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

Building houses Tudor style at Edwinstree school.

Inside this month: News of the proposed Buntingford CAT ‘hoppa’ minibus; a profile of Town Mayor John Noades; application forms for Carnival 2016; local electronic musician 1i2c; plus all our usual reports from the W.I., U3A and local schools and clubs.

60p March 2016 Volume 41, No.2

March 2016 Contents 1i2c – Electronic Music for Our Modern World ...... 29 Anstey First School ...... 35 Art @ Gravelly Barn – ‘Does It Matter’ Charity Art Exhibition ...... 33 Attend2Health – Award of Patient Partnership Quality Mark ...... 10 BASH – Annual General Meeting ...... 33 BALA – Minibus Trips & Coffee Morning ...... 44 & 45 Bramble Hill Children’s Centre ...... 34 Braughing Drama Group – Sketches & Songs in aid of Church Restoration Fund ...... 15 Buntingford Carnival Committee / Applications Forms for Stalls & Parade ...... 23 / 24-25 Buntingford Civic Society ...... 11 Buntingford Conservation Area – Public Meeting on 1st March ...... 11 Buntingford & District Cage Bird Society – A.G.M...... 8 Buntingford & District Social Club ...... 47 Buntingford Gardeners’ Club ...... 44 Buntingford Library – An update ...... 12 Buntingford Memorial Charity – Small grants available ...... 9 Buntingford In Transition News ...... 17 Buntingford Tennis Club – Try Tennis for Free ...... 48 Buntingford Town Council ...... 21 Buntingford Town Football Club ...... 46 Buntingford Twinning Association – Saturday Night Hop ...... 30 Buntingford W.I...... 45 Church Services ...... 14-15 CPRE – Nominations Open for Herts Rural Living Awards ...... 10 Diary of Events – What’s On & Dates for Your Diary ...... 2-5 East Herts Citizens Advice Bureau – Self-Employment and Maternity Pay ...... 31 East Herts Council – Buntingford Conservation Area / Community Grants ...... 11 / 17 Editor’s Letter ...... 7 Edwinstree Middle School ...... 40 Energy Envoys – New Duke of Edinburgh Award ...... 43 Freman College ...... 42 Friends of Reed School – Quiz Night & The Bookworm Ball ...... 37 Layston C of E First School / Layston Preshool and Nursery ...... 38 / 39 Leapfrogs Preschool and Nursery ...... 34 Lenten Reflections 2016 – Invitation to the White House ...... 16 Letters & emails to the Editor ...... 8 Liberro – Win a Fire Tablet ...... 47 Millfield First & Nursery School ...... 36 Milling Barn, Bluntswood Hall – Advertisement for Casual & Part Time Staff ...... 9 My First Cruise by Ashley Cantor ...... 26 News from Your District Councillor – The Buntingford CAT / Clean for the Queen / Visit to the European Parliament / Free Dog Microchipping Campaign ...... 22-23 North Herts Villages Research Group – Spring Meeting in Kelshall ...... 13 Profile: John Noades ...... 18 Reed Village Hall – Dave Rance’s Rocking Chair Jazz Band / Disco Night ...... 16 Royston Choral Society – Concert for Palm Sunday / Stainer’s Crucifixion ...... 20 Royston & District Ramblers – Walks for March ...... 48 Street Party for the Queen’s 90th Birthday ...... 28 U3A Buntingford – The University of the Third Age ...... 32 Useful Local Information ...... 6 1

Diary of Events – March 2016

MONDAYS 10:30am – 12 noon Iyengar Yoga at URC Hall (term time). Contact Jen Harris 01920 821288. 11:00am – 11:45am Stretch’n’Grow, a fun exercise & activity class for children who are walking to 5 years. At Seth Ward Community Centre during term time. £2 per child. Contact the Buntingford Collective on Facebook. 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. 4:00pm – 6:45pm Ballet Classes at URC Hall, with Buntingford School of Dance Ltd. Contact: [email protected] / 01763 271010

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 CC. Contact Peter Deacon 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. 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. 3:15pm – 4:15pm After School Bootcamp at Millfield School, Monks Walk. Contact Jacqui 01763 273815 / 07956 647806, [email protected] 4:15pm – 9:00pm Ballet, Modern & Tap Classes at Freman College, with Buntingford School of Dance Ltd. Contact: [email protected] / 01763 271010

5:30pm – 6:30pm Cougars U15s Whites training, Norfolk Road Floodlit Multigames Area. 6:15pm – 7:15pm Cougars U10s & Cougars U12s Blues training, St Edmunds School Floodlit Astro Turf. For more info, email: [email protected] 7:30pm Buntingford Karate Club, Edwinstree Gym. Bill Hooper 01763 273123.

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

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What's On

8:10pm – 8:55pm Adult Tap Dance Classes for Fun & Fitness at Freman College. Contact: [email protected] / 01763 271010 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. 10:30am BALFF 10-week course started 13th January, The Rise & Fall of the New Monarchy 1485-1642, at the Community Centre, Luynes Rise. Coffee

served from 10am. Contact Julia Peacock on 01763 272584. 3:15pm – 4:15pm After School Bootcamp at Layston School, The Causeway. Contact Jacqui 01763 273815 / 07956 647806, [email protected].

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. 6:45pm – 7:15pm Cardio Blast at Layston School. Contact Jacqui Smith 07956 647806. 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 Beginners Pilates at Layston School. Contact Jacqui 01763 273815 / 07956 647806, [email protected]. 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.

9:45am – 11:00am Bramble Hill Stay & Play at the Scout Hut, Bowling Green Lane, Buntingford. Term time only. £1 per family. 01763 273008.

11:00am – 12:00 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].

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Diary of Events – March 2016

2:00pm – 3:00pm Pilates at Benson Hall. Contact Jacqui Smith 07956 647806. 4:30pm – 6:30pm Drama workshops 15–18 year olds, with Stagefrights Theatre at Seth Ward Comm Centre. Dave 01438 232181; email: [email protected]

4:30pm – 7:45pm Street Dance Classes at URC Hall, with Buntingford School of Dance Ltd. Contact: [email protected] / 01763 271010

5:30pm – 6:30pm Cougars U7s & U8s training at Norfolk Road Floodlit Multigames Area. For more information email: [email protected]

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 – 10:30am 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 – 12:00 All Abilities MultiSports at Benson Hall. Contact Jacqui on 01763 273815 / 07956 647806, [email protected].

4:15pm – 8:15pm Ballet & Modern Dance Classes at Freman College, with Buntingford School of Dance Ltd. Contact: [email protected] / 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 9:00am – 1:00pm Ballet, Modern & Tap Dance Classes at Freman College and at URC Hall (9am–12noon). Contact: [email protected] / 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].

10:30am – 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].

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Dates for Your Diary

March Daily to 12noon–4pm Snowdrops at Benington Lordship Gardens. Entry £5 Sun 6th (conc. £4 but not Sun). 01438 869668 / www.beningtonlordship.co.uk

Tues 1st 7–9pm Public Meeting and Exhibition about Buntingford Conservation Area, at the Manor House (see page 11)

Tues 1st 8–9:30pm Lenten Reflections 2016 every Tuesday in Lent at the to 22nd White House (see page 16)

Tues 1st 8pm Buntingford & District Cage Bird Society A.G.M. at Benson Hall (see page 8).

Wed 2nd 7:45pm Buntingford Gardeners’ Club A.G.M. at URC Hall, Baldock

Road (see page 44).

Sat 5th 10am Clean for the Queen in Buntingford (see page 22).

Sat 5th 12noon–5pm ‘Come and Sing’ Stainer’s Crucifixion with Royston Choral Society at Royston Parish Church (see page 20).

Sat 5th 2–5pm North Herts Villages Research Group (see page 13).

Sat 5th 7:30pm Dave Rance’s Rocking Chair Band in Reed (see page 16).

Sat 5th An evening of ‘Sketches & Songs’ with Braughing Drama Group in aid of St Mary’s Church Restoration Fund (see page 15)

Sun 6th 10am–4pm Antiques & Vintage Fair at Barkway Village Hall, SG8 8BS.

£1 entry. Homemade cakes & refreshments. Enquiries Rosei Frost 07720 647696 / [email protected] / or visit website.

Wed 9th 10am–12noon Free Dog Microchipping (see page 23).

Thurs 10th 7:15 for 7:30pm Buntingford W.I. at URC Hall (see page 45).

Thurs 10th 8pm Buntingford In Transition meeting at The Crown (see page 17).

Mon 14th 1:30pm U3A Monthly Meeting at the Community Centre (see page 32).

th Tues 15 7:45 for 8pm BASH A.G.M. at Dixon Place (see page 33).

Wed 16th 10.30am–12noon BALA Coffee Morning at Benson Hall (see page 45).

Fri 18th 8pm Buntingford Railway & Local History Society at The Crown, The Great Train Robbery – Luton Model Railway Club.

Sat 19th 7:30pm Friends of Reed School Quiz Night (see page 37).

Sun 20th 7:30pm RCS Concert for Palm Sunday in Standon (see page 20).

Sun 27th 2:00am Clocks Change to British Summer Time – Forward 1 hour

th Wed 30 7:30pm Buntingford & District Flower Club at Benson Hall. Future Dates Tue 19th Apr Buntingford Civic Society A.G.M. in Benson Hall.

Thur 21st Apr Day Trip to the European Parliament with Jeff Jones (see page 22).

Sun 12th June Street Party in the High Street for the Queen’s 90th Birthday (page 28).

th Sat 18 June Buntingford Carnival (see page 23).

