor House and use the dog bins provided. Jill Jones MILCM Cert HE, Town Clerk Office hours: Monday–Thursday 9:00am–5:00pm; closed Fridays Tel: 01763 272222 email: [email protected] www.buntingford-tc.gov.uk Twitter: @buntingfordtc

Town Council meetings for July & August 2015

nd Thurs 2 July 7:30pm – Amenities Committee Thurs 9th July 7:30pm – Planning Committee 8:00pm – Resources Committee Thurs 30th July 7:30pm – Planning Committee 8:00pm – Full Council

Thurs 13th August 11:00am – Planning Committee (if required) Thurs 27th August 8:00pm – Full Council (if required)

All meetings will be held at The Manor House. Members of the public are welcome to attend. Please check the website for updates.

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Freman College Saturday 10th October 2015

Plans are looking good for the next Buntingford Carnival, but before that we have our fundraiser with The Overtures.

Tickets will be on sale from September from Kirkhams Newsagents and Nisa Supermarket & Post Office. Thanks go to both for being our ticket offices once again. Tickets will also be available from me from August. Tickets are priced at £17.50 purchased before the event. As before, there will be a pay bar and raffle, limited seating and a large dance floor, so get your tickets quickly as they go fast and get there early on the day!

Going back to the Carnival, the theme has been set as Animal Antics and we would love to see loads of animals in the High Street and procession, either real or costumed. So get your thinking caps on and bring along your pet horse, cow, lion, dog or whatever. Let’s make the day go with a roar!

Ashley Cantor Chairman, Buntingford Carnival Committee Tel: 01763 272177

Westmill Art Exhibition Bank Holiday Weekend 29, 30 and 31 August 2015, 10am to 5pm Westmill Village Hall, Westmill, Near Buntingford.

Attention all artists! New artists to the Exhibition are very welcome. Artists who have previously exhibited will be contacted. Everyone is welcome to come and enjoy the works of art on display. Entry is FREE OF CHARGE. All works are for sale. Hope to see you there.

For information or an entry form contact: Olga Partridge 01763 273654 Sue Phipps: [email protected]

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Royston and District Ramblers Group Walks for July 2015 Thurs 2nd Great Chishill, 6 miles, leader Jenny 01763 245969 Fri 3rd Evening walk: Steeple Morden, 4 miles, leaders Roger & Lin 01763 261405 Sun 5th Buntingford, Braughing, 12 miles leader David 01763 242677 Mon 6th Evening walk: Barley, Great & Little Chishill, 4 miles, leader David 01763 242677 Tues 7th Braughing, 6 miles, leader George 01763 242281 Thur 9th Barrington, 6 miles, leader Ian 01223 872243 Sun 12th Stanstead Abbotts, Wareside, 10 miles, leader Paul 01763 244038 Tues 14th Gosmore, 6 miles, leaders Roger & Linda 01462 453752 Tues 14th Evening walk: around Shepreth, 3 miles, leader Liz 01763 263107 Thur 16th Steeple Morden, 6 miles, leader Vince 01763 241092 Sun 19th Wallington, Rushden, Cottered, 10 miles, Christine 01462 734298 Tues 21st Great Eversden, 6 miles, leader Jackie 01763 260809 Wed 22nd Evening walk: Shepreth, 3 miles + optional light supper, leader Rama 01763 260565 Thur 23rd Hemingford Abbotts, 6 miles, leaders John & Lesley 01763 241525 Sun 26th Pirton, 11 miles, leaders Roger & Linda 01462 453752 Tues 28th Harston, 6 miles, leader Marion 01223 871524 Thur 30th Hexton, 7 miles, leader Paul 01763 244038 Thur 30th Evening walk: Aspenden, 3 miles, leaders John & Lesley 01763 241525 Walks for August 2015 Sun 2nd Ashdon, Little Walden, 11 miles, leader Paul 01763 244038 Tues 4th Arkesden, 5 miles, leader Margaret 01763 848576 Thur 6th Cottered, 5½ miles, leaders Roger & Mary 01763 281368 Fri 7th Evening walk: Chipping, 3 miles, leader Eric 01763 848576 Sun 9th Royston, Litlington, Morden Grange, 13 miles or contact leader for 8-mile option, leader Phil 01763 853744 Mon 10th Evening walk: Ashwell, 3 miles, leader Jackie 01763 246700 Tues 11th Walkern, 6 miles, leader Michelle 01462 637874 Thur 13th Hinxworth, 6 miles, leader David 01462 679047 Sun 16th Hexton, 13 miles, leader Mike 01462 491032 Tues 18th Weston, 6 miles, leader Alan 01462 895708 Tues 18th Evening walk: Melbourn, 3 miles, leader Jane 01763 261565 Thur 20th Bourn, 6 miles, leader Jane 01763 261565 Sun 23rd Royston, Therfield, Barkway, 11 miles + stop for breakfast, leader David 01763 242677 Tues 25th Great Hormead, 6 miles, leaders Ken & Jackie 01763 246700 Wed 26th Evening walk: Therfield, 3 miles, leader Eric 01763 848576 Thur 27th Halls Green, 6 miles, leaders Ken & Jackie 01763 246700 Sun 30th Whaddon, Wimpole, Orwell, 10 miles, leader Vince 01763 241092

Unless otherwise stated: Tuesday & Thursday are morning walks, Sunday walks are all day.

For meeting points and starting times, contact the walk leader or visit the website: www.ramblers-herts-northmiddlesex.org.uk Click on ‘Groups’ and then on ‘Royston’ to find full details

