Chipperfield News

November 2004

Remembrance Sunday

The annual Parish Service of Remembrance will be held at St. Paul's Church and the village War Memorial at 10.55am on Sunday 14 November. All are welcome to attend.

Poppy Appeal

The Royal British Legion was founded in 1921 to safeguard the welfare, interests and memory of those who have served in our Armed Forces. A wide range of welfare schemes are provided, including management of residential care homes and homes providing breaks for veterans and carers; assistance with war pensions cases; provision of electrically powered vehicles and electrical and household goods; financial assistance for those in need; expert assistance for those with disabilities; help for widows and others to visit war cemeteries, and employment and training to ex-Service personnel with disabilities. To meet these welfare objectives, funds are raised through the annual Poppy Appeal and, year on year, we in Chipperfield have given generously when the volunteer poppy collectors knock on our doors, as they will during the first fortnight in November. Please support the Appeal again this year.

Remembering Those We Love

On Sunday 7 November at 6.30 p.m. St. Paul's Church is holding its annual quiet reflective service by candlelight specifically to remember those who have died. Music is mainly from TaizŽ and Iona and there will be an opportunity to light a candle in memory of your loved ones. Everyone is most welcome

Chipperfield School Of Dancing

The pupils of the local dancing school at Blackwell's have all taken their tap and ballet examinations and have all passed! They are now ready to move on to the next grade standard, and work towards The Nutcracker. This show is to raise funds for Cancer Research. Ann Hertler-Smith has changed her Keep Fit timetable - the classes now run on a Tuesday and Thursday morning. For further information about any of the classes, call Ann Hertler-Smith 01923 267604, Jean Banks 01923 400370 or Clare Gurney 0208 428 9906.

Coffee Morning

A coffee morning held on 24 September at the cricket pavilion in aid of MacMillan Cancer Care raised £275. A big thank you to Malcolm Durrant and to everyone who supported us at such short notice. Thank you. Grace Bignell

Woodland Walk

CHIPPERFIELD COMMON

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at 10.30am on Friday 26 November (meet in the church car park) All welcome Phillip Russell, Woodlands Officer for Borough Council, will be leading a walk through the woodland, pointing out the work that has been completed so far this year and explaining the work planned for the end of 2004 and early in 2005. If you have any questions about the management of the woodland or need information or advice about trees, Phillip will be pleased to answer.

Chipperfield Horticultural Society

This year, for the first time, we held a photographic competition at our Summer show. This proved very popular and we had some wonderful pictures. Next year, 2005, we will be having a photographic section at each of our three shows and the subjects have been chosen and are listed below. They have a very broad spectrum and we hope that you will find at least one subject that will appeal to you. Spring Show 2 April 2005 1. Two photographs of different weather vanes 2. The natural world 3. A photograph, with caption, to make us laugh Summer Show 2 July 2005 1. Shadows 2. Group of four photographs of bridges Autumn Show 17 September 2005 1. A hanging basket or window box 2. Travelling at home or abroad 3. Modern architecture Photographs, maximum size 5" x 7", may be mounted but not framed.

Police Non-emergency Number

Responding to popular demand, Police have set up a single contact number for all local non- emergency calls which will enable you to reach any Hertfordshire police station, department, unit or member of police staff. It is charged at local rate.

Herts Police Non-emergency number 0845 33 00 222 for help & advice

This is the number to call if you need help or advice. In an emergency always dial 999. An emergency is when: ¥ There is a risk of injury to someone ¥ There is a risk of serious damage to property ¥ You suspect a crime is in progress ¥ There is a serious incident which needs immediate police attendance

Mobile Library Improvements Planned

By summer 2005 Hertfordshire Libraries will have introduced new vehicles and on-line computers to improve and extend the service to mobile library users. The introduction of the computer system will allow the stock on each mobile library to be changed more efficiently and will provide a greater variety of books to choose from. It will also allow users to consult the catalogue and use other on-line services to reserve items and renew loans. One of the new vehicles will be at on Friday 5 November between 10.00am and 12noon and you are invited to look round and find out more about the developments to the service. The day and time of some stops in the village may change and if so, full details will appear in Chipperfield News.