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Useful Local Information

POLICE STATION: Non-emergency telephone: 101 Baldock Road, Buntingford In emergencies dial 999

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 0800 316 9800 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, Tues, Thurs 10:00 – 17:30 High Street, Buntingford Friday 14:00 – 17:30 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 seem to have made heavy weather of the Journal this month, I think because I had a few days away visiting my Mum and got back with just 3 days to go before the deadline. It was all a bit too tight, but I got there in the end – I just hope I haven’t left anything out and there aren’t too many mistakes as a result. Speaking of mistakes, the one letter I received for the Journal this month points out an error in last month’s ‘Three Lost Inns of Buntingford’ article – full story on page 8. This month we have a profile of our Town Mayor, Councillor John Noades. Former editor Val Hume profiled John a decade ago in his first stint as mayor, but I thought there must be many people, like me, who didn’t see that article and know very little about him. We have an article from Ashley Cantor describing his first foray into the world of holiday cruises. In fact Ashley has made a major contribution to the Journal this month, also sending the update on plans for this year’s Carnival (page 23) and the application forms for anyone who wants to take a stall on Carnival Day or be in the procession. These are in the centre pages (24-25) to make them easy to remove. There is an update on the Library from Brian Thomson on page 12. Still no decision from Herts County Council, but fingers crossed. We have news of some draft proposals from East Herts Council concerning the Buntingford Conservation Area which will be the subject of a public meeting on 1st March (page 11). And District Councillor Jeff Jones brings us details of the Buntingford CAT, a day-trip to the European Parliament and free dog microchipping to help residents comply with a change in the law. I was delighted when Buntingford resident John Whitaker got in touch to see if I would like to do an article on his venture into electronic music under the artist name 1i2c (say it aloud to yourself and then it makes sense). You can read about him, and how you can listen to some of his music, on page 29. Someone seems to be busy marking out the new allotments off the Causeway. Progress at last – hopefully they will be ready in time for this year’s gardening season. Finally, I was walking past St Bartholomew’s Church with Toby and it took me a while to work out what had changed, then it struck me – the big security fence has gone. It looks great! Have a good Easter and don’t forget to put your clocks forward on Sunday 27th. Christine Noble Many thanks to Debbie Lemay for proofreading Editorial copy deadline for the April 2016 Journal is Saturday 12th March 2016

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 & emails to the Editor

Dear Christine Many thanks to your contributor who drew our attention to three fascinating photos from the ‘Bygone Buntingford’ era. They stirred me into interesting exploration for the record. ‘Our’ Mr Stanley, with family connections to Cumberlow Green, spent five years in Buntingford working with his builder uncle, Mr Warren, during which time he apparently designed the imposing iron brackets which supported the sign above The George and The Dragon. Unfortunately someone has speculatively added wording to the photo which credits him with being the creator of Stanley Tools. The Wikipedia article about our Mr Stanley is well worth reading. It shows that when he returned to London he set up in business very successfully making precision instruments for technical drawing, surveying, meteorology etc. Starting in Holborn and expanding to London Bridge and later to South Norwood, his name lives on there in the Stanley Halls, a public building designed and funded by him. A great benefactor, he died in 1909. Also in the 19th century another Mr Stanley, starting in Connecticut USA, was successfully building up a business which later became the world famous Stanley Tools and much later, by merger, Stanley, Black & Decker. The photo usually doesn’t lie but the printed word can sometimes look all too convincing. Wise readers will check for themselves the reliability of the above selected account! Martin Robbins Editor’s Note: I am grateful to Martin for taking the time to write and point out this confusion of Stanleys in one of the captions in last month’s ‘Three Lost Inns’ article. The mistake is mine: the contributor did not source the photos, I found them on Buntingford In Old Photographs, where I also came across an irresistible snippet in the text accompanying a picture of The George that I didn’t use. It told of “local man William Ford Stanley whose company is still well-known to DIY people today for its Stanley tools”. Blithely unaware that there were two Victorian Age Stanleys involved with tools, I just assumed this referred to the famous DIY brand, but I should have checked it out further. Apologies for the error. I would also like to say that I am enormously grateful to Buntingford In Old Photographs for permission to use their photos. I don’t use them every month, but the Journal would be a duller publication without them.

Buntingford & District Cage Bird Society The A.G.M. will be on Tuesday 1st March at 8pm in the Benson Hall. Open book for new members for 2016. Meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month at 8pm in Benson Hall with talks, quiz and table show. Talks in 2016 will include Canaries, Budgerigars, African Wildlife and Bee Keeping. Bird keepers come and join our friendly society. Enquiries: Mr N Riddle 01920 870307 or Mr C Pegrum 01223 833557

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Casual Event / Wedding Supervisor Milling Barn is a busy private country wedding venue at Bluntswood Hall, Throcking, Nr Buntingford. We are looking to expand our team and recruit a number of venue supervisors to assist in the running of our couples’ big day. You will be involved in managing all aspects of the day from setting up the rooms, managing suppliers, supporting the bridal party and ensuring the day runs smoothly. You will be supported by an excellent team of people, but the ideal candidate will need to be friendly, unflustered and thrive on responsibility and the ability to manage others. On average, 1 x 16 hour and 1 x 4 hour shift per week. Must be prepared to work weekends and late nights. No Previous experience required, but a positive attitude and ability to learn is essential. Full training will be given. Rate of pay £10.50 per hour For more information please email Sue at [email protected] or visit www.millingbarn.co.uk Part Time Cleaner We also require a part time cleaner at Milling Barn to clean following weddings and events. Hours are flexible, but we often have events on consecutive days, so the ability to perform out of hours work is essential. Must be prepared to work weekends. Rates of pay are competitive. For more information please email Sue at [email protected] Casual Staff Required We are looking for a number of part time employees to come and work with us to assist with the running of weddings and events at Milling Barn. We are looking for Table Waiters, Bar Staff and Kitchen Assistants of all ages. Various shifts available including weekdays, weekends and evenings. No Previous experience required, but a positive attitude and ability to learn is essential. Rates of pay start from £7.50 an hour for a minimum of 4 hours, this increasing with experience. For more information please email Jenny at [email protected] or visit www.choppingblock.co.uk We look forward to welcoming you to our team!

The Buntingford Memorial Charity holds a small amount of funds which are for distribution to local organisations. If you would like to apply for a grant from these funds, could you please send a letter of application to the following address by the end of March. Val Reedman Chairman, Buntingford Memorial Charity 16 Mill Close, Buntingford SG9 9SZ The trustees will meet in April to discuss the applications received.

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The Attend2health Chiropractic Clinic in Buntingford has been awarded a national quality award by The Royal College of Chiropractors. The Patient Partnership Quality Mark (PPQM) is awarded for excellence in meeting the expectations of patients in a range of areas including accessibility, cleanliness and safety, and patient communication. The decision to award the PPQM is made by a panel of patients and public who form the Royal College of Chiropractor’s Lay Partnership Group. The award was presented at a ceremony in London on 27th January. The photo shows Dr Louise Hampton receiving the award from the Mr Hew Helps, the Chair of the Royal College’s Lay Partnership Group. Louise said: “The award of the Patient Partnership Quality Mark recognises this clinic’s commitment to meeting the expectations our patients have when they visit us for advice and treatment. The aim of our clinic team is to continually improve our levels of service and the award encourages us that we are achieving this.”

NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN FOR CPRE HERTFORDSHIRE’S RURAL LIVING AWARDS Supported by Hertfordshire Life, the Hertfordshire Mercury and Hertfordshire County Council The future of our green and pleasant land, and how we preserve it for generations to come, is in all our hands. This is why the CPRE Hertfordshire Rural Living Awards are a vital part of the county’s never-ending quest to maintain its heritage as one of the finest counties in England. They aim to highlight efforts made by groups or individuals to improve life and enhance the environment in Hertfordshire's villages and its countryside. CPRE Hertfordshire is now launching the Rural Living Awards 2016 and the deadline for nominations to reach us is Friday 27th May. Don’t be shy, anyone can make a nomination, you can even nominate yourself. If you want to put your project forward for consideration, as an individual or a community, then get organised now and you could be writing your own chapter in the county’s rural history at the end of the year. The Awards are judged in two categories: Community and Environment, with judges looking for innovative projects that unite rural communities, benefit the community and promote access to the countryside; and Rural Living Champions, for young people and adults who make outstanding contributions to rural life. New to 2016 is the Rural Business in the Community Award, for a rural business which has made an outstanding contribution to community life. More information, details of past winners and nomination forms can be found on the CPRE website: www.cpreherts.org.uk Standing up for Hertfordshire’s Countryside

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Buntingford Civic Society (Reg. Charity No. 1014873) www.buntingfordcivic.org.uk

This month I am concentrating on the year ahead for the Society. There are many things in the pipeline that we hope will be of interest to members. Firstly our AGM will take place on 19th April at Benson Hall. We are looking to get another interesting speaker to follow on from last year when Mandy and Martin brought us right up to date with the progress of the renovation of St Bartholomew’s Church. We then have the Civic Day which is planned for 26th June when we intend to repeat the very popular guided walks around the town’s ‘conservation area’. Whilst on the subject of the conservation area, East Herts Council has been conducting a review of the area resulting in some draft recommendations which will be the subject of a public exhibition (see below). Also this year we intend to run a ‘Buntingford in Bloom’ competition to be judged sometime in July / August. Keep your eyes open for more details. And to commemorate the Queen’s 90th birthday we are investigating some potential projects to permanently mark this event; more details in the April issue of the Journal. We have been advised by Civic Voice that we will be receiving free National Trust passes for our members. These will be valid through to March 2017 and we will be publicising details of how to apply for them soon. Finally we hope you will support the other events that are taking place throughout the year – the street party and the Carnival in June, the Classic Car Show in September, and any other events that may be laid on for the enjoyment of residents. Graham Waite, Chairman Buntingford Civic Society

Buntingford Conservation Area Buntingford residents are invited to comment on a draft appraisal of the Buntingford Conservation Area setting out some ideas for improvements and proposing eight alterations to the Conservation Area boundary. The document highlights the importance of the River Rib together with some open spaces including land around Little Court. You can read copies of the draft documents at the Manor House, at Buntingford Library, at the Council offices in Hertford (address below), or online at www.eastherts.gov.uk/conservationareas. There will be a public meeting and exhibition on these draft proposals at the Manor House on Tuesday 1st March, 7pm-9pm, when residents can raise any questions with council staff. Comments can be made in writing at that meeting, or by email to [email protected], or you can write to the Conservation Team at East Herts Council, Wallfields, Pegs Lane, Hertford SG13 8EQ. The deadline for comments is Tuesday 12th April.

