Issue 3 Community Magazine for Furneux Pelham & Stocking Pelham

Issue 3

Community magazine for Furneux Pelham & Stocking Pelham

Delivered free to all households in Furneux Pelham & Stocking Pelham

WELCOME TO THE THIRD EDITION Thanks once again to the many contributors who have sent material showing the wide range of interests, activities and events in the two villages. After Margaret’s poem ‘Spring’ (this month) and Linda’s ‘Marmite’ (last month) where are we heading next? Someone out there, please keep the poetic theme going. Our advertisers continue to grow, and this month we welcome Clainys Fresh Grimsby Fish and ‘Tea to You’ Vintage Afternoon Teas. Please support all of our advertisers if you can. Finally, may we ask for your help with contributions please? It’s much quicker and easier for the editors if your contributions are submitted in Word rather than pdf format, as we need to be able to resize to the available space. Thank you. Contributions to: [email protected] Cover photo

Flooding between the Brewery in Furneux Pelham (on the left) and the Brewery Tap (on the right) was once common. Schoolchildren were often unable to reach the school from their homes at East End and Barleycroft End. In June 1903 the floods were particularly severe: less than half of the children attended school and many of those who did were very late. Something needed to be done, and the brewery generously provided a horse-drawn dray and drayman whenever children needed to be ferried across the floods.

The drayman was Albert Bradley, who lived at 1 Lake Villas in Barleycroft End. Happily, this extra duty later had a benefit for the Bradley family. In 1908, Albert’s daughter Ena, then aged 11, was presented with a silver watch for five years’ perfect attendance at the school, awarded by Hertfordshire County Council. Ena left school the following year, aged 12, and went to work in service at ‘North View’ in Violets Lane, the home of Charles Elvin Day, the Brewery’s chief salesman.

This picture was taken in 1916, after Hertfordshire County Council had been persuaded to provide a footbridge to help pedestrians.

WHAT’S ON IN MARCH? Send in details of your event if you would like it listed….

Thu 5th Cottontails 9:30am FP Village Hall

Parish Council Thu 5th 8:00pm FP Village Hall meeting Brook Cottage Farm Sat 7th Mencap fundraiser 7:30pm Barn

Mon 9th Community Morning 10:30am FP Village Hall

School Association Tue 10th 8:00pm The Brewery Tap Quiz Night

Wed 18th Soup Lunch 12:30pm FP Church

History Group Wed 18th 8:00pm FP Village Hall meeting Annual Church Mon 23rd 7:30pm FP Church meeting

Wed 25th The Coffee Shop 10:30am FP Church

Sat 28th Film Night 7:30pm FP Village Hall

Use your Village Halls

Furneux Pelham Village Hall The village hall has good facilities for a wide variety of functions and activities. Capacity for approximately 80 people. Enquiries to Anna Shaw at [email protected] or on 01279 777817

Stocking Pelham Village Hall Renovated and perfect for parties of 60-80 people, for classes or meetings. Enquiries to Sarah Hutchins at [email protected] or on 01279 777326

Forthcoming events - dates for your diary Sunday 5th April: A recital by George Robartes at 5.30pm in St Mary’s Church, Furneux Pelham Sunday 19th April: An introduction to the stained glass windows of St Mary’s Church, Furneux Pelham by Furneux Pelham History Group. Further details next month Saturday 25th April: The Pelham Ball. Please see notice separate notice. Friday 1st May: Preschool Bingo Evening in Furneux Pelham Village Hall. Please see separate notice. Friday 11th May: A themed supper to celebrate the 75th anniversary of VE Day to be held at Stocking Pelham Village Hall. More details next month.

Tuck Shop

Tuck shop takes place every Friday of term time, in the Village Hall, 3.15 until 4.30pm. It was started in June 2014 as a community project to raise funds for the then, fairly sad, Village Hall. We thought “give it a go “and “it probably won’t last long “but it’s still going strong 6 years later! All profits go to the Village Hall maintenance fund and has helped towards the new curtains and painting. It is beloved by children and parents alike, the first 30 minutes are total mayhem…. 4 people are needed to man the tables, but the children are always well behaved and polite. More volunteers are always needed to fill the rota. It’s a great way to meet people and a fantastic exercise in mental mathematical agility! Interested? Pop along one Friday and see how it works Finally, a big “Thank You “to my lovely band of helpers, both ladies and gentlemen and also to those polite and well behaved children who come and support us. Call me on 777117 if you would like to help Linda Gale

Little Hadham bypass road works update

There will be temporary traffic lights on the A120 Standon Road in the vicinity of Tilekiln Farm, west of Little Hadham from Monday 2nd March to Friday 6th March between 10.00am and 3.00pm.

