October 2018 Volume 43, No.8

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

Memories of the Great Flood of Buntingford, 50 years on. This is the A10 in September 1968, looking north towards Chipping. Inside this month: Winners of the Buntingford Classic 2018; the campaign to save Hare Street House; a short history of the Library; news of Apple Pressing Day in aid of Herts Welcomes Syrian Families; plus this month’s events and much more ...

70p October 2018 Volume 43, No.8

October 2018

Agility PR – Part-Time Assistant required ...... 11 Air Ambulance – HELI-Hounds Autumn Walk ...... 18 Art in Sandon ...... 31 Attend2Health – National Awards Finalist ...... 18 BALA Minibus Trips & Coffee Morning ...... 44 Bramble Hill Children’s Centre ...... 37 British Red Cross – Early Christmas Fair ...... 45 Buntingford Branch of the Royal British Legion – Quiz Night ...... 19 Buntingford Cage Bird Society – Open Cage Bird Show ...... 16 Buntingford Civic Society – Chairman’s Letter ...... 10 Buntingford Classic 2018 – The Winners ...... 12 Buntingford Community Choir ...... 34 Buntingford Cougars Season Kick Off! ...... 47 Buntingford Film Club – Films for October ...... 26 Buntingford Gardeners’ Club ...... 16 Buntingford In Transition – Apple Pressing Day & Pumpkin Picking Day ...... 23 Buntingford Library – A short history by Brian Thompson ...... 28-29 Buntingford Scout Group – Quiz Night ...... 19 Buntingford Town Council ...... 20 Buntingford Town Football Club ...... 46 Buntingford W.I...... 45 Church Services ...... 14-15 Curwens Solicitors – No-Fault Divorce ...... 31 Diary of Events – What’s On & Dates for Your Diary ...... 2-5 Editor’s Letter ...... 7 Edwinstree Middle School ...... 38-39 Friends of Reed Church – Michael Goodsell Memorial Race Night ...... 15 Herons by Brian Lemay ...... 17 Hertswise Dementia Support – Carers Support Group in Buntingford ...... 34 Home-Start – A.G.M./ Literary Lunch ...... 37 Hundred Parishes Society – Markets and Market Towns ...... 33 Isabel Hospice – Fundraising Events this October ...... 30 Lab-Tots Autumn Term at the Library ...... 29 Layston C of E First School – New Headteacher & Deputy Head ...... 42-43 Layston Grove Care Home – Vintage Garden Tea Party / Recruiting Now ...... 35 Letters & emails to the Editor ...... 8-9 Memories of the Great Flood of Buntingford – Part 1 ...... 36-37 Millfield First & Nursery School & Millfield PTA ...... 40-41 Music @ Gravelly Barn – Izzy Cooper ...... 48 News from Your District & County Councillor ...... 21-22 NUTS – Buntingford Classic / London to Brighton Vintage Car Run ...... 13 Orchard Surgery News ...... 18 Reed – Armistice Day Concert / Autumn Quiz ...... 45 / 19 Reed First School ...... 39 Riverside Taxis – A Local Family Business ...... 27 Royston & District Choral Society – Britten’s War Requiem ...... 34 Royston & District Ramblers – Walks for October 2018 ...... 48 Short Story – Chances Peak ...... 32-33 Summer Activity Programme 2018 ...... 24-25 U3A ...... 22 Ware & District Photographic Society ...... 44 Yew Tree Alpacas – Part-Time Casual Worker required ...... 11

October 2018

MONDAYS 9:00am – 10:00am Adult Ballet at URC Hall with Buntingford Dance, £5. 01763 271010. 9:00am – 10:00am Cardio & Core at Benson Hall, £3 a class (subsidised). Suitable for all fitness levels. More info, call or text Irene on 07802 418755. 9:30am & 10:30am U3A Exercise Class. Contact Jacqui 07956 647806 for participation info. 10:00am – 10:45am Stretch’n’Grow, a fun exercise & activity class for children confidently walking to age 5. Term time at Seth Ward CC. £2 per family. 01763 273008. 10:00am – 11:00am Push2Fitness, an outdoor Buggy Class. £5 a class. Meet at Benson Hall. More information call Donna 07717 363716. 10:30am – 12 noon Iyengar Yoga at URC Hall (term time). Contact Jen Harris 01920 821288. 11:00am – 12noon Stay & Play at Jenyns First School, Braughing. £1 per family. Term time only 01763 273008 1:30pm – 3:00pm Positive Movement exercises at Seth Ward CC. £3. 01462 678804. 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. 2:00pm – 2:45pm & Lab-Tots, fortnightly at the Library. Pre-school session for 3-5 year olds; 4:00pm – 4:45pm Afterschool session 4-8 year olds. Sophia 07720 292350 / www.labtots.com. 4:00pm – 6:45pm Ballet Classes at URC Hall, with Buntingford School of Dance Ltd. Contact: [email protected] / 01763 271010