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Buntingford Library – an update Readers may have noticed in a recent edition of the Mercury that the Buntingford in Transition High Street group have produced a proposal for a make-over of our library. This had led to many asking if the campaign to save our library has been successful. Unfortunately, at the moment this is premature, although we are still hopeful that we will win. However, some more detail may help to understand where we are today. But first, previously … The November edition of the Buntingford Journal contained a report by David Woollcombe of our meeting with the Libraries Cabinet Panel where we presented our petition that the library should remain in the High Street and not be moved to share the Fire Station premises. While we were reasonably encouraged by the reception we received, we were aware that the conclusion of the County’s feasibility study was still outstanding and not expected before the end of November. Determined not to lose time, a meeting of our task force was held at the White House on 17th November so that we could formulate a proposal to put to County Hall when the decision on our library was due to be considered. In this we were assisted by two architects and a local builder. Our expectation was that we had to be ready for the next meeting of the Cabinet Panel at the end of January. The thinking of the County Library Service was that our existing building needed considerable improvement to meet the criteria for a Tier 2 library and they had costed this at some £272,000. At a time when they were having to make cuts they had no funds available for this, but fortunately they had been promised a substantial grant from the Government to put the library into the Fire Station. Problem solved. But County Hall had not reckoned on the response from the residents of Buntingford. In approaching the problem the task force had the advantage of seeing the schedule of works proposed by the County Hall nominated contractors. So we were able to obtain a quotation from a local builder for doing exactly the same work. This involves taking down the wall separating the library area from the space at the rear of the building, removing the ramp behind the wall, creating steps to establish access to this rear area, inserting a platform lift to provide disabled access, creating a disabled toilet, and the construction of a stud partition wall at the rear of the back area to create a workroom tor the staff. The cost quoted to us for all this was less than £20,000. County Hall had already confirmed to us that they had around £84,000 s106 money from developers which would be available for Buntingford so we were encouraged to think outside the box as the current saying goes. Accordingly we considered adding air-conditioning for the main library area (it already exists at the rear), replacing the strip lighting in the library area with led lights which would improve the lighting and be more economical to run, and installing a form of underfloor heating. After adding the cost of these improvements the total cost was still below £50,000 and so well within the £84,000 available from developers. With the January Cabinet Panel meeting approaching, we were surprised to discover that there was nothing on the agenda about the library proposal. It appears that far from the feasibility exercise being delivered at the end of November it was still outstanding, or at least we could not find out anything about its status. The next meeting when this can all be discussed is in March. In the meantime, apart from the Mercury, our proposal has been sent to Teresa Heritage, Chair of the Cabinet Panel, and to Rose Cheswright, our County Councillor. A visual image is always so much more effective than just figures and we have been fortunate to be able include an impression of how the library might look once it has been opened up (above right). Of course this is not necessarily how it would end up, but I hope

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readers will agree that it provides an attractive proposal. The front area will house fiction and children’s books, while the area to the rear will contain non-fiction and a study area. You will notice that there are movable book-cases which will assist in the use of the library for other functions. I hope this meets with your support. Brian Thomson

North Hertfordshire Villages Research Group Spring Meeting 2016 2-5pm Saturday 5th March Kelshall Village Hall / Entrance £4 Talks: The Archaeology and Origins of the Hill Villages of North Hertfordshire – Keith Fitzpatrick-Matthews Recent Archaeological Finds in Kelshall – Phil Kirk (discoverer of the Kelshall Hoard) North Hertfordshire Villages Research Group – The Story so Far – A celebration of our achievements under our founder and chairman, the late Ann J King Care of the Poor in Ashwell 1675 to 1775 – David Short Join us for:  The launch of our NEW book: ‘The Archaeology of Kelshall – The Hill of Pots’  Discussions on the future of our group  Delicious tea and cakes Further details: Frances Maddex 01438 821849 North Hertfordshire Village Research Group (NHVRG) was founded in the 1970s under the leadership and encouragement of the late Ann King. The group has been active in researching various aspects of village life in the parishes of Therfield, Kelshall, Sandon, Rushden, Wallington and Buckland, revealing some surprising stories and many interesting individuals. Among much else, the group has explored 16th and 17th century wills, changes in population, farming and family histories. Family historians from the UK and the ‘New World’ have been delighted to discover their ancestors in some of the group’s publications. Anyone with an interest in local history is welcome to come along to the spring meeting. As well as the talks, will be much information to look through and interesting people to meet. Also a delicious homemade tea will be available. Since the sad loss of Ann King last year NHVRG is hoping for new members – no experience necessary, just an interest in days gone by.

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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 March 6 Morning Worship Rev Prof David Thompson 13 Holy Communion Rev Duncan Goldie 20 Morning Worship Mr Richard Lewney 27 Easter Service, Holy Communion Rev Duncan Goldie

April 3 Morning Worship Mr Bob Parkin

Tea and coffee is served in the hall following the morning service. Christ Church is running a Lent Course in the Church Hall for 5 weeks which started on Wednesday 17th February. Each session is self contained. Lunch is from 12.30pm (bring your own food, tea & coffee is provided) and the course commences at 1pm finishing promptly at 2pm. We will be using the York Course. Anybody is welcome so bring your friends REGULAR EVENTS Junior Church – Sunday at 11am during term time, all young people and children are welcome. Bright Hour – The next meetings are on Tuesday 1st and 15th March at 2:30pm in the Church Hall. A time for fellowship with prayers, hymns and activities. 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 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. Mary's – Aspenden St. Peter's – Buntingford St. Mary the Virgin – Westmill 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 March 2016 Sun 6th 9:30am St Mary the Virgin Morning Worship MOTHERING 10:00am St Mary’s Mothering Sunday Family Service SUNDAY 11:00am St Peter’s Mothering Sun Family Communion

Sun 13th 9:30am St Mary the Virgin Sung Eucharist 9:30am St Mary’s Morning Worship 11:00am St Peter’s Family Worship

Sun 20th 9:30am St Mary’s Holy Communion PALM SUNDAY 11:00am St Peter’s Holy Communion

Thurs 24th 8:00pm St Mary the Virgin Holy Communion with MAUNDY THURSDAY Stripping of the Altar

Fri 25th 11:00am Outside St Peter’s The Good Friday Story (open air) GOOD FRIDAY 6:30pm St Mary’s Crucifixion Narrative (Tenebrae) Service

Sun 27th 9:30am St Mary the Virgin Easter Sunday Sung Eucharist EASTER 9:30am St Mary’s Easter Sunday Family Communion SUNDAY 11:00am St Peter’s Easter Sunday Family Communion Clocks Change!!

FRIENDS OF ST MARY'S, BRAUGHING are pleased to host BRAUGHING DRAMA GROUP in an evening of ‘Sketches and Songs’ Saturday 5th March 2016 At St Mary's Church Hall, Braughing. Licensed Bar & Raffle Tickets £15 (includes fish & chip supper) from Sheila White 01920 821981 email: [email protected] Proceeds to St Mary's Braughing Restoration Fund

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Lenten Reflections 2016 Every Tuesday in Lent from 20.00 to 21.30 at the White House, Buntingford High Street (opposite Sainsbury’s) An opportunity for people of all faiths and none to reflect on how – if? – the presence of faith enriches our daily lives. Every Tuesday in Lent a different speaker will introduce their journey in faith, followed by a conversation and meditation. EVERYONE IS WELCOME – people of all faiths and none. The schedule below may change due to speaker availability, but if you email interest to [email protected] we will send you a weekly update of who is speaking when. Tuesday 1st March: Contemplative Fire – a guided meditation by Charlotte Wright (Contemplative Fire is a movement of Christians who seek a balance of being, knowing and doing – of contemplative practice, creative practice and compassionate practice.) Tuesday 8th March: Why do faith and God not appeal to so many young people? Our own Buntingford vicar, the Rev. Ian Hill, engages with Adriana Poglia, the new CEO of Peace Child, and members of the Sunday Assembly which does ‘church without God’ – and whose mission statement is: “Live better, help often and wonder more – for if you don't believe in God, that just makes life even more precious." Tuesday 15th March: Sister Gillian, a member of a Roman Catholic religious order, in conversation with Mark Stephens. Both are Christian Activists. Tuesday 22nd March: Gathering in the wisdom: Eirwen Harbottle explains the faith of the Essenes and leads a discussion about how we can draw together all we have learned from these conversations and use the mystery of faith to enrich our lives.

Events in Reed Village Hall

DAVE RANCE’S ROCKING CHAIR JAZZ BAND Saturday 5th March at 7.30pm Bar, Raffle and Hot Supper. £12 adults, £6 children under 10 Ring Hazel to book your supper 01763 848349

DISCO NIGHT Saturday 2nd April, 8-11pm Bar, Raffle and Nibbles. £5. As this is a new event it will be a help if you ring Hazel to say you want to come 01763 848349 Proceeds in aid of the maintenance of the Village Hall.

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Community Grants Available East Herts Council is pleased to announce the launch of a special Queens 90th Birthday grants programme. Grants of up to £300 are available. The closing date for applications is Friday 15th April. Every year, the council also provides grants to organisations putting on fun activities for children and young people over the summer holidays. The deadline to apply to the Summer Activities Fund 2016 is Tuesday 5th April. To find out more about these opportunities and others or to download an application go to: www.eastherts.gov.uk/grants

Buntingford In Transition News As we come out of one of the wettest winters on record, it may seem strange that the London Road Transition Streets group are looking at how to save water. What you may not know is that Hertfordshire is the thirstiest county in the UK with an annual average rainfall per head less than that recorded in Istanbul, Jerusalem and Yemen! With this in mind, we will be looking at monitoring our water usage at home. Affinity Water will be installing meters for most, if not all, houses in Buntingford by the end of this year so that should that should give us the incentive to use less. To help us, Affinity Water will supply many water saving devices free of charge; see https:// www.affinitywater.co.uk/saving-water.aspx for more details. We can also make our own efforts by fixing leaky or dripping taps, making sure that our washing machines are full before putting a wash on, taking showers rather than having baths, using a bowl in the kitchen sink and having full loads in the dishwasher. For outdoors, use a water butt to conserve water and go easy with the hose and sprinklers. Local wildlife is also suffering as a result of us using so much water – see how by watching the film at: http://www.hertswildlifetrust.org.uk/what-we-do/campaigning/ save-water-save-wildlife Following on from our last meeting on saving energy, we took advantage of a brief cold snap and enlisted the help of a young Transitioner from Hertford who has made his own thermal imaging camera. We took the camera to a number of London Road households to gauge where they could be losing heat around windows or doors or through walls. Further news on the 'Keep our Library in the High Street' campaign is that the High Street Transition group has delivered on its promise to HCC to prepare a Local Plan for the refurbishment of the Library to Tier 2 status on its current site on the High Street. See Brian Thomson's article on page 12 for more information on the current situation and watch this space for future news! To find out more about what we are up to, come and meet us at The Crown pub from 8pm on Thursday 10th March, or if you fancy starting up your own Transition Streets project please contact Madela on 272255 or at [email protected] Hope to see you there – Madela Baddock and David Woollcombe