Allotments

All plots have now been let and for the first time in years there is now a waiting list. Plots do become vacant from time to time during the year, so it is worth adding your name to the list if you are interested in renting a full or half plot in the future.

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Baths Wanted !

Old baths are needed for use on the allotments, so if you are having your bathroom re-fitted and wish to dispose of your old bath please contact 01923 267483 and I shall arrange for it to be collected and given a new (open air) home. The taps are not required and can be removed. Liz Holliday Chairman, Allotments Committee

Village People

Philip Parnell, formerly of Chipperfield Road, and Claire Befroy were married on 25 September. The wedding ceremony and reception were held at Stocks Hotel, Golf and Country Club, . The couple, who met in Kathmandu, spent their honeymoon in Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore. Philip, who attended both Chipperfield and Kings Langley JMI schools before moving on to Parmiters School, is now a partner in an international firm of valuation surveyors.

Pauline and Tom McAuliffe of 89 Scatterdells Lane would like to announce the arrival of their first grandchild Molly Jean on Sunday 19 September 2004. Mother and baby doing fine.

Joy and Arthur Hirst of Scatterdells Park are pleased that they have recently become great-grandparents.

If you would like an item included in this column contact Valerie Briselden via the Chipperfield News box at the Post Office Stores or The Two Brewers or drop a note through her door at The Firs, The Common. Please include a phone number in case we need to check any details.

Many people criticise Chipperfield News for its lack of information about local people but if you don't tell us we don't know! Chipperfield Within Living Memory

Street Names - Croft Lane

Long standing residents of Chipperfield will recall that Croft Lane used to be called Pest House Lane. More recent residents may wish to know more. I am only able to throw light on this by quoting from Miss Liddle's book, Notes On Old Chipperfield, which is no longer in print: "Close to Chapel Croft in the fields, is the Old Pest House, used in the plague 1665, shown in an old hunting map of 1881. In 1838, there is the record of the sale of the copyhold cottage and garden, called Pest House, to John Parsley (Lord of the Manor). Previously, there is a record of it being in use as a cottage in 1804, by Sarah Dell and her son William." Nobody seems able to pinpoint exactly where the cottage was situated but I assume it was not far from the ends of Croft Lane and Alexandra Road. On the Tithe map, dated 1839, a cart track, now known as Croft Lane, is clearly shown as leading into two fields. At the far end, on the left, was Pest House Field and on the right was Pest House Meadow. This suggests that the Pest House had quite a lot of land attached to it. Although there is documentary evidence of the sale of the Pest House in 1838, there is no indication of its position on the map of the following year. The 1877 Ordnance Survey Map shows the same road and it is very clearly named as Pesthouse Lane and leads between the same fields. There is a large pond, on the right, just a short distance from the start of the lane. The only isolated building is shown to be in the far right hand corner of a wooded area, which is now known as Alexandra Road. On the 1898 Ordnance Survey Map, Pesthouse Lane is again clearly named and the only houses have appeared, just before the pond, on the right. Alexandra Road has been established and named and a few houses have been built, mainly on the right. The previously isolated building in the far right hand corner is marked, but no longer inhabited. The need for a place to isolate people suffering from the plague was very necessary. For hundreds of years, outbreaks of the plague were not uncommon, and that is one of the reasons for royalty building their palace, at the top of Langley Hill, so that when things were bad in London, they could take refuge in the country. One local

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farmer, who died from the plague in 1594, was Thomas Carter of the Mills, who lived at Pale Farm. Two of his children also died, at the same time. Although one can appreciate modern residents being unhappy with the original name, its loss led former councillor, John Nichols, to say that he regretted the change from Pest House Lane to Croft Lane because an historical link had been lost. Mary Nobbs

St Paul's And Holy Cross

Sunday 31 Oct at 6.30p.m. Andrew Williamson's visit re Tigers Club Project. There is the Taize Service on Sunday 7 November at 6.30pm in St Paul's Church by candle-light. An opportunity to reflect and to remember loved ones who have died. Rememberance Day Service on 14 Nov at 10.55am Children's Groups. Sunday Special: 10am every Sunday (except for monthly Family Worship). Alison Bush (01442 834425) Toddler Praise: 10am in the narthex, first Thursday each month. Sally Thompson (262382) Chipchops: Details of all activities (listed in the April issue of Chipperfield News) from Simon and Lucy Wood (260249).