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Anstey Fair Sunday 12th July 2015, 1– 5pm Visit this Traditional Country Fair in the grounds of Anstey Bury near Buntingford (off the B1368, satnavs SG9 0DF) Fun for everyone including:  Interesting stalls  A variety of activities and games  Bar  BBQ  Teas  Home-made cakes  Local produce  Books  Raffle  Live music  And much more … Adults £1 / Children under 16 free / Free car parking For more details visit our website: www.ansteyfair.org Proceeds towards Anstey Church, Anstey Village Hall and Anstey First School FRIARS VINTAGE RALLY AND COUNTRY FAYRE FUNDRAISING FOR CHILDREN WITH CANCER Sunday 19th July 2015, from 10.00am to 5.00pm Braughing Heritage with Tractors and Exhibits that worked in and around Braughing before and throughout World War II and after.  CARS  HEAVY HORSES (if available)  TRACTORS  BARN ENGINES  COMMERCIALS  MOTORCYCLES  CRAFT STALLS At BRAUGHING FRIARS (off B1368, SG11 2NS) ADMISSION: Adults £5 Children Free Contact: T. JOHNSON Telephone: 07973 976995 JAZZ IN THE GARDEN RANCE'S ROCKIN CHAIR BAND Sunday 19th July 2015, from 12.30 At North Farm, Crow Lane, Reed SG8 8AE BUFFET LUNCH PROVIDED / Licensed Bar & Raffle TICKETS £15 – IN AID OF FRIENDS OF REED CHURCH CONTACT DI BAMFORD ON 01763 848481 PLEASE BOOK EARLY TO ACCOUNT FOR FOOD

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The Local Interview: Ken Durrant Ken Durrant is a very familiar face in Buntingford, known as much for his voluntary work as for his paid employment as painter, decorator and maintainer of property. He retired at Christmas 2014, but only in the way that people who are active never really retire. He’s been in the town since 1972 – that’s 43 years – and last year celebrated his 70th birthday. Born in Enfield in 1944 to a Dad who worked on the railways and a Mum who stayed at home bringing up three children, there wasn’t a lot of money around. Ken left school at 15 and got his first job in the Hardware & DIY section of Jones Brothers (part of the John Lewis Partnership) on the Holloway Road. Given the work that he ended up doing for the largest part of his life, it’s significant that Ken’s first job was in DIY. The department store sent him on day release for two years to take retail exams and he worked his way up to become Assistant Manager of his section – though no further, because John Lewis changed its policy and decided that only university graduates could become Departmental Managers. So it was time for Ken to move on and he made the wise decision to cash in his John Lewis shares and put a deposit down on a house in Enfield, where he lived with his first wife and three children until they moved to Buntingford in 1972. After Jones Brothers, Ken had quite a time of it in the oil industry working for the Burma Oil Company. When central heating started to be introduced into our homes in the 1960s, Ken worked as a sales rep selling oil to householders. Later on he became responsible for finding land for heating oil depots. Ken says that finding suitable sites and seeking planning permission was “interesting”, and I wonder if he ever thinks of those times when, as a committee member of Buntingford Civic Society, he is often in the position of opposing planning permission for housing developments. Ken left Burma Oil and moved to Prestige, back on the road as a rep – this time selling stainless steel saucepans. He was with Prestige for 12 years, but in the recession of the late 70s/early 80s the company cut down on sales reps and Ken became an Area Manager. As cuts continued to bite, he was asked to travel further afield until eventually his Manager said: “As from tomorrow, you’re no longer doing East Anglia. Draw a line from Bristol to Portsmouth and you’re doing everything south.” The long journeys from Buntingford Ken with the 2008 ‘Volunteer of the Year Award’ meant that once again it was from East Herts District Council. time to move on. 24

By this time, Ken’s marriage had broken up and he had got together with Jackie, who also lived in Monk’s Walk. They married in 1983 and between them now have 5 children and 12 grandchildren. Both were members of the Monk’s Walk Residents Association and, together with others, organised days out to the coast during school holidays, Christmas parties where every child got a present, and even a scheme for sharing tools and equipment, hiring them out at a small fee to anyone on the estate. Ken had to find some paid work after leaving Prestige but at every interview he was told he was “too old at 40”, even if he was the best person for the job. (Amazingly, it took until the Equality Act 2010 to outlaw age discrimination.) But then a new direction came about quite naturally. Having seen him build an extension to his own house, the neighbours started asking if he’d do “a bit of decorating” for them and Ken found himself in the self-employed world of property Ken and Jackie on a cruise to celebrate maintenance. He says, “It’s a lot easier his 70th birthday in 2014. working for somebody else than for yourself. You’ve got to plan your day and make it as profitable as you can, but the bills going out always seem larger and the payments coming in always seem small. In the winter time I was booked 3 months ahead, and in summer time 6 months ahead.” I asked if he had a shed for all his tools. “No, I had a travelling shed: my Ford Transit van.” In fact, it was when the van needed £2,000 worth of work to keep it on the road last Christmas that he decided the time had come for K.D. Services to stop. But it can still be difficult to say no, especially to customers who have been with him for years. “If you tell me you want something done, I’ll go and do it” is an attitude that includes all the voluntary work Ken has done for our town. In 2008 he was awarded ‘Volunteer of the Year’ by East Herts Council and given a Community Service Recognition award by the Town Council. Some of it has been sitting on committees – the Civic Society, Town Centre Management Team, Seth Ward Community Centre, Carnival Committee – but I get the impression he is most proud of the practical work he has done, putting up Christmas Lights, blue plaques and hanging basket supports in the High Street. His Volunteer of the Year award reads: “For those involved in the various organisations, he has been appreciated and, whilst he is quite well known in the town as indeed is his van which has often appeared in both newspaper and magazine photographs, this award shows how much the town has benefited from his involvement in the activities which help make the town a nice place in which to both live and work.” Well deserved. Thanks Ken! Chris Kell

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The following article was supplied by Curwens LLP, a local firm of solicitors with offices in Royston, Hoddesdon and Enfield Has the Court opened the door for your ex-partner to claim financial support from you, even after many years of divorce? The case of Vince v Wyatt has been making its way through the Courts for some years now but specifically in March 2015 it became big news. The Supreme Court made the decision that the Wife could make a claim for financial support from the Husband that she had divorced 22 years earlier. During their relatively short 2 year marriage, they lived a ‘New Age traveller’ lifestyle and relied on state benefits for the most part. They had one child together; however the Husband did also treat the Wife’s eldest child as his own. Since their divorce, the Husband had become a multi-millionaire, founder of a Wind-Power firm, whilst the Wife had always relied on her basic low income. The Wife has now applied for a lump sum payment from the Husband and for him to pay toward her legal costs. She argued that she had shouldered the responsibility of raising their children and had not received much financial assistance from him. The Husband applied for this application to be struck-out because the Wife had made her application too late, 19 years since they divorced, and that there was no reasonable ground for her to make a claim from him now. At first, the Court decided against the Husband’s appeal and he was ordered pay £125,000 to the Wife’s solicitors to help meet her legal fees. After a number of appeals, in March, the Supreme Court made the final decision that the Wife did have the right for the Court to consider her application. One of the most notable reasons for this decision was that the Court felt that the Wife had raised the children, for the most part, by herself. This should be taken into account when considering if she was entitled to any financial support from the father, even at this late stage, the youngest of their children now being in his 30s. The reason that this case has been able to come this far, is that it does not appear that either of them made an application for financial assistance when they divorced and no agreement was reached to tie up their finances. This means that the Wife is entitled to at least apply for financial help from the Husband. How much will she get? … that remains to be seen. The case has highlighted how important it is to finalise your finances if you are divorcing, whether you have £1 or £1 million in your bank. If you would like more information on Divorce, Financial Settlements, or family law issues generally please contact: [email protected] www.curwens.co.uk