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Profile: John Noades The Town Mayor in Buntingford is a member of the Town Council who is voted into the role annually by their fellow Town Councillors. No one can serve for more than two years on the trot, but people can come back to the role after a break. John Noades is coming up to the end of his first year in a second stint as Mayor, having also served from 2006 to 2008. John clearly enjoys the role, in particular having the opportunity to meet so many different people at civic and charity events and to promote the town. In recent months his engagements have included the opening of the new public café at Nevett’s, helping out at the Over 60s Christmas Lunch, and attending the carol service at St Andrew’s Church in Buckland. He laid the wreath on behalf of the Town Council at the Remembrance Service and attended the unveiling of a paving stone in Hertford to honour Private Alfred Alexander Burt VC. He presented the prizes at the Caged Bird Society Annual Show. He also survived an impromptu interview on Spanish TV when he took part in the last twinning visit to Olvega. John was born in Buckland on 3rd February 1934, the first son of Jack and Mabel (known as Sis) who lived at 4 Brick Cottages. John’s sister Eileen came along in 1936, but they had to wait until 1947 for younger brother Alan to arrive. Buckland still had a pub (the White Horse), a village shop, a Post Office and a blacksmith. John started at the village school aged 5. It was a long building partitioned into two classrooms with two teachers: Miss Mitchell, the head, who drove by car from her home in Royston, and Mrs Jackson, who had been there when John’s mother was a pupil. The school closed when he was 10 and he transferred to Layston School, where Mrs Skipp was headmistress, then a year later moved up to the Secondary Modern (now Edwinstree). There was one bus a week to Royston, on Saturdays, and John remembers catching it to go to the cinema. He also recalls walking with his parents in Buntingford one day during the war when the Air Raid Warden stopped them to ask if they could take in a family from Bermondsey who had been bombed out. The family – mother, father and three children – stayed with them for a few nights sleeping on make-shift beds that Jack made out of large sugar beet bags filled with straw. At 14 John went to work for Mr D M Hodge who owned three farms in Buckland. His father Jack was Mr Hodge’s head cowman, looking after a herd of pedigree friesians. Much of the farm work was still done with horses and John says you had to be careful to keep your feet out of the way of their hooves or you could get a nasty knock! At 18 he registered for his national service and was drafted into the Royal Air Force. He was kitted out at Padgate in Cheshire, then sent to Hednesford in Staffordshire for nine weeks of training, or ‘square bashing’, then he was given his posting. Someone else he knew from Buckland was posted to Hong Kong with the army, but no such luck for John who was sent to RAF Bassingbourn, just up the road. His first duty was to guard a Canberra bomber that crashed outside Therfield after hitting the top of a lime tree. At Bassingbourn John trained as a batman/waiter and worked in the officer’s mess, which meant he enjoyed the same food as the officers without having to pay for it. Every so often ‘Dining In Nights’ would be held and on one occasion John recalls that the civilian Mess Officer bought a load of pigeons in Royston, which were plucked and cooked in red wine. It was described on the menu as ‘pheasant’ and no-one complained. Just before he was de-mobbed, John was asked if he would like to stay on to train as a

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chef but he decided against it, a decision he sometimes regrets. On his discharge, his rank was LAC – Leading Aircraftsman. Back in Civvy Street, he went to work at the rubber factory in Letchworth, but couldn’t bear to be inside all day with the heat and the smell, so he went back to the farm. Jack still worked there and John covered as cowman when he was ill or on holiday, getting up at 5am to do the milking. When he was about 20 John married Mary Stevens from Royston and they set up home at 6 Brick Cottages. Son Robin was born in June 1958. In 1965 they moved to 16 Hillview in Buckland and the following year daughter Trevis came along. The unusual name caused a bit of a stir. Mary had chosen Samantha and agreed to John’s choice of Trevis as a middle name. But when John went to register the birth he switched the order to Trevis Samantha. Mary, still in hospital, was not pleased to find out that he had named their daughter after a girl he had been sweet on at school. Janet and John on their wedding day, In 1965 John went to work for Hertfordshire 16th August 1975, and celebrating County Highways on a road gang based in Royston. After two years he was promoted to their Ruby Wedding at the Manor gang foreman and attended day release at St House in 2015 (below). Albans College of Building, gaining a City and Guilds Certificate. He carried out work on the Baldock to Cottered road removing bends and also worked on closing off Royston High Street to through traffic. In 1969 he became Highways Maintenance Superintendent based at Ware Road in Hertford. A drawback of the job was that he was on call and would get phoned at home if there was a problem. Also, in winter he had to get up at 5am to check the roads for ice. The best place to start, he says, was the new Ware Viaduct – if there was ice on that then you knew other roads would be affected. The motto was “If in doubt, call ’em out”! Over the years, John’s work brought him some memorable experiences, like going down a salt mine in Cheshire. He also walked the length of the second Dartford Tunnel when it was being built and walked across the Humber Bridge on a windy day during construction. When John got the job in Hertford the family moved to live there in Ware Road, but during this time his marriage failed. He met Janet through work and they married in 1975. In 1992 they moved back to Buntingford to their present house in Ermine Court (on the site of what John remembers as Handy’s Builders Yard). He took early retirement in September 1997. John’s two children still live in the area and he is now a proud grandfather of five – Robin’s daughter Charlotte and son Christopher, and Trevis’s three daughters: Jade, Kyra and Danni-Leigh. (Continued overleaf)

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It was the late Chris Woods and his wife Eunice who persuaded John to get involved in local politics and in 2003 he was co-opted onto Buntingford Town Council. Unfortunately, John was soon to become seriously ill with oesophageal cancer. He went into hospital in October 2005 and following a life-saving operation spent 57 days in an induced coma. He emerged from his long sleep on his birthday, 3rd February 2006, a full 4 stone lighter. Not long after his fellow town councillors elected him Mayor for the first time. John is very much enjoying his current second stint as Mayor, although he admits he has to pace himself at times. In addition to his civic duties, his main responsibility is to chair the monthly Full Council meetings of the Town Council, when he also reports on what he has been up to in his role as Mayor. Coming up soon he will attend civic receptions in Royston and Bishops Stortford, the lighting of the beacon at Hertford Castle on the Queen’s birthday, and represent Buntingford on the twinning trip to Luynes in France. Even when he says he is taking it easy, it seems like a pretty full list to me. Christine Noble Editors Note: My thanks to former Journal editor Val Hume who wrote an article on John more than a decade ago, which I have drawn on for much of the information here.

ROYSTON CHORAL SOCIETY Concert for Palm Sunday, 20th March at 7.30pm in Standon Parish Church RCS’s March concert features great music inspired by Christ’s Passion. Stainer’s The Crucifixion was conceived as a meditation, a work of devotion that would bring, as the dramatised passion tradition had for centuries, the story of Holy Week to ordinary folk. With the spine tingling melodies and Victorian sentiment, the timeless ‘God so loved the world’ and hymns for audience participation it is the perfect piece for the week before Easter. Mendelssohn’s Hear My Prayer includes ‘O for the Wings of a Dove’ with boy soloist Thomas Scrope who is fast becoming a favourite with Royston Choral Society’s audiences. Handel’s Messiah – extracts chosen to focus on Handel’s moving evocation of the events leading to Christ’s betrayal and Crucifixion Musical Director – Andrew O’Brien / Organ – Michael Smith with choristers from Heath Mount School Tickets £12 (concessions £9, school students £1) From Royston Library, choir members and at the door COME AND SING STAINER’S CRUCIFIXION Saturday 5th March, 12.00–5.00pm, Royston Parish Church Tickets £10 Details and booking form at http://www.roystonchoralsoc.org.uk/ For more information about Royston Choral Society go to their website or contact the Chairman, Heather Howard, on 01763 249058, email: [email protected]

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Buntingford Town Council A QUALITY TOWN COUNCIL We have recently received complaints regarding the volume of litter in the town, in particular the London Road area. These complaints have been passed on to East Herts Council who will be undertaking a clean-up of the area and thereafter ensuring that the level of tidiness is maintained. We do employ a litter picker at the Town Council but he is responsible for the Town Council owned areas, such as Norfolk Road Playing Field and the Community Centre. East Herts Council is responsible for the rest of the town. During the spring months we will be undertaking an audit of the dog bins in the town. The dog bins are supplied by the Town Council and emptied by a specialist contractor from the District Council. The bins are emptied once a week during the winter months and twice a week during the summer. In the absence of a dog bin, it is permitted to dispose of dog bags in the ordinary litter bins. The Council will shortly be considering the installation of an outdoor gym at Norfolk Road Playing Field. This is conventional gym equipment adapted for use outside. The equipment is suitable for most people to use. The Annual Town Meeting will be held at the Community Centre on Thursday 21st April at 7.45pm. The meeting is open to all residents of the town and invitations will be sent to all local organisations. Jill Jones MILCM Cert HE, Town Clerk Office hours: Monday –Thursday 9:00am– 5:00pm; closed Fridays Tel: 01763 272222 email: [email protected] Twitter: @buntingfordtc www.buntingford-tc.gov.uk

Town Council meetings for March 2016

Thurs 3rd Mar 7:30pm – Amenities Committee

Thurs 10th Mar 7:30pm – Planning Committee 8:00pm – Resources Committee Thurs 31st Mar 7:30pm – Planning Committee 8:00pm – Full Council

All meetings will be held at The Manor House unless otherwise stated. Members of the public are welcome to attend. Please check the Town Council website for further details.

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

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News from Your District Councillor Buntingford Community Transport With the expected housing growth in Buntingford and lack of suitable public transport, it is planned to start a Community Transport Bus service from/to surrounding villages and within the town. A working party has been formed and we are planning to deliver a service starting this year. The project is fully supported by Buntingford Town Council, East Herts Council and Herts County Council. The Buntingford CAT (Community Area Transport) will be a ‘hoppa’ style minibus that will hop around the town and through new developments, assisting residents into the town centre for their shopping, banking, health and social requirements. The proposed timings will connect with the scheduled bus services from Buntingford to other towns. It is also proposed that the CAT service extends to the surrounding villages of Cottered, Throcking, Buckland, Chipping, Wyddial, Meesdon, Anstey, Little Hormead, Great Hormead, Hare Street, Westmill and Aspenden. This will allow greater access to Buntingford facilities for the district’s more rural residents. The plan is for two minibuses to provide a 4x daily (2 morning, 2 afternoon) ‘hoppa’ service around the town and a twice daily (1 morning, 1 afternoon) service to the villages. The timed service will operate 8am-5pm, Monday through Saturday. A nominal charge will be made for the service – unfortunately senior citizen bus passes will not be valid. A questionnaire will be sent to every household to seek your views on the scheme and your requirements. I would urge you to complete the questionnaire to help us tailor the service to suit residents’ needs. We will shortly be seeking D1 license holders, under 70 years of age, who would be interested in a paid position, and a manager with transport experience. Please contact me if you are interested in any of these positions.