Baptist Church

Our traditional Harvest Thanksgiving service was a joyful occasion and we were able to distribute parcels of produce to folk in the village afterwards. Looking forward now to December (see diary), we are to have what has become an annual visit of The Chiltern West Gallery Quire. We shall be pleased to see any of you there and to share in the tea that will be served afterwards. Look out for details of our Christmas Tree Festival on page 8 and in the next issue.

November

Whoever said November was a 'No' time? It is a chance to pause and plan and hope, When bulbs and puddings wait their call to stir. To every season is its own variant name; No one should try to make them all the same. We dance to nature's rhythm, Or else we lose the beat. We turn on nature's wheel, Or else we're out of sync. We see from nature's eye, Or else we miss the view. They say God gave us memory that roses We might know and savour in November. (He also gave us noses). Whoever thought of strawberries in November?

Chipperfield Art Group

Since the Chipperfield Art Group ceased to function, the remaining funds have been held in case any interested people wished to revive it. Over a year has now passed, so we have disposed of those funds by donations to the Hospice of St Francis and the Peace Hospice. Rita Musk has the letters of thanks should anyone wish to see them. Joan Sellwood

Lifeboats

The house-to-house collection in September raised a total of £655.51p. Very many thanks to all the collectors and

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contributors who helped to make this record result possible. Margaret G. Newman, Hon. Secretary

More Visitors For Tea

By the time you read this the clocks will have changed and it will be too dark for us to have our tea in the Wendy House, down by the wildlife pond. Although its been a funny old summer, with some days too hot, and some too wet to go down there, we have made good use of it and had some interesting visitors, two- legged and four. The most regular are the wood pigeons and the blackbirds, who also seem to like a drink at about 4 o'clock. The pigeons often land on the Wendy House roof, then stomp around as if they are wearing hob nail boots before flying to the pebble beach and having along drink. They take no notice of us, even when the doors are open. As the reeds in the pond and the shrubs and plants around it have grown to provide more cover, so the number of users has increased. One hot afternoon we were having 40 winks after tea when there was a faint rustling in the reeds. I opened one eye to see a fox leaving the waters edge. Foxes miss nothing, and it looked straight back at me. We didn't move and watched it carefully make its exit, always keeping an eye on us. Foxes seem to know whether you have a gun or not. If you are not a threat they just lope off, usually stopping to have a good look at you ,before going on their way. Another visitor has been the grey heron. I am not keen on foxes as they have killed all my bantams in the past, but David is not keen on herons as they have had more than 3/4 of his fish from the ponds by the bungalow. Fancy fish are not allowed in the wildlife pond though, and I rather like the chance to see such a big bird at close quarters. With its huge wingspan it is quite a sight as it comes in to land only yards from your tea table!We could see all of the black markings on its long neck as it carefully picked its way through the grasses at the back of the pond before slowly wading in. I was surprised how well camouflaged it was against the bulrushes. They are patient fishermen, waiting to see something move and then stabbing down into the water with their dagger- like bill. As well as fish they also like frogs and newts, but I think we can afford to loose a few of those. Herons always leave a grey film on the water when they have been in a pond and I believe this is from the powdery down that they have on the sides of their chests to clean any head or neck feathers that become slimy or fish scaly. Our visitor gave us a nice preening display before our dog got up for a scratch and disturbed it. When ever we have human visitors down there we never see anything; too much chatting I suppose! Wendy Bathurst