The Buntingford Journal is delivered FREE to members of the Civic Society or it can be purchased from: A CUT ABOVE  BASRA’S SUPERMARKET  THE CO-OP DELISSIMO  MARK DOEL  PIGGOTTS THE FOX AT ASPENDEN

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EAST HERTS CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU The Manor House, Buntingford Drop-in: Telephone: Monday 10:00am – 4:00pm 08444 111 444 Tuesday 10:00am – 1:00pm Monday – Friday Wednesday 10:00am – 1:00pm 10:00am – 4:00pm Holidays and Holiday Pay

Most workers have the right to take a minimum amount of paid holiday. This is called statutory holiday. You are entitled to a minimum of 5.6 weeks' statutory holiday a year if you work five days a week, or a pro-rata amount if you work part time. The maximum amount of statutory paid holiday you can be entitled to is 28 days. This applies even if you work more than five days a week. To help you work out your exact entitlement, you can use the calculator on the GOV.UK website at www.gov.uk. You can ask to take your holiday whenever you choose, as long as you give your employer the right notice, and take into account any agreements between you and your employer about when you can take leave. However, your employer does not have to agree to your request. If your employer wants to refuse your leave, they must give you the same amount of notice as the holiday that you wish to take. For example, if you have asked to take two weeks leave, your employer must tell you two weeks before your holiday is due to start that you cannot take leave. Your employer can make you take all or any of your holiday at a particular time, as long as they give you the right amount of notice at the right time. This notice must be at least twice as long as the holiday they want you to take. This means that as long as they give you the right notice, your employer could, for example, insist that you take every Friday off until you have used up all your holiday entitlement. The notice you give your employer when you want to take leave must be twice as long as the holiday you want to take. For example, if you want to take 3 days’ leave, you must give your employer at least 6 days’ notice. You do not have a legal right to bank holidays or public holidays. Even if you get them, you do not have a legal right to be paid for them. If your employer does give you paid bank holidays or public holidays, they will be counted as part of your statutory holiday unless your employment contract says you get bank holidays and public holidays on top of your statutory entitlement. For example, if you work five days a week, you are entitled to 28 days’ paid holiday a year. If you are expected to take bank and public holidays off, and you are paid for them, the bank/public holidays will be deducted from your 28 days. In England and Wales, there are eight bank and public holidays a year so this will leave you 20 days which you can choose when to take. If you are not sure whether you have the right to take bank holidays off work, you should check your contract of employment, or look at how things are usually done in your workplace. Further information about can be found at www.citizensadvice.org.uk © Copyright Citizens Advice. For the most up-to-date information, please visit their website at www.citizensadvice.org.uk

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Hare Street Horse and Pet Supplies opened at the end of April at North End Farm, Hare Street, SG9 0DY (next to the March Hare Tea Room), replacing the farm shop there which closed last year. The new store sells saddlery (new and secondhand), rugs, jodhpurs, boots, chaps n hats. A range of horse care products from hoof oil, fly spray and shampoo to veterinary products. There are head collars, brushes, bits n bridles, mucking out equipment, brooms, buckets, and electric fence items. Horse and dog food is in stock or to order. Pet supplies include bowls, leads, collars, beds, toys and treats. There is wild bird food n feeders, and chicken food, feeders and health products. There are also small gardening items and country cards n gifts! Open Tuesday to Saturday 9.30am to 5.00pm

New kennel manager for RATS RATS (Rehoming Animal Telephone Service) is a Herts and Beds based animal charity established in 1984. While their cats and smaller animals are fostered in numerous homes across the two counties, RATS house all their dogs in their own kennels in Hare Street. The kennels currently house up to 12 dogs which are looked after by a live-in kennel manager. In spring, RATS were pleased to appoint a new manager for the kennel, animal lover Tracy Marshall. Tracy is incredibly committed to the care of every dog that comes into RATS care, and with over 25 years’ experience in the animal care sector she is perfect for the job. She has volunteered at a shelter for injured and abused animals in Greece, assisted vets with spaying, castration and minor surgery in field conditions, and dealt with everything from de-fleaing to pet passports. The RATS team are delighted to have her on board. For more information on RATS including adopting a pet, contact numbers, coming events and volunteering, please visit www.rats-animalsrescue.co.uk. Or you can find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/ratscharity and on Twitter @RATSPetRescue

Do you want to play chess? Hertford Chess Club is a small friendly club with players of all strengths and ages. Matches are played each week from October through to May against other teams in Herts. We meet at the Grade II listed Hertford Club*, with oak- beamed ambience and private bar. Whether you’re a current player, long-term lapsed or just starting, why not come along and take a look? For more information contact: Alan [email protected] 01920 463698 Corinne [email protected] 07758 245791. Or visit www.hertfordchessclub.com * Lombard House, Bull Plain, Hertford, SG14 1DT

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Sports Massage Offer – £10 off a one-hour appointment (usual price £40) with the Journal* A Sports Massage can help the body maintain an overall better condition and help prevent injuries and loss of mobility. Anyone can have ‘sports massage’ – the term simply means that the therapist has a high level of training. Sports massage can be used to help you relax and unwind, as well as ease tight muscles. It can also boost athletic performance and extend the overall life of your sporting activities. Our sports massage treatments are available from Wednesday to Saturday and during July and August we are offering a one-hour sports massage for just £30 (normal price £40). Ring us on 01763 87 80 87 to book. * Sorry, only one discount per customer. Offer available Natalie Pettitt, one of our from beginning July to end August. Sports Massage Therapists.