To mark the Queen’s th 90 birthday, groups from around the UK are coming together to clean up their local patch. East Herts Council supports this national campaign and is providing litter picking kits for local groups who want to join in. A council spokesman said: “Clean for the Queen is an inspiring opportunity to get together and tidy up our area, while celebrating the Queen’s long service to the nation. I am sure every community can suggest out-of-the-way patches of land, footpaths and rights of way that are not public property and could do with a spring clean. East Herts Council will be more than happy to support local groups who wish to take part with advice and litter picking equipment.” If you would like to take part locally in this national campaign, I am organizing a ‘Clean for the Queen’ litter pick in Buntingford – 10am, Saturday 5th March. Please meet in the Manor House car park where equipment will be available. If you can spare a couple of hours, do come and join us and Clean for the Queen! Could you please let me know if you are able to join us in this very worthwhile community effort. Visit to the European Parliament I have arranged a visit to the European Parliament in Brussels to meet our Euro MP Vicky Ford and witness the European Parliament in session. This will be a Eurostar day trip on Thursday 21st April, leaving Buntingford at 6am to catch the 8.20am Eurostar

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to Brussels and arriving in time for lunch at noon. The afternoon visit to the European Parliament will consist of a 1½ hour escorted visit with Vicky Ford and a 1 hour session in the gallery. We will return on the 7.40pm Eurostar arriving in London at 9.30pm and should be back in Buntingford around 11pm. A certain amount of sponsorship funding is available for these visits, depending on the numbers. If you are interested in joining me on the day please contact me for further information. Free Dog Microchipping Campaign From 6th April this year all dogs aged eight weeks old and over must be microchipped and their keeper's details must be up to date or owners may face a fine. To help dog owners comply with the law, East Herts Council is offering residents a final chance to get their pets microchipped for free. The free microchipping session in Buntingford will take place at the Police Station in Baldock Road, 10am-12noon, on Wednesday 9th March. If you cannot make it to this session, there are others on different dates taking place in Bishop’s Stortford, Hertford, Sawbridgeworth and Ware and you can attend any of these. For more details go to www.eastherts.gov.uk/straydogs or ring 01279 655261. Don’t wait until it’s too late – get your dog chipped now for free. Cllr Jeff Jones, 01763 274800, [email protected]

2016 and it’s Carnival Year The Committee are hoping to make this year’s Carnival one of the best! With acts from far afield and local talent taking part we hope we have something for everybody. As you know the theme is ANIMAL ANTICS so bring your pets along, dress up and join the fun. With some stall space already taken, it is now time for everyone who wants to take a stall in the High Street to book their space. It is also time to send in your application if you want to take part in the parade / procession and be eligible for the category prizes. If you want an application form either for a stall or the procession, you will find both in the centre pages of this Journal. Or you can phone Helen Baker on 01763 271176. Also if you would like to help on Carnival Day, please contact me. More information next month. Ashley Cantor Chairman, Buntingford Carnival Committee 01763 272177

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BUNTINGFORD CARNIVAL STALL APPLICATION FORM Date – 18th June 2016 Theme – Animal Antics

If you would like to join in the fun on Carnival Day 2016 by having a stall in the street market, please complete the booking form below.  Stalls can be set up from 8.30am  Pitch size 10ft wide x 6ft deep  Charge £20 per pitch  No tables supplied

Name / Organisation ………………………………………………………………….

Type of Stall ……………………………………………………………….………….. (e.g. tombola, food, bric-a-brac, etc.)

We wish to reserve ……. pitch(es) and enclose a cheque for £ ……. made payable to Buntingford Carnival Committee.

Name and address of contact ……………………………………………………….. …………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………… Tel no: …………………………………………………………………………………. Date: ……………………………………….. ………………………………………….

Email address: ………………………………………………………………………….

Please return the completed form to: Mrs H. Baker, 20 Fairfield, Buntingford, Herts, SG9 9NT Tel: (01763) 271176 or email [email protected] for further information.

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BUNTINGFORD CARNIVAL PROCESSION/PARADE APPLICATION FORM Date – 18th June 2016 Theme – Animal Antics If you would like to join in the fun on Carnival Day 2016 by taking part in the procession/parade, please complete the booking form below.  Assemble at Norfolk Road Playing Field car park  Judging at 2pm, procession starts at 3pm  Free entry We wish to take part in the Buntingford Carnival 2016 in the *Best adult’s / *Best Children’s / *Best Trade / *Best Family or Individual entry / *Best Pre-School (*please circle class entered) Our entry *will / *will not have music (*please delete as necessary). If vehicle based: we confirm that our motor insurance policy permits use of that vehicle in the carnival procession/parade and this will extend to indemnify you as organisers. Signed …………………………………… Print Name ………………………………

Name and address of group / organisation / individual …………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………... Tel no: ………………………………………… Date………………………………. Email address: ………………………………………………………………………….

PLEASE NOTE: AT THE END OF THE PROCESSION/PARADE YOU WILL BE DIRECTED BY A MARSHAL TO PARK, UNLOAD AND DISPERSE SAFELY Note on insurance: As organisers we have public liability insurance, which covers damage or injury resulting from the day's events, e.g. something or somebody falling off a float. Our insurance does not include damage done by a motor vehicle in the procession. It is the responsibility of the vehicle owner to ensure that their motor policy permits use in the carnival and that their policy will extend to indemnify us as organisers. We understand that as long as the owner is not being paid to participate in the carnival their normal policy should be sufficient, but each entrant must check with their insurers. Please return the completed form to: Mrs H. Baker, 20 Fairfield, Buntingford, Herts, SG9 9NT Tel: (01763) 271176 or email [email protected] for further information.

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‘My First Cruise’ by Ashley Cantor My wife has always wanted to go on a cruise. I had no enthusiasm for it but she went on and on … until we saw this one in the newspaper: 21-day cruise to Brazil with four days (which turned into five) in a hotel for £1399 with Cruise1st, including full board with transfers and some excursions thrown in. Never been to Brazil. So we booked it. A couple of weeks before we are due to go we get an e-mail to say that BA have cancelled our flight to Genoa (where we pick up the ship). We can either fly out with Easyjet or go a day earlier with B&B at their expense. I phoned Cruise1st and the girl said I could take some time to consider the offer. I did … after 10 seconds I said YES. So we flew with BA from Gatwick, after a two hour delay due to fog. Lunch on the plane was half a cheese sandwich and warm coffee. Well done BA! Arrived at Genoa airport and … no taxi! The taxi company wait 1 hour then cancel the pick-up. Well done Italy! We get our own taxi to the hotel, which is excellent. Next day did an open top bus ride around Genoa. Day three came and we got our first sight of the ship, the MSC Lirica (right). This was its first cruise since a refit that included a 30- metre lengthening to put in more cabins and facilities. It was literally cut down the middle and lengthened, but we couldn’t see the join. At the port we went through the booking in and loading procedure – which I must say was very efficient, done by well turned out staff – and were given our CRUISE CARD which is needed for EVERYTHING. Went to our cabin to unload our hand luggage, then had a look around the ship. It's big, but is actually not that large in comparison with others, with a maximum of about 1500 passengers and 700 crew and staff. But it’s easy to get lost! Later that day we had to go to our muster station with our life jackets to see our lifeboat and be told procedures for abandoning ship if need be. Felt better after that. We headed for the restaurants – there are lots of them all over the ship. After a couple of days we discovered over a dozen places to eat and even more bars. Tea, coffee and water can be had 24 hours a day, with food available somewhere from 6am right through to 2.30am. Five clubs or bars played live music till late, and there’s a disco and a theatre with two shows in the evening. Outside on deck are two swimming pools, two paddling pools and a children’s BIG fun pool, where brilliant entertainment staff organised activities virtually all day – games and silly games, dancing, dance lessons, aerobics, keep fit, all to loud Brazilian music. Superb! Around the ship there were cookery lessons, craft demonstrations and talks. Enough to keep the most boring person occupied! Of the crew and staff, over half are Brazilian and the rest mostly Italian with a sprinkling of Cubans and other Europeans. Of the passengers about three quarters are over 60, either retired or semi-retired, and a hundred or so under 40 with a couple of dozen children under 10. About half are Brazilian and the rest made up of Italians, Spanish, French, German, British, Australian, Canadian and American. Literally a motley bunch. As we moved through the Med the ratios change as some get off the ship and others get on. Many Brazilians use the cruise ship like a ferry to take them back home. Eating on board is hard – making decisions nearly drove us to drink! You have a choice of à la carte restaurants, all serving different food, or the buffet, a pizza bar open midday

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to midnight, burger bar, ice cream bar and smoothies bar. So much to eat, so little time! We went à la carte a couple of times, but preferred the buffet with its wide choice of salads, fruit, vegetables, pasta, several meat and fish dishes, and lots of cakes and puddings. We had a different meal every day of the 21 day cruise. On our table were two other couples and two women. All very nice, so we gave them nicknames (but not to their faces!). One couple we called 'eight and six' because that's how many cruises they had been on – 86. The other couple we called 'miner and miner bird' because he used to be a miner. The two women we called Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee because … why not? The only problem with a buffet type restaurant is there is always queuing and as we all know, foreigners do not know how to queue like us Brits. So annoying! From Genoa (Italy) we headed for Marseille (France), then Cartagena (Spain). Next stop Malaga (Spain), then Casablanca (Morocco), then on to Santa Cruz (Tenerife). At all these ports you could get off the ship to explore, either on your own or on organised excursions. If you went on your own and were late back, the ship could be gone – it would leave without you. After leaving Tenerife we sailed for Brazil and had five days at sea with calm flat water all the way. Apparently a game you play on cruises is SPOT THE BOAT. We didn't spot any. We crossed the equator en route, which is quite an occasion on a ship, with dressing up and fun and games, and the ship’s horn going off as we actually crossed the line. Amazing just to be there. We arrived at Fortaleza in north-east Brazil, the poorest part of the country. As you travel down to Rio it get better, but even in these towns some areas are very run down and poor. You have to be careful – gold chains, rings, phones, watches and cameras are a no-no in many places. Next stop was Salvador then Ilheus. After that Ilha Grande then Rio de Janeiro where after one night on ship we transferred to a hotel. I must say that seeing the coastline and ports of some of these places from a ship was quite amazing. In Rio eating out is relatively cheap and you have to go to a typical restaurant (Rodizio) and see a floor show, which we did – superb (right). You also have to see the statue of Christ the Redeemer, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. To get to it you travel on The Corcovado Railway, which was the first electric railway in Brazil, crossing the largest urban rain forest in the world, the Tijuca National Park. Then you go up two cable cars, the first to the smaller Morro da Urca, the second up Pao de Acucar, the Sugar Loaf Mountain. Another 'must' is to visit the Maracana, the largest football stadium in the world, built for the 1950 World Cup. A crowd of 200,000+ watched the final between Brazil and Uruguay, which Uruguay won 2-1. Building works were done on the stadium for the 2014 World Cup and it reopened on 2nd June 2013 with a friendly against England, which ended up 2-2. The all-seat stadium now has a capacity of 79,000, but it's still very big. Whilst in Rio you have to stroll along Copacabana and Ipanema beaches to savour the atmosphere. We were told they have two temperatures in Brazil, hot and very hot – in Rio it's about 28C all year. While we were there the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D Eisenhower was in Rio harbour and several times we met and chatted to US marines around town. Very smart and polite. A credit to the USA. (Continued overleaf)

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All too soon our holiday was over and we headed to the airport to catch the first of two flights home with TAP Portugal. The first, from Rio to Lisbon, was 9½ hours on an old plane with small seats, very little leg room and miserable cabin crew. The short-haul flight from Lisbon to Gatwick was much better – bigger seats, more leg room and nicer crew. Very strange. Our taxi was waiting at Gatwick and we arrived home to the wind, rain and M25. Still great to be home. During the cruise we travelled between 7,000 and 8,000 miles – that's a lot! Will we go on another? What do you think? I’ll leave you with one final thought. Do you know the difference between a ship and a boat? You can put boats on a ship but not ships on a boat.