4:30pm – 8:30pm Rib Valley Trampoline Club @ Freman College (term time). Adults 7:30– 8:30. Contact Andrea Allen 07989 980038 or email: [email protected]

6:00pm – 7:00pm Cougars U9s at MUGA, Norfolk Road. Cougars U10s ‘Stripes & Royals’ at Freman Sports Hall. 6:30pm – 8:00pm Shotokan Karate at Seth Ward CC. Contact Peter Deacon 01462 642922. 7:00pm Bridge for experienced players at Buntingford Bowls Club. £2.50 per session. Contact Eddie on 01763 273640 or 07976 896718. 7:00pm – 7:30pm *New Class* HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) at Benson Hall, £5. Suitable for all fitness levels. More info, call or text Irene on 07802 418755. 7:00pm – 8:00pm Cougars U10s ‘Blues & Whites’ at MUGA, Norfolk Road. 7:00pm – 8:00pm Pilates (Intermediate) at Layston School. Contact Jacqui 07956 647806 / www.jacqui-smith.net 7:15pm – 8:15pm & Yoga Flow at URC Hall, Baldock Road. Contact Annie Knapman 07500 8:30pm – 9:30pm 110876, email: [email protected] 7:30pm – 8:15pm Abs (body toning) at Fit Together Gym. Contact Al on 07739 131694. 7:30pm – 9:30pm 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 at the Technical Institute, Baldock Road. Call Danny on 07879 853849 or email: danny.band@hertfordshire.gov.uk. 7:45pm – 8:45pm 6-week Trigger Point Pilates Workshop from 24th Sept to 29th Oct. £48 if booked and paid in advance. Places limited, call or text 07802 418755. 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. 9:30am Nordic Walking at Seth Ward CC. Equipment provided. First session Free. Call 07940 080 453 to book or see [email protected]

What's On

10:00am – 11:30am Under 1s Group at Buntingford Bowls Club. £1 per family. 01763 273008. 11:00am – 11:45am Tappy Toes at Seth Ward CC. Dance & movement for children who are confidently walking to age 5. £2 per family. Term time only. 01763 273008. 4:15pm – 9:00pm Ballet, Modern & Tap Classes at Freman College, with Buntingford School of Dance Ltd. Contact: [email protected] / 01763 271010 4:30pm – 5:30pm Cougars U8s at MUGA, Norfolk Road. 5:30pm – 6:30pm Cougars U14s at MUGA, Norfolk Road. 7:30pm Buntingford Karate Club, Edwinstree Gym. Bill Hooper 01763 273123. 7:30pm – 9:00pm ‘Braughing Sing’ Community Choir at Jenyns School, Braughing. Contact Elaine 07501 495940 / 01763 289738 / www.braughingsing.com. 7:45pm – 8:30pm Pilates (Beginners) at Layston School. 07956 647806 / www.jacqui-smith.net 8:10pm – 8:55pm Adult Tap Dance Classes for Fun & Fitness at Freman College. Contact: [email protected] / 01763 271010 WEDNESDAYS 9:15 – 10:45am Hormead Stay & Play at Hormead School. £1. Term time. 01763 273008. 9:30 – 10:30am Intermediate Pilates at Benson Hall, £5 per class. Call 07802 418755 or see Facebook page “Irene Gibson PT” and look in services to see all our classes. 9:30 – 11:30am Barkway Parent and Toddler Group at Barkway Village Hall. Children 0–4 years. Contact Kim Semple on 07964 151288. 10:30am BALFF Course, ‘Boudica & Resistance to Roman Rule’, at the Community Centre. Coffee from 10am. Contact Julia 01763 272584. 12noon – 12:45pm *New Class* Beginners Pilates at Benson Hall. £5. Suitable for all fitness levels. More info, call or text Irene on 07802 418755. 2:00pm U3A Seated Exercise Class. Jacqui 07956 647806 for participation info. 4:15pm – 6:15pm Rib Valley Gymnastics Club @ Edwinstree School (term time). Contact Andrea Allen 07989 980038 or email: [email protected] 6:00pm – 7:00pm Cougars U11s at MUGA, Norfolk Road. 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 Resistance Blast at Layston School. Contact Jacqui 07956 647806 / www.jacqui-smith.net 7:00pm – 8:00pm Cougars U12s at MUGA, Norfolk Road. 7:30pm – 8:15pm Pilates (Beginners) at Layston School. 07956 647806 / www.jacqui-smith.net 7:30pm – 8:15pm Boxercise/Tae Bo session at Fit Together Gym. Contact Al 07739 131694. 7:30pm Slimming World Group at Millfield School. Tel: Glenda McLellan on 01462 894351 / 07983 224121 or email [email protected] 8:00pm – 9:00pm Buntingford Meditation Group. Contact Martin on 07771 972444 or see www.buntingfordmeditation.com for details and venue. 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. 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 Best Start Club at the Scout Hut, Bowling Green Lane. 1pm Magical Musical Playdays (1 to 3 years); 2pm Baby Signing classes (0 to 16 months). Laura Sheriff 07801 796334 / [email protected].