All Welcome to * Football * Play Your Friends of Layston School Cards Right * Tin Can Alley * Stocks * Lucky Lollies * Bat the Rat * Sweets Tombola * Cakes * Ice Pops 10th July 2015 * Balloon Pop From 3:15 to 4:30pm * Lucky Dip FREE ENTRY

CAMBRIDGE GLIDING CENTRE will be running the UK’s 20 metre and Open Class National Gliding Championships from Saturday 1st August to Sunday 9th August 2015. About 60 of the country’s top glider pilots will be competing. The top-scoring pilots will go on to represent the UK at the 2016 World Gliding Championships in Lithuania and Australia. The gliding centre is at Gransden Lodge Airfield, Longstowe Road, Little Gransden, SG19 3EB. Anyone interested can find out more at http://www.camgliding.uk/comps/2015/

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East Herts Council’s Community Activities Grants is now open for applications. Voluntary and community groups, charities and clubs who enhance the quality of life for residents in East Herts, especially the vulnerable, are welcome to apply. Eligible costs include: insurance, hire, marketing/publicity and other operational costs. First time applicants or informal groups can apply for a mini grant of £50 to £200. To see if your organisation or project is eligible go to www.eastherts.gov.uk/ grants or call Claire Pullen or Tracy Matthews on 01279 655261.

At 7.30pm on 4th July 2015, talented local band The Playlist will be at Gravelly Barn in a lively evening raising money for the two charities. Bar & barbecue, or bring your own. Tickets £15 in advance – call Jane 01920 822229 or Glynnis 01279 792571. Gates open 6pm.

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It’s always an outdoor day at Leapfrogs and this half term even more so as our topic is ‘Summer Holidays’. So far this has included a teddy bears’ picnic in the park and a Mad Hatter’s tea party during our Disneyland week. During our Zoo week we will be raising money for endangered animals, create a mini zoo and finish the week with a trip to Paradise Wildlife Park in Broxbourne. Our caterpillars, which we mentioned last month, all turned into beautiful butterflies and we set them free on a sunny day.

Following the success of our Spring Quiz, the Leapfrog Committee are planning another. Our Summer Quiz Night will be on 3rd July at Great Hormead School. Bring a bottle (or two!) and some nibbles and test your knowledge in an evening of fun with a chance to win some great prizes. Teams of up to 8 people, £5 per head. Doors open 7:30pm, quiz starts 8pm prompt. If you are interested in tickets please call Gail on 01763 289942 or email [email protected] There are currently still a few Pre-school and Nursery spaces available in September for children aged 2-5 years. If you would like more information or to arrange a visit, please email or phone Gail.

11TH JULY 2015 SUMMER SOUNDS OF SANDON With live music from Fifth Wheel At Hyde Hall Farm, Sandon SG9 0RU Licensed bar / 7.30pm till midnight £12.50 per ticket TICKETS available from: inc Hog Roast  Sandon JMI School  Sandon Village Market 20 June  07814 381393  [email protected]

(cash in an envelope or cheques payable to Friends of Sandon School)

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Millfield First & Nursery School www.millfield.herts.sch.uk This is a wonderful time of year for the children with lots of sporting opportunities and trips and visits. On Friday 12th June our Year 4 pupils returned from a wonderful two- night residential visit to the Lincolnsfields Centre near Watford. While they were there they took part in a range of activities including a visit to a soft play barn, orienteering and nature investigations (below). It was a great opportunity for the children to develop a whole range of skills as well as having lots of fun. For many of them it was the first time they have slept away from home and we were proud with how they dealt with this.

On Thursday 11th June our Year 3 pupils had two visits in one day! They went to Edwinstree in the morning, where half the group went to a Maths lesson whilst the other half experienced a Science lesson in the laboratory. Then in the afternoon they went to Freman College to see the wonderful Exhibition of Art and Photography by 6th Form students. Our Key Stage 1 pupils had a visit to Hatfield Forest and learnt how to measure trees and to identify trees by their leaves. They also took part in a bug hunt (right). Our Reception classes visited the Shepreth Wildlife Park and all

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had a wonderful time seeing a diverse range of animals; favourites being the Fruit Bats and the Meerkats! The Nursery children are visiting Standalone Farm later in the month which is sure to be a great day out. As I write this we are looking forward to our ‘Sponsored Bounce’ on Friday 19th June to raise money for new computers and maths equipment. We really appreciate the support of our parents in raising money for the school. We are also having a Non-Uniform Day on Monday 22nd June when, in return for wearing their own clothes, we ask the children to bring in a box filled with sweets and/or small toys for the Tombola Stall at our Summer Fair, which is on Friday 26th June, 4:30–6:30pm on the school field – everyone is welcome. On Thursday 2nd July we are opening the school up from 3:30–4:30pm so our parents can come along and view their child’s work books and have a look around all the classes to see the lovely work on display. Kathy Willett, Headteacher If you would like to know more about Millfield School (or our Little Stars nursery) please visit our website www.millfield.herts.sch.uk or contact the school on 01763 271717.

Anstey First School The children arrived back from the half term in May to see an old-fashioned typewriter upon the teacher’s desk. When they looked closer they found that a letter had been left in the typewriter written by a mystery person. The children spent some time thinking about the clues in the letter and came up with questions to type back to help us uncover the mystery writer. We have come to the conclusion that it could be the Anstey Fairy. This is timely as our theme for learning this term is ‘Small Worlds’. Along with all our letter writing, we have been designing and creating miniature gardens to mirror the work done in our full-size school garden and have been taking a closer look at sowing seeds. We have been on some very interesting visits this term. As we are the smallest school in Hertfordshire we wanted to visit a BIG school as part of our Diversity topic – so we all climbed in the minibus and drove to Mrs Myers’ former school, Andrews Lane Primary in Cheshunt. The pupils spent the morning touring the school, attending assembly and play time, and taking part in lessons. It was great fun and we plan a repeat visit soon. We have also written letters to Andrews Lane and are anxiously awaiting replies so we can have pen pals. Another exciting afternoon out was to Buntingford Library to check out books and take part in a story time. The children loved it and were eager to take their parents to check out more books and the summer reading programme. Anstey pupils are still hard at work learning the Ukulele. They can now confidently play ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ and are working on ‘Achy Breaky Heart’ for the Anstey Fair – open to all at Anstey Bury on 12th July, 1–5pm. Rock on Anstey!! We are learning to code our own programmes using Scratch ll in computing lessons and we have managed to code and create our own games. We also celebrated the Magna Carta and looked at the UNCRC Rights of the Child and how this affects us and children around the world. A message from Mrs Myers: “Thank you to all pupils, parents and staff for all your support and hard work. You have all made my first two terms in post a really wonderful experience. Good luck to our Year 4 leavers; Rose B, George W, George H and Charlotte N. I look forward to hearing great things about you from your new school placements. I will be checking up! I look forward to seeing everyone next year and I wish you all a happy, safe and enjoyable summer!” If you would like to find out more about Anstey First School, or offer your services as a volunteer, please call us on 01763 848 346.