Street Party for the Queen’s 90th Birthday! Although it’s early days, planning has already started for a street party to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday. The event is being organised by Buntingford Town Council and the Buntingford Chamber of Commerce and will be staged on Sunday 12th June. Buntingford High Street will be closed to traffic and tables and chairs for 200 people will be arranged along the street. Union Jack bunting, flags and table decorations will ensure that the event has a truly ‘Royal’ feel. There will also be an underlying ‘theme’, the Roaring Twenties, to encapsulate the era when the Queen was born. It is hoped that many will attend in suitable attire! There will be a kiddies’ fancy dress competition with a ‘Prince and Princess’ theme. We are also looking at other entertainment for the children – Punch and Judy, face painting and fairground rides are all being investigated. Free soft drinks and snacks will be provided and people will be encouraged to bring a picnic or use the food stalls – hog roasts, barbecues, etc – that are being planned. Musical entertainment will be on hand to keep the party ‘swinging’. Put the date in your diaries now and come along to celebrate the Queen’s birthday with us. It will be an event to remember and certainly one not to miss.

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1i2c – Electronic Music for Our Modern World Working under the artist’s name ‘1i2c’, local man John Whitaker is finding fans with his intriguing electronic instrumental music. John moved to Buntingford with his family around 7 years ago and it was here, last summer, that he suffered a heart problem which forced him to rest and give up his beloved cycling. With time on his hands, he turned his attention to a hobby he had been dabbling with for more than 20 years – his two Yamaha keyboards. John had been hooked on electronic music from the day he first discovered it. His musical heroes are Jean-Michel Jarre, Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream, artists who not only understood the electronic world but who can also compose. Other major influences include Depeche Mode, Mike Oldfield, The Prodigy and Royksopp. On 19th January, just six months after he started to apply himself seriously to creating music, John released his first electronic album, ‘The Great Distraction’, via Amazon, iTunes, Apple Music, Google Play, Tidal, Spotify and Shazam. John says of his album: “I look upon it as a work of art and have many stories behind the tracks. Also, it may be coincidence but the time of release was almost one year to the day that Edgar Froese [founder and long-serving artist of Tangerine Dream] passed away.” Another spooky coincidence is that John works in a printing company in London where almost 50 years ago a young unknown David Bowie had worked when he penned ‘Space Oddity’! As an independent artist John expects to struggle for recognition, but already his memorable tunes are getting a lot of positive attention. Established American composer David Levy, who is recognised for his film scores and computer game music, is so impressed he wants to work on a musical collaboration, telling John: “I love your music, man. I really get lost in it. It’s fantastic.” And how does John feel about such reactions? “It feels like the world has become a little surreal of late!” There is now an official 1i2c website – www.1i2c.com – where you can find out more about the inspiration for John’s music and listen to tracks from the album and from his new EP ‘Beyond the Inferno’.

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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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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

Self-Employment and Maternity Pay Maternity entitlements are different for self-employed women but financial support is still available. Self-employed women who have a baby may be entitled to a total of 39 weeks Maternity Allowance. The maximum weekly rate you can receive is £139.58 but it does depend what your individual circumstances are. In order to get the full amount you need to have worked (either employed or self- employed) for at least 26 out of the 66 weeks prior to your baby's arrival. You should also have paid National Insurance contributions for at least 13 of those weeks and are required to have earned an average of £30 per week over 13 of the 66 weeks. The amount you can get is either 90 per cent of your average weekly earnings or £139.58, which is the maximum amount. You will get whichever is less. If you have been self-employed, you had to have paid Class 2 national insurance contributions to qualify for the maximum amount. You have to pay these for at least 13 of the 66 weeks before your baby is due. If you don’t pay these contributions you can still get Maternity Allowance, but you will only get £27 a week. If you have been self-employed and have not paid enough Class 2 contributions, you can volunteer to pay these to qualify for the maximum amount. Ask the Jobcentre about this when you claim. If you haven’t been employed or self-employed, but you’ve worked for a self-employed spouse or civil partner’s business, you can get £27 a week. However, even if you don’t meet all of these criteria it’s possible that you’ll still be able to receive some support. You can put in a claim once your pregnancy reaches 26 weeks by filling in an MA1 claim form online or popping it in the post. The earliest you can receive the first payment is 11 weeks before your baby is due, or you can elect to start it as late as the day after the birth. Employees often have ‘keeping in touch’ days and the same stands for self-employed workers. You can work for up to 10 days whilst receiving Maternity Allowance, but go over this threshold and you risk losing your allowance altogether. If your household income isn’t enough to cover your costs you might also be entitled to further financial aid such as the Sure Start Maternity Grant or income-related social security benefits.

© Copyright Citizens Advice. For the most up-to-date information, please visit their website: www.citizensadvice.org.uk

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It was a welcome return to Buntingford for Stephen Barnard, our speaker for February. Over the years Stephen has given several lecture courses for BALFF (Buntingford Adult Learning for Fun) and is a very popular lecturer. For us, his subject was ‘Pack Up Your Troubles’ telling the story of the famous WWI song that is still earning royalties for the descendants of the two brothers, Felix and George Powell, who wrote it. The song, written in 1915, quickly became very popular with the soldiers and the public, then over the years it has been re-invented and given a new lease of life through the film ‘Oh What a Lovely War’ and the commemoration of the centenary of WWI. For last month’s meeting of the Digital Photography Group (below), group leader Roy Ellard (far right) organised a workshop. He selected and grouped different objects on tables around the hall for the members to photograph using their creative camera skills. They will look at the results with a computer presentation at their next meeting.

The speaker at our meeting on Monday 14th March will be Aubrey Barker from Hopley’s Garden Centre, Much Hadham, who will be talking about ‘Setting Up for Chelsea Flower Show’. We meet at the Seth Ward Community Centre – doors open 1.30pm. For news and details of all our Interest Groups, see our website: www.buntingfordU3A.co.uk

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

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Annual General Meeting to be held at Dixon Place community room, Bowling Green Lane on Tuesday, 15th March 2016, 7:45 for 8pm BASH is a local organisation which provides hospital transport for people who use the Buntingford doctors and who have no other way of getting to their appointments. It relies on volunteer drivers using their own vehicles. All our volunteer drivers are invited to the AGM. We would also welcome anyone who is thinking about becoming a volunteer driver. You will be able to hear about our work in the community and after the meeting it will give you an opportunity to ask questions in an informal gathering. RSVP to Val Reedman, Secretary of BASH at 16 Mill Close, Buntingford SG9 9SZ tel. 01763 272135

charity@gravellybarn Does It Matter? A 12-inch square for charity An open exhibition for famous and aspiring artists 27th-30th May 2016 £10 entrance fee to include canvas, hanging fee and private view invitation on 26th May. All canvases will be exhibited anonymously and sold for £45 each, with the proceeds going to 10 charities celebrating 10 years of exhibiting at Gravelly Barn. Submission date 6th May 2016 To get your booking form and canvas contact: [email protected] or 01920 822229 [email protected] or 01279 792571, or [email protected] or 01992 468789 www.gravellybarn.com

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Royston & Buntingford Children’s Centre Group is made up of Bramble Hill Children’s Centre in Mill Close, Buntingford, and Royston & Villages Children’s Centre in Royston. Both centres offer access to services for children under five years old and their families.

Our new ‘What’s on Guide’ is now available with details of all the sessions we run. Let us know if you would like one sent to you by email or post. We are currently looking for volunteers to help at our sessions. If this is something you may be interested in, please give us a call. There are loads of ways you can keep up to date with everything that’s happening at both children’s centres – search for us on Facebook and ‘like’ the pages; call us on 01763 273008 (Bramble Hill) or 01763 243338 (Royston & Villages); or email us at [email protected] to be included on our mailing list. There’s info on our web pages too at www.oneymca.org. We look forward to seeing you.

At Leapfrogs Preschool and Nursery we have been continuing our discovery of countries that we are connected with, celebrating their different cultures. We have gone 'down under' to Australia and turned our role play area into a jungle, with many surprises hidden within the vines and leaves above. We have played musical instruments from Nigeria, floated in the Portuguese waters in our cardboard boats (right), and cooked delicious meals from Poland. Next term we will be celebrating Easter with our annual Easter egg hunt and arts & crafts with children and parents. We are extremely lucky to have been able to have our floor renewed within the mobile building. This was done by Shane Brett from Hare Street. He was extremely professional and has made our Nursery look fresh and bright. If you would like to contact Shane for a professional quote for flooring at home or work, email: [email protected] We are now enrolling for the September intake for Preschool and Nursery, so please give us a call or email us to arrange to visit and see us in action. To contact us ring Gail Barrow on 01763 289942 (term time) or email [email protected]

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ANSTEY FIRST SCHOOL Have you heard the news? OFSTED SAYS ANSTEY FIRST SCHOOL IS A GOOD SCHOOL. But we already knew that! The school was visited by Her Majesty’s Inspector Mrs Ruth Brock on 14th January. You may be aware that new, stricter OFSTED criteria were set in place from September 2015 so we are proud to say we are a GOOD school. Mrs Brock acknowledged the many positives and strengths of Anstey School within the report which we were pleased with. After our end of half term assembly we held an open house afternoon tea party for the school and village to celebrate our success. Many cream teas were had and the pupils had an outdoor bubble disco and ate lots of cake! We have also had a visit from Dr Gough and Kate Hurst of Khandel Light (top right), our school’s chosen charity which supports families in drought ridden Rajasthan. Dr Gough, founder of the charity, told us about all the things the charity does to help families have clean water and good hygiene. It also works to ensure girls get a good education. Dr Gough showed us the ingenious ways they communicate because of the language barrier and low literacy skils – through puppets! We enjoyed the visit and were proud to have raised £150 to help others far away. We love being good global citizens. Pupils from our Wise Owls class took part in a speed- stacking competition at Freman College. Although we didn’t win it was fun taking part, and we will keep practising and hope that next year we can beat our times! This half term the Little Owls class has been studying China (centre right), including celebrating the Chinese New Year with a dragon parade and a tea ceremony. Wise Owls have also been learning about Vikings, Scots and Saxons and took part in an interesting food tasting session, but some of us were not brave enough to try the haggis! Parents and children also enjoyed afternoon workshop sessions led by teachers Mrs Lawrance and Mrs Modeste giving parents a taste of how reading and maths are taught in school (bottom right). Finally, we would like to congratulate Ted Vernon- Harcourt in our Reception class on winning the Dimsdale Award for this half term. The Dimsdale Award goes to pupils who show an outstanding contribution to school life. Ted is very kind, conscientious and always tries his very best in his learning every day. I would also like to thank the entire learning community of Anstey First School for all of their hard work and the amazing support everyone provides for our lovely little school. Anstey First School is a very small school in a wonderful setting with our own pre-school, wrap-around care, community room and holiday play scheme. If you would like to find out more about us or volunteer your services please call us on 01763 848 346.