You can find out more information on the dedicated website: www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/a120bypass

Calendar of Services for St Mary’s Furneux Pelham and St Mary’s Stocking Pelham March 2020

Sunday 1st March 9.30am Holy Communion (BCP) Furneux Pelham

Sunday 8th March 11.15am Holy Communion Furneux Pelham

Sunday 15th March 9.30am Café Church Furneux Pelham

Sunday 22nd March 11.15am Morning Worship Furneux Pelham with Baptism

Sunday 29th March 10.30am Benefice Holy Stocking Pelham Communion

St Mary’s, Stocking Pelham and St Mary’s, Furneux Pelham are part of a Benefice of three churches which also include St Mary’s, Braughing.

Sunday services in March at Braughing are: 1st March 11.15 am All Age Communion (followed by a Bring and Share lunch) 8th March 9.30 am Holy Communion 15th March 11.15 am All Age Communion with baptism 22nd March 10.00 am Family Morning worship (Mothering Sunday)

The Rector for all three churches is Rev’d Julie Gawthrope, [email protected] | 01920 823532 | 1 Pentlows, Braughing, SG11 2QD

Each week in the Benefice there is a traditional Holy Communion service at one of the churches and an all age service (family friendly) at another of the churches. Every fifth Sunday of the month, there is a service at St Mary’s, Stocking Pelham. We welcome people of every age and stage of faith. Additionally our churches celebrate all the major festivals.

Rev’d Julie Gawthrope is available to conduct weddings, baptisms (christenings), blessings, funerals and she is also available for pastoral enquiries. Please note her usual day off is Friday. All the churches have adopted the Diocese's Safeguarding policies and practice. 6

St Mary’s, Stocking Pelham Churchwardens: Mrs J Bailey (01279) 777454, Mr R Taylor (01279) 777593

St Mary’s, Furneux Pelham Churchwardens – vacant (Please contact Malcolm Ewen in the absence of the Rector – (01279) 777530)

St. Mary the Virgin, Furneux Pelham. Annual Parochial Church Meeting & Election of Churchwardens The annual meeting to elect churchwardens and council members and discuss any matters relating to services or the building will be held in St. Mary the Virgin at 7.30 pm on 23rd March 2020. Everyone is welcome. Church Electoral Roll If you would like your name to go on the Church Electoral Roll, please contact Roger Phillips, Electoral Roll Officer (01279) 771983 to receive the application form. Thank you.

School News 2020 has got off to a busy start at Furneux Pelham School. Read about some of the exciting changes and activities that have taken place at the school over the last couple of months.

Reverse Advent In December, as part of our work in helping the local community, we decided to organise a Reverse Advent. On each day of Advent, members of our school community brought food items into school which we donated to the food bank in Saffron Walden. Pupils helped to count and box up items collected and parents helped to transport items to the food bank. We managed to collect approximately 250 items which were given to those in need in Saffron Walden and the surrounding area. Humph! Pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 worked incredibly hard under the direction of their teachers to prepare a wonderful performance of Humph – our school nativity play. The whole school community were treated to some beautiful singing, dancing and acting and very much enjoyed the performance which told the tale of a grumpy camel visiting the baby Jesus. Friendship Stop

Over the last year, Furneux Pelham School Council have worked hard to create a new friendship stop for all pupils to use during playtimes. Last year’s School Council ran a competition which was open to all pupils. Pupils were asked to design a new sign for the stop. The new sign was designed by Claudia, who has now left the school but returned to transfer her design. The sign is now placed next to a bench on our playground and is used by children who need a friend to play with. Pupils stop at the sign to see if there is someone in need of a friend, and they ask them to join in with their game. Sporting Achievements Over the last couple of months, pupils have participated in several competitions. A team of Year 5 and 6 pupils represented the school at a Sports Hall Athletics competition. The team particularly excelled in field events and came first in this part of the competition. After completing the track events, the team finished fifth out of nine teams. An impressive achievement as a small school competing against much larger schools in the area! A group of Year 5 and 6 pupils showed a real commitment to their school by participating in the Hertfordshire cross country competition in St. Alban’s early in the morning on 1st February. The whole team performed incredibly well, but special 8