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Layston, an eco- friendly school Firstly, here at Layston we pride ourselves on not just being a friendly school but an eco-friendly school. We are excited to report that we have been re-accredited as a green flag school – see our flag flying high on your next visit (left)! Madela Baddock from Buntingford in Transition joined our walking school bus in support of this sustainable transport initiative. The bus runs each Friday morning during term time and is popular. “We love walking to school as a walking bus,” says Henry (Y2). Charlotte (also Y2) agrees: “We walk once a week with Mrs Blanchard and have lots of fun!”

Recycling week 22nd-28th June Proud Layston eco-warriors (above right) getting ready for a busy recycling week! We hope you join us by recycling at home. Keeping with our eco-friendly theme we have just refurbished our school library into a magical reading wood. “It’s like a wizard has visited Layston!” says James (Y1). We hope that our new reading setting inspires us all to get lost in a magical world of books. We decided to spend Frank King’s generous bequest in the new library and look forward to sharing the outcome in a future journal. Myra Bloomfield, Headteacher Find out more about Layston C of E First School at www.layston.herts.sch.uk

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Last month we mentioned Layston’s KS2 pupils’ ventures into photography in Forest School, and here are just few of their stunning results.

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Edwinstree Middle School

Year 7 had an early start for their educational visit to Boulogne travelling by coach and Eurotunnel. They started the day at the war memorial to the townspeople who lost their lives in the First and Second World Wars. After lunch, a walk through the old walled town took them to the bistros and shops where they practised their French speaking skills to purchase crepes, ices and drinks (photos below). Traditional French berets and sunglasses were popular souvenir buys. The visit was a first trip abroad for some pupils and was a very enjoyable day, helped by the glorious summer sunshine.

Year 5 also had an educational visit, theirs was to Kew Gardens to enhance their Tudor studies. They had a workshop on the goods, fruits and spices brought in by Tudor explorers and then visited the greenhouses to see the many plant and tree specimens. By the time the Journal is published, we hope that our planned sponsored walk for the end of June will have taken place. It was the idea of a Year 5 pupil who together with the school council wanted to raise money and, after discussing their plans with Mrs Michael, it was decided that funds would go towards a new school library. A five mile route over local footpaths was worked out with the help of Mr and Mrs Hayward and it is hoped that the whole school will take part. 36

Year 8 students have been taking part in the annual Rib Valley Book Award with Ralph Sadleir School and Freman College. Fifteen of our pupils attended the presentation and all who took part received a commemorative certificate and a copy of one of the books. Details of the shortlisted books and the winner are in the Freman report on page 38. The summer term continues to be busy for our sports department. Years 5 and 6 have participated well in their basketball and cricket competitions. Congratulations to Year 6 students Ellie Ward and Tally Strachan who received gold medals for their achievement at the Russell Hoops basketball half term camp (right). Years 7 and 8 continue to work hard in the Herts Schools Athletics League. Our Year 8 boys’ team have achieved top 3 places at three of the five track competitions held so far. Once again, we are proud of our school Sports Leaders who have helped at primary school events in swimming and archery. We are now looking forward to district rounders and cricket competitions. Anthony Glenn (left) paid us his second visit of the year to entertain Year 5 with his unique presentation of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. He brought the characters of Theseus, Hippolyta, Hermia, Titania and Lysander to life, helping the children to understand the classic Shakespeare story. A concert will be taking place on Thursday 16th July to celebrate the end of the Second World War. Pupils are busy rehearsing songs relating to the period and there will also be readings, dancing and poetry. The school orchestra will be taking part in this early evening performance. If you would like to attend, please ring the school office on 01763 271446 before 6th July to book your ticket. Everyone is welcome, but there will be a restriction on numbers, so please contact us as soon as possible. The last few days of term are always busy: Sports Day takes place on Monday 20th July, our Celebration Evening for Year 8 students is on July 21st and Prize-giving is on the last day of term, July 22nd. We would like to give all of our pupils in Year 8 our very best wishes as they leave us to continue their studies and we look forward to welcoming our new pupils to Year 5 in September. Diane George

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Reaching great heights Matt Dickinson has stood on the ‘roof of the world’. He summited Everest in 1996 and Freman wrote a young adult thriller The Everest Files which was shortlisted for the Rib Valley Book Award 2015. Matt visited Freman College in C O L L E G E June to talk about his life’s work as a film- maker, explorer and author. The audience of Year 8 & 9 students were enthralled as he spoke of frostbite, the effects of altitude and exploding bars of Toffee Crisp! He inspired students to turn their dreams into plans.

Students from Freman, Edwinstree and Ralph Sadleir , with author Matt Dickinson.

RVBA 2015 winner The Rib Valley Book Award run by Freman College is in its sixth year and the winning book for 2015 is She Is Not Invisible by acclaimed storyteller Marcus Sedgwick. It’s a gripping contemporary thriller threaded with unsettling coincidence and a convincing portrayal of a young woman without sight. This award is a transition project between Freman and its partner middle schools, Edwinstree and Ralph Sadleir. Year 9 Literacy Leaders from Freman work with selected Year 8s at the middle schools in the spring term to discuss the shortlisted novels. All participants then vote for their favourite, culminating in a celebratory event at Freman. The result of this year’s vote was: 1. She is Not Invisible, Marcus Sedgwick 2. The Everest Files, Matt Dickinson 3. All Our Yesterdays, Cristin Terrill 4. The Bubble Wrap Boy, Phil Earle On hearing of his win, Marcus (right) said: “I’m very happy indeed that She Is Not Invisible has won the Rib Valley Book Award. I’ve read a couple of the other books on the shortlist so I know there was some strong competition, and I have to say it’s especially nice to win a book award when the judges are students. That means a lot to me and so I want to thank anyone who voted for me, but also say thank you to all of you who took part, whether you voted for me or not, because the most important thing is that you enjoyed reading a bunch of great books, talked about them, had opinions on them, disagreed and agreed on them ... I am truly grateful for your support." 38