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Millfield First & Nursery School www.millfield.herts.sch.uk This half term the children have enjoyed a range of exciting learning opportunities. The topic for our Key Stage 1 children has been ‘On Safari’, which allowed them to learn lots about the wildlife of Africa and also to enjoy the story of ‘Sunny the Meerkat’ by Emily Gravett. The photo (right) shows two of our Key Stage 1 boys drawing safari animals. Key Stage 2 pupils have been really relishing learning about life in Ancient Egypt. They had a wonderful day when ‘Portals from the Past’ visited the school and led a series of workshops (below). The children came in to school dressed either as Ancient Egyptians or as archaeologists (far right). The activities included learning how a body was mummified and how the Pharaoh was crowned, among much else. Meanwhile, the children in our Early Years classes have loved learning a range of traditional tales and re-enacting them. They are also celebrating the Chinese New Year. On 11th February M & M Theatrical Productions visited us to entertain the whole school with a performance of ‘Robin Hood’. After the success of their last visit the children have been very excited about seeing this new show. The week beginning 8th February is Internet Safety Week and we use this opportunity to remind the children how to enjoy the internet safely. We have our own Learning Platform at Millfield which is the ideal way for our children to communicate with their friends online in a secure and safe way. Despite the cold weather we have managed to keep up a full range of sporting activities. Some of our Year 4 children have been taking part in the ‘Fit for Life’ programme which teaches the children about good nutrition as well as the importance of exercise. Our Key Stage 2 pupils continue to enjoy their tri-golf and netball/basketball coaching each week. Some of them also took part in a Swimming Gala with other schools, whilst others have been competing in a Speed Stacking Tournament organised by the Sports Partnership.

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At our Parent Consultation meetings, on Tuesday 9th and Wednesday 10th February, the School Council were present to greet the parents as they arrived. The School Governors served refreshments in the dining hall and were on hand to chat to parents. We really value this chance to meet with our parents and share with them the progress and achievements of their children. Kathy Willett Headteacher If you would like to know more about our school please visit our website: www.millfield.herts.sch.uk or contact the school on 01763 271717.

Friends of Reed School (FORS) Quiz Night – Saturday 19th March, 7:30pm Do you know your Edison from your Einstein? FORS invite you to challenge your little grey cells at their annual quiz night in Reed Village Hall. There will be a bar and raffle, with tables of 4 to 8 people. Tickets £8 per head, which includes a ploughman’s supper. For more info, or to book a table, please call Charlotte on 01763 849454. The Bookworm Ball – Saturday 7th May, 7:30pm FORS are proud to announce the first ever black-tie ‘Bookworm Ball’ as they launch one of their biggest ever fundraising drives to build an all-purpose library for the school. In our digital age, it is easy for the beauty of books to become lost and we want to ensure our children continue to appreciate what joy can be found in the world of reading. The ball, to be held at the beautiful Sheene Mill, is the most glamorous event in the FORS calendar. Tickets cost £55 which includes a three-course meal, disco and silent auction. Tables seat 8 to 10 people. To reserve your spot or for more information, email [email protected] or call Charlotte on 07812 491737.

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Layston C of E First School Loving to Learn, Learning to Love For every child a change to shine! We have enjoyed an action packed start to the Spring term 2016 with a range of new as well as tried and tested activities for our children to enjoy and learn from. On 27th January, we hosted a visit from the Hertfordshire Youth Connexions team who came to Layston for the day to run workshops for our Year 3 and 4 pupils on aspirational employment choices for the future (photo right). We were delighted to be joined by some pupils from Hormead School too. Some comments from the children: “It was very good because it can teach any age about their future and what they want to do.” “It was very interesting learning about how careers all link together.” “The activities were fun because you got to design and work as a team.” Our youngest children had a visit from Lab Tots on 28th January, which gave them the chance to dress up and act like real scientists (photo right), as well as experiencing some fun experiments!

On 10th February we visited St Peter’s Church for our annual Christingle service (photo left) where the children learnt about the story of the gospel and its significance to Christians, using simple visible symbols to represent the Christian message. This year we used apples instead of the traditional orange to represent the world.

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It was a joyful celebration with song, ministry and prayer. Izzy’s Prayer “Dear God, Thank you for Jesus being born into a family. Help us to trust that in your care all things will work together for good. Help us to believe in you and in the love that will bring everlasting life. Amen.” We are a happy, friendly Church of England school and welcome visitors. See our website at www.layston.herts.sch.uk to find out more, or call us on 01763 271235. Myra Bloomfield, Headteacher

Layston Preschool and Nursery The children had a lovely time celebrating Australia Day on 26th January. We enjoyed playing with special Australian flags and glasses sent from our friends in Sydney and Brisbane. The Nursery children made Koala Bears and didgeridoos and ate fairy bread for their snack. The Preschool children learnt the Kookaburra Song and made Australian animals with paper and feathers. We had a special guest from Australia come in and read us a story about possums.

We are now looking forward to celebrating St Patrick’s Day and St George's Day later this term.

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Edwinstree Middle School

The Spring term continues to be a busy one. Year 8 attended a two- hour workshop, ‘Confident Teens – Our Future’, given by visitors Julia Montague and Caroline Walker. Pupils were told that they are all unique and they learnt how to set and achieve their goals, and about coping with life and the future. Our Modern Foreign Language Leaders from Year 8 went to Millfield and Layston First Schools to help Year 4 pupils with their French (photo right). They devised games and activities for them and hope to return for another visit. Year 5 have been studying Tudor times in their History lessons and were asked to design and build a Tudor style house. Leader of History, Miss Bustard, was amazed and delighted with the results (below), which included a wattle and daub wall and a brilliant replica of Hampton Court Palace. Some of the buildings are now exhibited around the school and make wonderful displays.

Fourteen pupils had the fantastic opportunity to go to Twickenham Rugby ground to watch the England Rugby team and see how the professionals train. Afterwards they had a tour of the stadium and museum. The trip gave them an added interest in the Six Nations Tournament which began the following week and they were pleased to see that England won their opening game against Scotland.

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Thirty Year 6 children went to Johnson Matthey in Royston to take part in the Children Challenging Industry project, while eight Year 8 pupils (right) were chosen to participate in the Royston Rotary Club’s annual Technology competition. Everyone did well and were a credit to the school. We have had some very interesting Collective Worships. Tutor group 6W celebrated Tim Peake’s space journey and included music from the late David Bowie. A very moving film ‘One Moment in Time’ produced by Mr Monti and Year 6 pupil Lottie was shown. 5D promoted National Story Telling Week with an original play written by William that was brilliantly acted out by the class. 6C produced a celebration of Saint Valentine and talked about the definition of love. 7B gave a presentation on things that they are proud of, which included sports skills, singing, dancing and reflections from pupils.

Our Sports Department are very busy with many fixtures coming up. We have Futsal, Indoor Cricket, Mixed Basketball, Football, Netball and Rugby matches taking place at various venues. Year 7 pupil Emily came 5th out of 26 taking part in her race at the Herts County Cross Country Competition at Verulamium Park in St Albans. Well done to all who competed but especially to Emily who now qualifies for the England Schools Cross Country Competition in March at Wollaton Park in Nottingham. We wish her well. Please look out for us on Thursday 3rd March when we hope to walk down Buntingford High Street, weather permitting! We will be celebrating World Book Day and anticipate our usual wonderful collection of book characters depicted in fancy dress. Diane George

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House Music A packed audience was treated to an amazing night of talent at Freman’s House Music event. Each House performs a set of around 25 minutes and are judged by independent adjudicators. This year the competition was overseen by Jo Rondel and Kim Devonshire, a former Freman teacher and a former Freman student, both of whom have also taught at Edwinstree School. After four amazing sets the results were announced. Individual performances, which received trophies, were: Choir – Butler; Ensemble – Mills; Composition – Butler; Solo – Archie Blackaby (Hepworth); Individual contribution – Ollie Bliss (Mills). The winners overall were Hepworth; 2nd Moore, 3rd Mills, 4th Butler.

House Chess Hepworth House also took the title in a brand new House Chess competition at the College. Held

over three lunchtimes, competition was fierce among the four houses – second and third places were decided in the last three seconds of one match! The final standings were:1st Hepworth; 2nd Mills; 3rd Butler; 4th Moore. Rotary Club Mr Malone, Head of Resistant Materials, would like to congratulate and thank the five Freman teams that took part in the recent Rotary Technology Tournament. This annual event encourages students to use teamwork, planning and communication, to succeed. Students were given a task, to overcome a problem, using limited materials, tools and equipment. The task on the day involved building structures that could transport a weight

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without deflecting and bridges that would allow miniature ships to pass under while operated through a pulley system. For each team the tasks were assessed for their planning, their design analysis, design development and their construction skills (including final testing). Though tough and challenging, Freman met the design brief head on and had fantastic results. Out of 20 teams our A Year (Year 9) teams finished 2nd, 4th and 16th, with the senior teams – all Mr Malone, Head of Resistant Materials at Freman, Product Design A-Level and the Senior Team who came out winners. students – gaining first place and joint second. Well done!