mention goes to Caine who took sixth place in the Year 6 boys’ race and qualified for the national cross country finals in March. Our netball team, made up of players from Year 5 and 6, have made a very successful start to their league competitions. So far we have played St. Andrew’s School, Much Hadham and Richard Whittington, Bishop’s Stortford and won both matches. Fundraising Pupils at Furneux Pelham School are very keen to organise their own charity events. Lilly was, like many, very affected by the bushfires that have continued to rage across parts of Australia. She has a real passion for animals so was keen to do something to help those animals affected by the fires. Lilly organised a dress-up day at the school, in which pupils came to school dressed in outfits inspired by their favourite animals, raising an incredible £233. In addition, Matilda led a group of children in organising a Books and Biscuits sale to raise money for Cancer Research UK. They held a very successful sale and raised an impressive £120! Dick Whittington We had an exciting start to the term – a wonderful performance of Dick Whittington on the very first day of the term. The pantomime was performed by two actors, ably assisted by Tomkin the Cat puppet. We had a fantastic afternoon participating in singing, hissing, booing and laughing at the usual panto jokes. We spent the rest of the week enjoying learning linked to the story of Dick Whittington. From designing board games to solving rat-inspired maths problems to using a range of media to create beautiful pieces of art, an exciting week was had by all.

Co-opted school governors wanted - Are you interested in becoming a school governor at your local school?

We would really welcome members of the community who don’t have children at the school at the moment, to come and see what it would be like to become a school governor. Please come to meet the Chair of Governors to find out more about being a governor and look round the school with one of our two Co-Heads.

We are looking for those who are interested in education and its provision, along with experience of business; this could help support the full governing body in its strategic role in the school.

If you would like to support the children’s learning at our school, you can donate via https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/furneuxpelhamceschool. 9

The Ancient Bell of St. Mary’s, Stocking Pelham. From the late fourteenth century, the church had three bells installed in a wooden bell tower, but in 1790 the spire of St. Mary’s was struck by lightning causing a catastrophic fire which destroyed the structure. Then, as now, cash was short and in order to pay for the rebuilding it was necessary to sell two of the bells. The work was carried out by a local carpenter, Edward Uncle, of Furneux Pelham at a cost of £71.5s.0d. The original bill from Mr Uncle exists at the County Records Office. The remaining bell which we still have today is of considerable historical importance having been cast in c1390 in Houndsditch, City of London by John Langhorne. It is one of the oldest bells in Hertfordshire and one of only three of its age and type known. Dedicated to St. Vincent it carries an inscription indicating the medieval belief in the power of bells to drive away evil spirits. It reads: - ‘Vincencius Reboat Vt Cuncta Noxia Tollat’ Freely translated this means ‘Vincent peals to drive away all de’ils’

The second bell at St. Bartholomew the Less at Smithfield is identically inscribed and is thought to be the only other surviving bell cast by John Langhorne. Both bells share the unusual feature of three shields cast on the crown, each of which incorporate a chevron and three laverpots. A laverpot seems to be an ornate type of wine or oil jug. This is thought to be the device of the ‘Guild of Belle – Makers’ which existed in London at the end of the fourteen the century and the very early part of the fifteenth. The bell is just under 25 inches in diameter and weighs approximately 3¼ cwt. It is in excellent condition and completely sound. The clapper and most of the mechanical fittings are medieval. The large wooden pully wheel was made by Edward Uncle in 1790 as was the access ladder to the bell tower. Due to mechanical wear and degradation over the centuries of the bell frame it was considered unsafe to ring the bell on full swing chime for most of the latter half of the twentieth century. In order to take part in the national bell ring on the 1st January 2000 to celebrate the new millennium, the village decided to undertake the complete restoration of the bell and its mechanical parts. The considerable cost was covered by generous donations from village residents and external funding. The Whitechapel Bell Foundry completed the work during the summer of 1999 in readiness for the ‘Celebration 200’ when nearly everyone in the village had a go. It is remarkable to think that this same bell would have been rung six hundred years ago on the 25th October 1415 following the unexpected success of Henry V at Agincourt against the numerically superior French army, which boosted English confidence in the ongoing Hundred Years’ War. We are still ringing it today!

David Bailey

Pelhams Preschool Having just broken up for half-term, it’s been a busy time up at the Preschool, we are looking forward to the next half term, where all activities will be Spring themed. This term, the children have enjoyed learning about Chinese New Year, the year of the Rat. The children have been busy baking some tasty treats and learning about the seasons, while painting and drawing beautiful seasonal collages along with making bird feeders for their gardens, painting lovely little wooden birds and learning about natural habitats for our wildlife.