October 2018

2:00pm – 3:00pm Pilates at Benson Hall. Jacqui 07956 647806 / www.jacqui-smith.net 2:15pm – 2:45pm Toddlers Tales, stories & rhymes for preschoolers, at Buntingford Library. 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 Buntingford Swimming Club at Freman Pool. Adelaide 07710 550050. 5:30pm – 6:30pm Cougars U7s at MUGA, Norfolk Road. 6:30pm – 7:00pm Cougars U13s at MUGA, Norfolk Road. 6:30pm – 7:00pm Body Conditioning at Layston School, £5. For more info, see website www.irenegibson.co.uk or Facebook “Irene Gibson PT”. 7:15pm – 8:00p Intermediate Pilates at Layston School, £5. Or combine with 6:30pm Body Conditioning (above) for just £7. Call or text 07802 418755 for more info. 7.30pm Buntingford Karate Club, Edwinstree Gym. Bill Hooper 01763 273123. 8:00pm – 9:30pm Badminton at Seth Ward Comm Centre. Contact Lisa on 07951 533395. 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 Rhyme Time at Seth Ward CC. £1 per child. Term time only. 01763 273008. 10:00am – 1:00pm Art in Sandon Village Hall, £10 per session; bring own materials. For more information email [email protected] or call 07960 408635. 11:00am – 12:00 Drop-in Breastfeeding Support Group at Bramble Hill, 01763 273008.

11:00am – 12:00 Full Body Workout at Benson Hall. Jacqui 07956 647806.

12:15pm – 1:15pm Dance with Dani at Benson Hall. 07956 647806 / www.jacqui-smith.net 2:00pm – 3:15pm Activity Session with Hertswise Dementia Support at Layston Grove Care Home. £3 per person, carers free. Call HertsHelp on 0300 123 4044. 4:15pm – 8:15pm Ballet & Modern Dance Classes at Freman College, with Buntingford School

of Dance Ltd. Contact: [email protected] / 01763 271010 5:30pm – 8:00pm Friday Project, Buntingford & District Youth Club at the Technical Institute, Baldock Road. Danny 07879 853849 / [email protected]. 7:00pm – 8:00pm Cougars U18s at MUGA, Norfolk Road. 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]. 10:00am –11:00am Walking Football at MUGA Norfolk Road. £2 per session. For more info call Jeff Jones 01763 274800 / 07836 232963. 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]. SUNDAYS 10:00am –11:00am Cougars Cubs at Freman Sports Hall. 10:00am – 12:00 Tennis at Norfolk Road Multigames Area, to end Oct. All ages & abilities. For info go to www.buntingfordtennisclub.co.uk/ of Facebook page. 11:00am – 12:00 Cougars U6s at Freman Sports Hall.