Energy Envoys help community hot spots to go green Young people are crucial to our energy future – not only in the buildings around them today, but as the energy buyers, users and decision-makers of tomorrow. Will they propel us to a cleaner energy future? Energy Envoys may help to make it so. This nationwide Duke of Edinburgh Award (DofE) volunteering opportunity, new for 2016, enables young people to help their community to use energy more wisely, save money and reduce carbon emissions. Through their volunteering, award Energy Envoys – Individual or group participants could conduct an volunteering is possible. energy audit, organise an energy Photo courtesy of www.energyenvoys.org.uk awareness campaign, or run an energy saving competition. There are step-by-step guides for all sorts of projects which can be carried out in, for example, a local school, college, church, business, shop or venue. Online support includes a tutorial and one-to-one email support from energy experts at the National Energy Foundation. Do you know someone, or are you aged 14-24 years, and ready to go for Bronze, Silver or Gold? If so, this promises to be one of the more flexible, CV-enhancing, DofE volunteering options available. For more information, visit www.energyenvoys.org.uk

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B A L A Buntingford Action for the Less Able Registered Charity No. 1094426 Minibus trips for March 2016

Tues 1st 10:30–3pm Harlow – Town Centre £6

Thurs 3rd 9:30–12ish Tesco at Bishop’s Stortford £4

Tues 8th 10:30–3pm Welwyn Garden City – John Lewis, WHSmith, £6 M&S, Debenhams, Boots, Waitrose, etc.

Thurs 10th 9:30–12ish Bishop’s Stortford Town Centre – Market Day £4

Mon 14th 10:30–2:30 Country Homes & Gardens / Bury Lane Farm £4.50

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

Thurs 17th 9:30–12ish Tesco at Bishop’s Stortford £4

Mon 21st 11:30am Pub Lunch Bus: £4

Thurs 24th 9:30–2:30ish Bishop’s Stortford Town Centre – Market Day £4

Wed 30th 10am–3pm Cambridge – Shopping or Fitzwilliam Museum £7

Thurs 31st 9:30–12ish Tesco at Bishop’s Stortford £4

April Thurs 7th 9:30–12ish Bishop’s Stortford Town Centre – Market Day £4

For more information and to book a seat, ring: 01763 271708

BUNTINGFORD GARDENERS’ CLUB Our first meeting of the year was February and an excellent talk was given by Simon Saggers (a natural speaker) who explained how he had changed his father’s battery chicken farm into his modern smallholding where he uses very little mechanisation. It sounds an interesting place with vegetable plots, orchards, wildlife meadows, reed beds, I could go on. Can you imagine glamping and hot tubs in Cambridgeshire? I assure you it does happen. One thing quite a few of us still need convincing about are compost toilets in-house. We shall see when we visit Simon later this year. Our March meeting is our Annual General Meeting, on Wednesday 2nd March, 7.45 for 8pm. Do come and see what the plans are for the rest of the year and to choose your officers and committee. One last thing for club members, do you remember the three daffodil bulbs and the pot you took home in Autumn last year? Well, March is the time to bring them back, either in bud, in flower or flowered. So don’t forget – AGM and bulb competition. Margaret Howarth Club Chair: Janet Murrells

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BUNTINGFORD W.I. Gill and Martin Hayward made a welcome return to our February meeting, this time talking about their trip a year ago to Vietnam and showing us some of their holiday photos. They said Vietnam is a lovely country with lovely friendly people, who all wanted to chat to them to improve their English. Even the peasant women who try to sell you something in the streets would practise their English. The most frequent phrase they heard was “Lovely Jubbly”! We were given a short history of the country, which was part of China up to the year 1000AD, then it was ruled by a royal dynasty. Martin and Gill showed pictures of some of the royal palaces and tombs, seven of which are now open to the public as Vietnam tries to build up its tourist industry. It seems that some of the Emperors led quite colourful lives; one had 33 wives, 107 concubines and 142 children! Some of the street scenes showed chaotic conditions, with roads full of bicycles, cars and rickshaws travelling in all directions with the constant sound of beeping horns. Crossing the road is a nightmare; you just have to step out and go for it hoping the traffic will avoid you! And it's no good walking on the pavement either because that is full of parked bikes! One odd thing is that each street seemed to have shops all selling the same things; for instance, a street full of shoe shops, or a street full of flower shops. Most of the food is bought from open markets; it is cheap and nice, but we were also shown pictures of locusts and other insects (apparently they are very nutritious!) and a plateful of mice, complete with heads and tails! Of course Martin, being a teacher, had to tell us about the education system which is very good. There are both private and state schools and Vietnam ranks 12th in the world for science and maths education, so some big companies are relocating there for that reason. We saw pictures taken outside a school at ‘home time’ and the congestion was far worse than anything we experience in Bowling Green Lane! Our next meeting is on Thursday 10th March and our speaker, Geoff Bowden, will be talking about British Pop Singers from the 1950s. We meet at the United Reformed Church Hall in Baldock Road at 7:15pm for a 7:30 start – visitors are always welcome. Val Hume For more information about Buntingford W.I. telephone Pat Webb on 01763 271305.

BALA C OFFEE MORNING at Benson Hall, Buntingford Wednesday 16th March, 10.30am –12noon Savouries / Cakes / Coffee / Raffle Proceeds for the BALA Minibus

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

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Buntingford Town FC www.buntingfordtownfc.com

It is said that the British are obsessed with the weather. That may or may not be true, but during January that certainly was the case for Buntingford Town FC. In the last issue of the journal I mentioned that the first three matches of 2016 had to be postponed due to waterlogging. Well, that was just the start! Not only did it rain every week in January, the gods decided that the best days to drench us were Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. So, soil which was just beginning to dry out as the week started became saturated once again a day before kick-off. The sensible decision was made each time in order to preserve the pitch; unfortunately the result was that no football was played at all until the Vets’ first outing of 2016, on 31st January. The result, a 6-2 defeat to Waltham Abbey Vets did nothing to raise our spirits. The previous day our Reserves were due to play in the Herts FA Intermediate Cup at London Colney. This was postponed (for obvious reasons), but played the following Wednesday evening under their floodlights. Colney Reserves, whose first team were at the top of the Spartan South Midlands League’s Premier Division, were too good for a rusty Buntingford Town, and despite a spirited performance we exited at the Quarter Final stage with a 4-0 defeat. On Saturday 6th February, both of our County League sides were ejected from cup competitions, the First Team going down 2-0 to Bovingdon in the Aubrey Cup, and the Reserves losing 2-0 to Letchworth Garden City Reserves in the Greg Cup. The bad run of form continued with the Vets again suffering a defeat the following day – this time by two goals to nil against Whitewebbs. On 13th February the First Team faced Sandridge Rovers in the league, and the Reserves entertained Sandridge Rovers Reserves in the Cecil Hudson Cup at The Bury. At about 10:30 that morning Sandridge called off their home match due to a waterlogged pitch. Buntingford had been relatively dry all week, and on the Friday the pitch was fine to be played on for the second week running. On the Saturday morning, what started as fine drizzle turned into light rain, and by midday the playing surface was beginning to hold water. As it was a cup match, kick-off was at 2pm, and the opposition arrived about an hour before. By then the pitch was looking worse, but there was a reluctance to call the game off as by now players from both teams were at the venue. It was left for the referee to decide if it would be safe to play and whether the match should go ahead. It did. The result was a good one for our Reserves – they progressed to the next round with a 2-0 victory. Unfortunately it was not a good result for the pitch which cut up badly. It will recover, but after protecting it for a month it was soul-destroying to see the damage. Had it started raining just a couple of hours earlier the game would have been postponed long before the arrival of the referee. Heaven knows what the next month will bring. More rain? Snow? Hurricanes? With luck, a heat wave! Chris Thurgill, Chairman, Buntingford Town FC

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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 10 Games plus 2 Flyers including Snowball Guaranteed £150 minimum snowball prize with weekly rollover. ALL WELCOME. Books on sale 7.30 to 7.50pm START 8pm.

ALL MAJOR SPORTING EVENTS SHOWN (TIMES PERMITTING). Darts, Pool, Snooker, Free WiFi WE NOW HAVE HAPPY HOURS EVERYDAY 3.00 TO 7.00 AND HAPPY DAYS FRIDAY, SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS ALL DAY MEMBERSHIP FEES NOW OVERDUE

ENTERTAINMENT FOR MARCH 5th March — RACHEL’S ROBOT ARMY (right) 12th March — No entertainment. FREE pool, snooker, jukebox. 19th March — THE SPREE (left) 26th March — SKA DISCO MEMBERS FREE, Guests £1 or £4 on special entertainment night. Don’t forget to check out our Facebook page and website: www.lemonrock.com NO PRAMS OR PUSHCHAIRS WHEN THERE IS ENTERTAINMENT

Win a Fire Tablet at Liberro! Yes that’s right! Up till 31st March we will be running our Fire Tablet competition. The lucky winner will be picked at random on 1st April 2016. Just enter your name on our Facebook page to be included in the competition. If you are not a facebooker you can email us instead at [email protected] or you can pop into our shop at 14a High Street, Buntingford, and leave your name and email address (for notification of the winner). Good luck and don’t forget to share!

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Royston and District Ramblers Group Walks for March 2016 Tues 1st Norton, 5½ miles, led by Bob 01763 250716 / 07711 917602 Thurs 3rd Chrishall, 6 miles, led by Jenny 01763 245969 / 07815 942225 Sun 6th Barley, 11 miles, led by Christine 01462 734298 / 07986 597271 Tues 8th Coton, 6 miles, led by Marion 01223 871524 / 07790 668049 Thurs 10th Great Offley, 6 miles, led by Roger & Linda 01462 453752 / 07896 620243 Sun 13th Standon, Much Hadham, 11 miles, led by Lesley 07734 111225 Tues 15th Offord Cluny, 6½ miles, led by Martin 01763 838190 / 07565 578074 Thurs 17th Great Hormead, 6 miles, led by Ken & Jackie 01763 246700 / 07502 121852 Sun 20th Haultwick, High Cross, 11½ miles, led by Paul 01763 244038 / 07960 957432 Tues 22nd Burrough Green, 5 miles, led by Bob & Kathy 01763 246988 / 07870 740083 Thurs 24th Sandon, 7 miles, led by Paul 01763 244038 / 07960 957432 Sun 27th Ayot Green, 9 miles, led by Lorraine 01763 242054 / 07890 325735 Tues 29th Ashwell, 6 miles, led by Bob & Kathy 01763 246988 / 07870 740083 Thurs 31st Great Offley, 7 miles, led by Paul 01763 244038 / 07960 957432 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

Tennis Good fun. Great exercise. So come and play! Try it for Free!

Sundays 10am –12noon Thursdays 7pm to 8pm April to October May to September Adults, Teenagers, Families & 50+ all welcome, especially beginners and improvers! Just turn up at the tennis courts at Norfolk Road Playing Fields, Bowling Green Lane, Buntingford SG9 9BT

Any questions? Email [email protected] www.BuntingfordTennisClub.co.uk

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