Furneux Pelham

What’s on in your Village Hall

in March

Mondays Exercise class (contact 07796 531071) 7.30pm to 8.30pm

Monday 9th Community Morning 10.30am to 11.45am

Tuesdays Table tennis 7.30pm to 9.30pm 3rd, 10th & 17th session open to all 24th league match

Wednesday 18th Furneux Pelham History Group 8.00pm

Thursdays Post Office 12 noon to 4.00pm

Thursday 5th Cottontails (parent & little ones group) 9.30am to 11.30am Furneux Pelham Parish Council 8.00pm

Fridays Table tennis 11.30am to 1.30pm Tuck Shop 3.15pm to 4.30pm

Saturday 28th Film Night in aid of Church roof fund 7.30pm

If you would like to book your own event in the Village Hall please contact Anna Shaw on 01279 777817 or at [email protected]

TABLE TENNIS MATCH REPORT Following Janet’s write-up on the table tennis group she mentioned our venture into the Herts Table Tennis League. Last week we played a match against St Andrews a team in Hertford. The team always consists of three players and maybe supporters. All players play against each player in the opposing team making a total of 9 sets. Each set consists of the best of 5 games scored to 11. Then one last game of doubles is played by two of the team members. We were losing 6 -3 but a thrilling finale was played by Bruce McAllister and Peter Sweetman taking the score to 6 – 4. Although we were the losing team everyone played well and enjoyed the evening especially the tea and biscuits! It is always a very pleasant and friendly evening. Annette McAllister

Brief Summary of Stocking Pelham Parish Council Meeting The January meeting of the Stocking Pelham Parish Council was held on Wednesday 15th with Councillors C. Berthoud, A. Brown, P. Lucas, D. Horn and M. Hutchins in attendance, apologies for absence were received from the Clerk Riikka Berthoud and Cllr. L. Balham. Cllr. Brown had discovered that lottery funding is available for only one project at a time, so it was decided to concentrate on funding for the new playground equipment rather than a Village sign. Cllr. Horn has written to District Cllr. Williamson regarding the possible danger of the excessive height of the pub fence causing a lack of visibility for motorists and pedestrians at the junction, and to Cllr. McAndrew (EHDC) regarding running water under the road outside Cockswood. A speed registering cable will be installed on the road between the Church and pub to ascertain if the village is eligible for another speed sign. A number of planning issues were discussed. It was unanimously agreed that the Parish Council bid for the pub in line with the independent valuation. Full details of the minutes and other business can be viewed on the Parish Council website - www.stockingpelhampc.org.uk

To: Editor From: Pelhams’ Potting Shed correspondent Firstly, may I thank all those who responded so creatively and ingeniously as to how to rid one’s garden of Nostoc. I feel I must, however, remind a couple of correspondents that the use of industrial grade explosives on domestic premises is prohibited. And now it is nearly Spring, your Potting Shed correspondent would like to offer some seasonal gardening tips, namely a step by step guide to potting on seedlings. 1. Select seed trays to be used. Clean out all dead snails, earwigs, ladybirds and half eaten Hobnobs and insert planting cells. I like 15 cells per seed tray. 2. Fill cells with damp potting compost. 3. Select Small Child from array of available grandchildren. A 6 year old is ideal. 4. Place Small Child on potting bench. 5. Invite Small Child to make one hole per cell of compost, using little finger – perfect dimension for popping in small seedling. 6. Watch as Small Child concentrates and makes holes in all 15 cells. 7. Praise Small Child extravagantly. Feel at one with nature, in total harmony with surroundings and full of love for Small Child. Bliss. 8. Small Child pouts. It wants to play football. 9. Reassure Small Child, only 5 more trays to go. Small Child pouts even more. 10. Small Child starts to muck about and falls off potting bench. 11. Staunch bleeding. 12. Apply Elastoplast to Small Child. This is not easy as Small Child won’t keep still and the Elastoplast is not very sticky, having been in a tin in the potting shed since 1997 13. Small Child skips off to play football, looking regrettably triumphant.

14. Gulp down medication, comprised of a lot of gin, not a lot of tonic, ice and lemon. Note that only the first ingredient is essential. 15. Retire to comfortable armchair indoors, far from potting shed and Small Child 16. Order plug plants online. Happy Gardening! Your Potting Shed Correspondent.

Spring

Dreary winter has come and gone birds are bursting into song, baby chicks are starting to hatch while Daddy looks for worms to catch.

Buds are bursting on the trees while gently swaying in the breeze, daffodils are poking through to proudly show their golden hue.

Lambs are frolicking in the grass happy that winter has gone at last, Such a lovely time of year to witness new life starting here.

Village life is oh so sweet so say hello to all you meet, There never was a better place to see a smile and a friendly face.

A joyous spring free from strife time to celebrate new life, a happy spring to one and all for summer follows after all.