Boccia/Bowls Members of Freman’s lunchtime Boccia Club (right) were invited to try out short mat indoor bowls in Buntingford, which they did over 6 weeks in the spring term. They had a go at the outdoor game, too, thanks to Buntingford Bowls Club and some students have now joined the Bowls Club. Freman also represented the NE Herts School Sport Partnership at the Herts School Games Boccia Finals and finished as silver medallists – a great achievement. Boccia and Bowls are fantastic activities which are great fun but need concentration, accuracy and skill, all of which help young people to gain confidence in a social and practical environment. Boccia is also a Paralympic Sport that featured in London 2012. Art Exhibition This year’s annual Art Exhibition showcasing the Art & Photography of Freman’s sixth formers was open to the public in June. The standard of work was exemplary and impressed old and young visitors. The artworks below are by Bethany Kimsey (left) and Josie Coffey (right).

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ENTRANCE IS FREE BUT ALL DONATIONS ARE WELCOME

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Our next speaker on July 13th will be Susan Slater, who will be telling us about the work that went on at Bletchley Park and how they helped to crack the Enigma Code. This will be a taster for a trip to Bletchley Park on July 30th, cost including coach & entry £23. Over £8 million has just been spent on revamping the site. We don’t have a meeting in August. On September 14th our speaker is Honor Ridout, a Cambridge Historian. Meetings are at Seth Ward Community Centre, doors open 1.30pm, speaker at 2.30. Anyone thinking of joining the U3A is welcome to attend as a visitor, cost £2. Quite a few of our groups will be meeting throughout the summer. For more details of the interest groups, please check on our website or phone Val Reedman on 01763 272135. The Clay Pigeon Shooting group hope to meet again in September. Carpet Bowls has finished for the summer but Petanque has re-started at The Crown on Friday lunchtimes, just turn up to watch or take part. The new 3-mile walking group meets on the 4th Wednesday of the month at 10.45am. All our groups are small and friendly and offer the ideal way to make friends and enjoy new experiences, as well as learning new skills. www.buntingfordu3a.co.uk

BUNTINGFORD AND DISTRICT SOCIAL CLUB C.I.U affiliated — 6 Church Street, Buntingford, SG9 9AS Tel 01763 271889 www.lemonrock.com Every Monday BIG CASH BINGO. Guaranteed £150 minimum snowball prize. ALL WELCOME. Start time 8pm.

WE HAVE: SKY SPORTS AND BT SPORT ALL MAJOR SPORTING EVENTS SHOWN (times permitting)! We have HAPPY HOURS 3-7pm EVERY DAY and HAPPY DAYS on Friday, Saturday, Sunday ALL DAY. Darts, Pool, Snooker, Free WiFi. SPECIAL OFFER: JOIN NOW FOR JUST £15 FOR THE YEAR (no joining fee). Ask for membership form at the bar.

ENTERTAINMENT FOR JULY & AUGUST 4th July — RACHEL’S ROBOTS 18th July — NOT TONIGHT JOSEPHINE 1st August — KARAOKE / DISCO 15th August — WENDI, DIVAS THROUGH THE ERAS, 60s 70s 80s 29th August — SKA DISCO 11th & 25th July, 8th & 22nd August — no entertainment, but FREE Pool, Snooker and Juke Box. Entertainment starts at 9pm unless otherwise stated MEMBERS FREE, GUESTS £1 or £4 on Special Entertainment night. CHECK OUT our Facebook page and website: www.lemonrock.com

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Eye, Eye! I sometimes think I am on another planet to the one I joined 70 odd years ago! Of course I fully appreciate that each generation has a new take on how we live out our lives and what is important. Indeed, many of the latest time-saving, communication-enhancing ideas I grudgingly envy, if I am honest. Then again, when I have time to take that thought in, I realise that those things that I have acquired through hard sustained work and careful husbandry of the ‘readies’ mean the most and last. In fact I am often amused by things that are considered commonplace nowadays yet were beyond our wildest imagination a few decades ago. One such instance occurred when I had occasion to be in one of our local towns. Whilst we were gently meandering in the commodious portals of what is now called a ‘mall’ we came across an open-fronted shop and the legend over the door suggested that some sort of optical service could be secured by a prompt visit. I was intrigued by the goings on within the shop, which was buzzing. There were overalled young women carrying out various ‘procedures’, all to the accompaniment of the latest ‘cool vibe’. At first I was under the impression that it was a trendy optician, but on closer inspection I discovered that in fact it was an emporium solely engaged in fitting false eyelashes and the clientele was queuing to acquire these appendages. Now having been a young dude in the Sixties, false eyelashes were not new to me and I, like many of my peers, used to spend a goodly amount of time waiting for our better half to apply these cosmetic additions which involved carefully gluing the false lashes to the eyelids. The procedure always took an age and it was a brave chap who tried to carry on a conversation whilst this was in train. Furthermore it often caused a heated exchange of opinions when a fellow crushed these items having mistaken them for an arachnid that had the temerity to set up camp on the lady’s dressing table! It was a delicate operation that meant closing one eye whilst hovering above the other with a pair of tweezers pinching a small dark object. Failure to locate the right position on the lid and contact with the glue would mean an outburst that could cast a shadow over the whole evening. Those ladies who suffered from myopia and had to persevere without the aid of their spectacles could inadvertently spark some interesting topics of conversations over the Black Forest Gateaux and Mateus Rosé, as some ladies seemed to have a permanent ‘come hither’ look as the false eyelash would become partially detached and droop seductively.