Your Garden In November

This is the time of the year when many plants lose their leaves and shut down for the winter. The sap in evergreen plants also stops flowing unless winds dry their leaves out. As plants become dormant it is the best time to transplant them, so this is a good time to start planting raspberries and the majority of bare-root hedging plants such as beech, privet and quickthorn. This is a good time for planting fruit trees, roses and bulbs such as tulips and narcissi. The vegetable garden should now be dug, putting in a good amount of farmyard manure. November is a good month for sowing broad beans and for planting garlic. Cabbages should be protected from attack by pigeons by covering with strong netting. Herbs, such as fennel, balm and lovage, should be cut back and a few plants of parsley, chives and tarragon can be lifted and potted and brought inside for use in the winter. Gardens should be tidied up once leaf fall is complete and most garden material can be composted. Special compost bins are available at the garden centre for as little as £7, thanks to Herts County Council! Always check heaps of leaves and the bonfire night 'heap' for the presence of hedgehogs. The greenhouse should be cleaned up using Jeyes Fluid as a disinfectant. If completely empty, a sulphur candle will destroy all the over-wintering pests and diseases, but if you do use one, all plants must be removed from the glasshouse. Greenhouses should now be insulated using bubble plastic, and the heater should be checked over. Now is the time to put in the pond heater and remove the fountain pump if it is likely to be damaged by frost. Plants grown in pots and containers are much more susceptible to frost damage than those growing in the ground. This is more so with evergreen shrubs such as the Sweet Bay and shrubs like the Camellia. In severe weather it is best to take such plants inside (the garage would do for a short time) but if this cannot be done, pots can be lagged using straw or bubble plastic to keep roots from freezing. To prevent wind damage to tender

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garden plants, windbreaks can be installed or fleece can be used. Taps and outdoor water pipes will need to be lagged too. Many shrubs can be trimmed now and late-flowering clematis, such as C. Jackmanii, should be pruned down now. Cordylines and the more tender phormiums can be protected from winter damage by tying their leaves together. Don't forget to get the lawn mower serviced soon. Pansies and violas, polyanthus and primroses will flower better in winter months if grown in places where they can get the sun. Finally, it is now time to clean out the bird houses and make sure the birds are kept well fed, especially in very severe weather. Terry Simmonds

Action For Growth In The Rural Economy

The AGRE partnership is offering free one-to-one computer tuition and guidance to any rural business in Hertfordshire. Tuition of up to four hours is given at the place of work and is aimed at helping businesses in rural areas with less than 150 employees make better use of the computer in running the business. This includes marketing the business on the internet. Assistance covers mastering e-mail, creating professional documents, designing effective spread sheets, organising invoices and receipts, publishing flyers and posters, an understanding of E-commerce and keeping your computer safe. Help is available to any rural business in Hertfordshire that meets the criteria, so if you feel that your business would benefit by more effective use of the computer contact Alex McGolpin on 01920 822735 or check www.1to1help.com/apply

Footpath News

Two footpath projects in the village are now complete, thanks to this year's grant received from the Parish Paths Partnership. All official (numbered) footpaths through the woodland on Chipperfield Common now have new signposts. Last month, Parish Councillors Brenda Berners-Price and Mark Jarrad assisted Clayton Ray, DBC's Rights of Way Officer, checking the paths and locating sites for the sign posts, with the contractors following and putting the posts in position. The grant has also paid for barriers to be installed on Footpath 14 (from the Croft Estate to Scatterdells Lane) to prevent motorcyclists roaring down the path at considerable danger to walkers and aggravation to residents. The horse track alongside Langley Road is almost complete and should be open this month to riders as soon as additional safety fencing is installed. The on-going project to link footpaths through the village has moved a step nearer with a successful bid for funds for this from the Parish Paths Partnership for 2005-6.

Hospice Of St. Francis

The exclusively designed 2005 calendar of local scenes is now available, price £2.75. All proceeds will be shared between The Hospice of St. Francis, the Iain Rennie Hospice at Home, Michael Sobell House, Grove House, South Bucks Hospice and Florence Nightingale Hospice. Calendars may be collected from the hospice office at 20 Kings Road, . If posting required add £1.50 for every two calendars ordered. Cheques payable to "The Hospice of St. Francis".

www.chipperfield.org.uk

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