Margaret Palmer, Stocking Pelham

Furneux Pelham Parish Council The next meeting of Furneux Pelham Parish Council will be on Thursday 5th March at 8.00pm in Furneux Pelham Village Hall. Meetings are open to all village residents. Please see Parish Council noticeboards or the Council website www.furneuxpelham.org.uk for the agenda.

The Parish Council has a vacancy to fill by co-option. If you are interested in being involved, please contact the Parish Clerk on [email protected]

Furneux Pelham History Group talk in February The topic for the February meeting was the history of Hertford Museum presented by Catherine Walker, Assistant Curator. The museum was started in 1908 by two of the Andrews brothers who were insurers with offices in Fore Street, Hertford. Both were collectors, one with an interest in archaeology and the other in anthropology. Their collection was displayed in the insurance office for all their clients to view. It soon outgrew the space and in 1913 the Andrews brothers bought a seventeenth century building for £800 in Bull Plain, Hertford that has been the home of the museum ever since. The collection came from all over the world and also included natural history specimens and a special collection of Japanese artefacts sent to Hertford from another brother living in Japan. The focus of the museum has now changed to concentrate on telling the story of the history of Hertford and the villages in East Hertfordshire. Items from the Pelhams include a 9th century silver coin found in Stocking Pelham and a Calvert token of the 1660s from Furneux Pelham. Entry to the museum is free As the collection grew storage space was required and the museum took over the former McMullens Seed Store. Known as the Stores, this building is open to the public twice a year in April and September. Details of the tours available in April will be on the museum website www.hertfordmuseum.org or telephone 01992 582686. The next History Group meeting will be on 18th March (see separate notice).

ECHO

Remember you can tell Hertfordshire Police what matters most to you about policing in your local area using their new public feedback service – ECHO

More information is available on the Hertfordshire Constabulary website (https://www.herts.police.uk/Information-and-services/Get-involved/echo). Comments can be submitted by text [text 66099 Start with the word EHRural then your comments] or on the website www.bit/ly/ehrural-police

Echo must not be used to report crime. If you want to report a crime or anti-social behaviour, contact Hertfordshire Constabulary via the 101 service, website or, in an emergency, by dialling 999.

THE HUNDRED PARISHES SOCIETY

Please take another look at the new polymer £20 banknote that has just been issued. It features the British artist JMW Turner (1775 – 1851) and his painting, The Fighting Temeraire. The painting shows HMS Temeraire in 1838, being towed by a steam tug towards a scrapyard at Rotherhithe on the Thames. It was a sad ending for a ship that achieved considerable fame at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The Temeraire was immediately astern of Nelson’s flagship, the Victory, and played a major part in the battle, her crew capturing two enemy ships while suffering heavy casualties.

The captain of the Temeraire at Trafalgar was Eliab Harvey (1758 – 1830) from Chigwell in Essex. He shared his time between naval duties and being one of the two Members of Parliament for Essex. He was later knighted and promoted to the rank of admiral. Sir Eliab’s final resting place is in the Hundred Parishes, in the Harvey family crypt beneath St Andrew’s Church, Hempstead. The crypt holds the coffins of around fifty members of the extended Harvey family.

An earlier family member was William Harvey (1578 – 1657), the first doctor to describe the circulation of the blood. His mortal remains are also in Hempstead Church although his body was moved in 1883 by the Royal College of Physicians from the crypt into a large sarcophagus in the chapel above the private crypt.

A print of The Fighting Temeraire hangs in Saffron Walden in The Temeraire, a Wetherspoon pub whose walls are richly decorated with pictures and information about local history.

The £20 note is not the first to have a local connection. The £50 note in circulation from 1994 to 2011 featured Sir John Houblon. Members of his family once owned Hatfield Forest.

Ken McDonald, Secretary www.hundredparishes.org.uk

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONTENTS OF THIS MAGAZINE, PLEASE EMAIL COPY TO [email protected] BY THE 15th OF THE MONTH. Please send in your news, details of events or reports about what’s been going on. The team producing this community magazine reserves the right to adjust formatting or to not print any article that it considers to be inappropriate or discriminatory. In addition, the team does not necessarily agree or disagree with the opinions aired in any article printed.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PLACE AN ADVERT IN THIS MAGAZINE, PLEASE EMAIL ADVERT TO [email protected] BY THE 15th OF THE MONTH. Commercial advertising rates per annum: 1 1 page £30 | page £60 | full page £120 per annum. 4 2 Invoices will be issued upon receipt of advert. If you are a voluntary or charitable organisation in Furneux Pelham or Stocking Pelham, we will advertise your fundraising event for free, up to a page - subject to space available. Voluntary or charitable organisations outside the village - £10 per event.