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Couple this with an hour spent back-combing hair into a ‘beehive’ and there was time to take in a feature length movie on the Tele whilst waiting. Indeed on one occasion I got to see the whole length of John Wayne’s epic western Stagecoach whilst waiting for my beloved and her mates closeted upstairs making large with hair dryers and industrial strength hair lacquer. But back then it was a part of personal home-grooming, not something to share with passing shoppers! Meanwhile, judging by the tariff displayed on the wall of the shop, this service doesn’t come cheap and along with nail bars, tanning salons, tattoo parlours and piercing it now seems to be high on the ‘must have’ list. Not forgetting the ever-present 21st century oxygen bottle, the ‘iPhone’. Juxtapose with this willingness to splash out their hard-earned on these accoutrements, when a few shops further on women who had recently been availing themselves of the aforementioned ‘services’ were assiduously soul searching over the bargain prices in a discount food store. “Bianca, have you seen the price of these chips?” Couple all this with ‘essentials’ such as Odeon-sized TVs, girls’ nights out which wouldn’t be the same without gallons of alcohol and young turks’ weekends away with the lads in far-flung locations, and one might be forgiven for questioning current thinking of priorities. Perhaps it’s my Protestant ethic upbringing. Perhaps it is a reaction to the times in which I spent my formative years. Indeed, with the recent ‘landslide victory’ by the Cameron lad we have been warned we are in for another few years of austerity, but I ask myself do we really know what austerity is? Enter any supermarket and you cannot fail to see that 25% is taken up with alcohol and exotic food stuffs, so where is the austerity in that? Luxury cars prowl our streets delivering children to school and various other activities and faraway holidays are a now an essential component of family life. The mortgage and interest rates are the lowest they have ever been yet we still cry “times are tough”. By what comparison? In this year when we celebrate victory in Europe only 70 years ago have we forgotten what real hardship and austerity is? I really hope our new generation never experiences the privations that our country was exposed to 70 years ago as it would be a difficult pill to swallow. Now we play at hardship in a vicarious manner and for a while each week through the medium of television we see fading celebrities play-acting some Victorian working life or how we lived in the 50s, 60s, 70s and so on. In fact in this latter example we saw an alleged ‘educationist’ and mother struggle to use a simple tin opener to feed herself and her family! I am not sure who was more embarrassed by this, me or the women? I am not suggesting that we dash out and buy a mangle to help with the washing (ask your granny) or learn to light a fire, but when we embrace this conspicuous consumption ethic and show our children that all you need is a credit card, a brace for your teeth and an iPhone to survive then we are doing them no favours. No amount of play barns and fast food outlets will help them if the lights go out. Still, let’s hope it won’t come to that and austerity means we only have one holiday in the Maldives this year and the Audi will have to go on a bit longer. We can always cut down on luxuries like bread and milk so long as the falling-down water is to hand to dull the senses! Vyse 2015

The views expressed in the letters and articles in the Buntingford Journal are not necessarily those of the editor.

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B A L A Buntingford Action for the Less Able Registered Charity No. 1094426 Minibus trips for July 2015

Thurs 2nd 9:30–12ish Bishop’s Stortford Town Centre – Market Day £4

Mon 6th 11:30ish Pub Lunch Bus: £4

Tues 7th 10am–3pm Scotsdales Garden Centre & much more £7

Thurs 9th 9:30–12ish Tesco at Bishop’s Stortford £4

Mon 13th 10:30–2:30 Country Homes & Gardens and Bury Lane Farm £4.50

Shop, Melbourn – Cotton Traders, Shoes, Edinburgh Woollen Mills, Plants, Deli etc.

Tues 14th 9:30–3pm Southend-on-Sea – Seaside, Shops etc. £13

Thurs 16th 9:30–12ish Bishop’s Stortford Town Centre – Market Day £4

Fri 17th 11:30ish Pub Lunch – Green Man, Shepreth Bus: £4

Tues 21st 10:30–3pm Welwyn Garden City – John Lewis, M&S, £6 Debenhams, WHSmith, Boots, Waitrose etc.

Thurs 23rd 9:30–12ish Tesco at Bishop’s Stortford £4

Fri 29th 10:30–3pm Brookfield Centre – Boots, M&S, Next, Argos, £6 Tesco etc.

Thurs 30th 9:30–12ish Bishop’s Stortford Town Centre – Market Day £4

August Thurs 6th 9:30–12ish Bishop’s Stortford Town Centre – Market Day £4

Sat 22nd 2:30pm ‘Sister Act’ at Gordon Craig Theatre, Stevenage. Bus: £4

Tickets: £17.50

FOR MORE DATES IN AUGUST, SEE POSTERS NEARER THE TIME. To book a seat or for more information: 01763 273623 or 01763 271708 CREAM TEA COFFEE at Benson Hall in aid of Marie MORNING Curie Cancer Care at Benson Hall Wednesday 8th July Wednesday 15th July 2.30–4pm 10.30–12noon Scone & homemade cake Cakes / Books / Raffle Tea / Coffee Proceeds for the £5 including raffle ticket BALA Mini-bus

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BUNTINGFORD W.I. It was good to welcome back Bob Jones to our June meeting and this time he was talking about British Comedy Greats. The first act to appear on his screen was Morecambe and Wise singing ‘Bring Me Sunshine’ – most appropriate after one of the sunniest and warmest days this year! Coincidentally, Bob knew Ernie Wise’s twin brother (I didn’t know he had a twin). We were shown pictures of some of the earliest radio comedians and quizzed about their well-known catchphrases, including Sandy Powell’s “Can you hear me mother?” Who knew that Sandy Powell’s son appeared in Emmerdale under the name of Gerald Fletcher? We were tested on other catchphrases from the likes of Charlie Drake, Tommy Trinder, Max Miller, Hylda Baker and Arthur Askey – if we guessed right we were rewarded with some old-fashioned sweets (refreshers, sweet cigarettes, love hearts etc.) I got some ‘flying saucers’ – who remembers them? I will enjoy them and I might even let my grandkids have a taste if they are very good! Bob reminded us of many long-forgotten but much-loved radio shows – Bandwagon, ITMA, Much Binding in the Marsh, Rays a Laugh and Educating Archie. At the time no- one seemed to question the irony of a ventriloquist being on the radio and a lot of well- known names appeared on Educating Archie including Bruce Forsyth. The programme that changed British comedy was The Goon Show which of course had lots of well- known catchphrases. Then there was The Navy Lark which ran for almost 20 years and (my personal favourites) Beyond Our Ken and Round the Horne. In the 1960s TV took over, with Stanley Baxter and Dick Emery, and then programmes such as Dads Army. Of the newer comedians, Bob liked Harry Enfield who has a wealth of characters. Bob is so entertaining; his talk ran well over our usual deadline for speakers but no-one seemed to mind. The WI centenary celebrations continue and last month two of us attended a special Buckingham Palace Garden Party for WI members from all parts of the country. They enjoyed a lovely buffet and saw Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Princess Alexandra and Sophie, Countess of Wessex. Of course everyone was dressed in their finery but apparently there were no fewer then 11 ladies in the same outfit! Also last month, Veronica went to the WI Centenary Year AGM at the Royal Albert Hall and several of our members went to Stevenage where the event was broadcast on a large screen. Our next meeting is on Thursday 9th July when our guest speaker will be David Wass talking about ‘A Humorous Police Career’. We meet at the United Reformed Church Hall in Baldock Road at 7.45pm – visitors welcome. In August we have our Members’ Meeting. For information about Buntingford WI, phone Pat Webb on 01763 271305. Val Hume

FRIENDS OF ORCHARD SURGERY Free Coffee Morning at URC Hall Wednesday 5th August, 10am to 12:30pm Crafts—Cakes—Tombola—Raffle All welcome—please come along and join us!

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Buntingford Town FC www.buntingfordtownfc.com

The Vets played the club’s final match of the season on 17th May and beat Knebworth Vets by 6 goals to 4, ending departing manager Gary Cropper’s tenure with a thrilling game and a high-scoring win – a good send off! Just under a month later we held our Presentation Evening at The Bury. This year we tried something different and organised a 5 a side tournament, with teams comprising of a mix of First and Reserve players, along with the Veterans. Despite miserable weather, the afternoon and accompanying BBQ were enjoyed by everyone, even though the difference in ages, and therefore pace and timing, resulted in a few late crunching tackles! The tournament was won by a team made up of the First Team’s Jake Tyler, the Reserve’s striker Jonni Wedge, and Veterans Christo, Chris Englishby and James Neill, who scored the only goal in the final. Thanks to The Bury for hosting the event, and thanks to the Cougars for loan of their goals. Presentation of awards followed, which went to: First Team Reserves Veterans Ross Barker, Manager’s Player Jacob Dawson Chris Carter Jake Tyler Players’ Player Jamie Babbage Jack Caine Glen Doughty Top Goalscorer Chris Babbage Jonni Wedge Ross Murphy Young Player Scott Caine Jack Caine n/a Ollie Townsend, Most Improved Player Scott Caine n/a Tom Carr Clubman - - Phil Shepherd

Departing First Team manager Laurence Salmon was awarded the Eunice Woods Shield which goes to a club member responsible for an Outstanding Contribution not only over the past season, but for many years. With Laurence leaving we have been looking for a new First Team manager, and we now have a new incumbent, Richard Masters, whose experience includes over 3 years as the U16s and U18s coach at Stevenage Academy. He also has experience in adult coaching at Lea Sports PSG. Next season will be tough but I’m sure Richard will get the necessary support from playing and non-playing staff. We have a new Veterans manager, Gary Smith, who has been associated with the club for many years and also plays for the team. Again, I’m sure he will get all of the support he needs in his endeavours. With various AGMs to attend, pre-season friendlies being arranged, kit and equipment to be ordered for next season, it seems to me that we are busier during the close season than when the league campaign finally kicks-off, which this year will be on August 15th. The last season was a good one, with a League Championship and a Cup Final appearance in the record books. I would like to thank everyone who has helped us out during the campaign – our sponsors and advertisers, The Bury, The Cougars, my committee, our managers, and of course, the players themselves. It is appreciated – let’s keep up the good work during the 2015/16 season. Chris Thurgill, Chairman, BTFC

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COUGARS BIGGEST EVER TOURNAMENT ATTRACTS THE CROWDS The Buntingford Cougars five-a-side tournament, sponsored by WKH Developments, was the biggest ever for the club as 180 teams descended on The Bury for four days of football over two weekends. Some teams, like Fairlands, Knebworth and Hormead, have been loyal visitors to the tournament over many years, while others – like Wixam Wanderers from Bedfordshire, Newhall Rangers from Harlow and Over Sports from Cambridgeshire – made their tournament debut this year. As the reputation of the tournament grows it becomes more popular and most age groups were booked up before the end of March. It’s also why the tournament now attracts scouts from professional clubs like Tottenham, Stevenage FC, Cambridge United and Norwich City, who were all talent spotting this year. In short, the Cougars tournament, which started in the mid 70s, is now considered to be one of the biggest and best organised in the county, with an online booking process and league tables and results updated within minutes of each match finishing. Each day saw lots going on off the pitch as well as on it. There was The Bury licensed bar, a BBQ, a football shot speedometer, face painting, a sweet and ice cream stall, and a new piece of training equipment on show called ‘Quick Feet’. For the second year running local photography company Picture PerfectPhotography4U was the tournament photographer and got some great shots which parents could buy, like this one (right) from the Under 7s competition. Many youngsters got their first ever taste of a match as 24 teams played in the fun Under 6s festival, where there were no scores or tables and every player received a medal. In the Photo courtesy of Under 7s Cougars entertained 18 teams and PicturePerfectPhotography4U the home side just lost out 2–1 in a close fought final against Stevenage Boro Juniors. The Under 8s also saw 18 teams compete and the final went to extra time before Chipperfield Corinthians triumphed 1–0 over Knebworth. The 18 teams in the Under 9s section were whittled down to a final between Wheathampstead Wanderers and the Hormead Hares, with the local side emerging the winners. In the Under 10s competition Whitethorn Wanderers managed to get both their teams to the final, their Reds overcoming their Blacks by 2 goals to 1. Twenty four Under 11 teams came down to an all Wheathampstead final as the Tigers took on the Sharks, the latter winning 2–0 to take back the cup title they had won two years earlier. The Under 12s also saw 24 teams compete and produced a thrilling final as Royston Swifts and Wormley Rovers traded goals throughout the match and extra time to finish four all. The nail-biting penalty shootout was won by Wormley. In the Under 13s the Cougars enjoyed a home victory, beating Ampthill by a single goal in a tense final. The final of the Under 14s saw Elsenham dominate Wormley to take the cup with a 5–1 victory. And finally in the oldest age group, the Under 15s, it was fitting to see the Buntingford Cougars side win the cup with players competing in their last tournament. Richard Daly, Cougars Chairman & Tournament Organiser www.buntingfordcougars.co.uk

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