Dates for Your Diary

Mon 1st Start of new BCAT timetable and routes (see page 21). Mon 1st 11am Story Sacks for the under 5s at Buntingford Library, a story followed by themed crafts, with Bramble Hill Children’s Centre. nd Tues 2 12:15–2:15pm Literary Lunch in aid of Home-Start (see page 37). Tues 2nd 8pm Buntingford & District Cage Bird Society at Benson Hall. Wed 3rd 7:45 for 8pm Gardeners’ Club at URC Hall (see page 16). Thurs 4th 10am–12noon Free Advice Session at Buntingford Library with Fosters Legal LLP. For an appointment call at the Library or ring 0300 1234049. th Sat 6 10am–1pm Apple Pressing Day outside the Manor House (see page 23). Sat 6th 1:30pm U3A Monthly Meeting at the Community Centre (see page 22). Mon 8th 7 for 7:30pm Michael Goodsell Memorial Race Night (see page 15. Tues 9th 2:15pm Buntingford Local History Group at Buntingford Library. Wed 10th 8pm Royal British Legion Meeting with A.G.M. at The Crown. Thurs 11th 7:15 for 7:30pm Buntingford W.I. at URC Hall (see page 45). Sat 13th Buntingford Film Club at Benson Hall, 2:30pm ‘Coco’ 7:30pm ‘The Greatest Showman’ (see page 26). Sat 13th 7:15 for 8pm start Royal British Legion Quiz Night (see page 19). Sun 14th 9am Heli-Hounds Dog Walk in Little Hadham (see page 18). Mon 15th 8pm Unplugged Acoustic Night at The Crown, Market Hill. th Tues 16 7:30 for 8pm Home-Start Royston & South Cambs A.G.M. (page 37). Wed 17th 10am–12noon Dementia Carers Support Group in the Tea Room at the st Wine Bar. Also 21 November (see page 34). Wed 17th 10:15–11:30pm B.A.L.A. Coffee Morning at Benson Hall (see page 44). Thurs 18th Hare Street & Hormeads Gardening Club with Jim Teague, Horticultural Consultant. Enquiries to Jane Wright 01763 289417. Fri 19th 8pm Buntingford Railway & Local History Society at The Crown PH. ‘Great Eastern Lines 1956/1962’ with Ken Livermore. th Sat 20 7:30 Izzy Cooper in concert at Gravelly Barn, Braughing (page 48). Mon 22nd 12noon–2:30pm Jazz on the Heath at Therfield Heath Café, with Dave Rance’s Rockin’ Chair Band. £10 on the door. rd Tues 23 10am–3:30pm British Red Cross Early Christmas Fair (see page 45). th Sat 27 10am Pumpkin Picking Day in the Community Garden (see page 23). th Sat 27 1–4:30pm Open Cage Bird Show at Benson Hall (see page 16). th Sun 28 BRITISH SUMMER TIME ENDS – don’t forget to put your clocks back! th Tues 30 10:30am–12:30pm Carers in Hertfordshire Support Group at the Library.

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

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

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

Editor’s Letter

I’ve been so engrossed in doing the Journal this past week, I’ve forgotten to send my sister a birthday card. Her birthday is today, so it’s going to have to be a phone call and grovelling apologies, but I have to get this letter written first! I don’t know if anyone else feels like me, but as I get older I find it harder and harder to do more than one thing at a time – multi-tasking, that’s the word. I find it almost impossible, so I do admire people who seem to be able to keep several different balls in the air. Like our Town Mayor Graham Waite and Alex Kanold of Mummy SOS who organised a successful 6-week summer programme of activities for the young people of Buntingford (pages 24-25). As well as writing the U3A and NUTS entries, this month Jean Cook also shares some of her memories of the Buntingford flood which hit the town 50 years ago in September 1968 (page 36). Over the last couple of years she has been collecting people’s memories of the event and we will bring you more of these individual stories in the coming months. One thing I’m curious about is what specifically caused the flood. Was it simply a spell of very heavy rain or were there other contributing factors such as blocked drains? David Woollcombe of Buntingford In Transition (BiT) is concerned to make sure that we do everything we can to minimise the risk of climate change causing such floods in years to come (page 22). The campaign is on for more public charging points for electric cars in town. The second Apple Pressing Day organised by BiT takes place on 6th October and later in the month there’s pumpkin picking too. Another campaign which is making local headlines is SAVE HARE STREET HOUSE – you can read more of what it’s all about on pages 8-9. And as there is yet another twist in the tale of Buntingford Library, Brian Thompson summarises the Library’s history from its creation 94 years ago to the current fight to save it on our High Street. Brian Lemay tells of a recent close encounter with a heron in his garden. These beautiful elegant birds are surprisingly large and I’m not sure I would want to tangle with one, but I guess you do what you have to when confronted with a knotty problem. The Buntingford Classic enjoyed another fine sunny day – in 18 years I can’t remember seeing a wet one. In Graham’s temporary absence, many thanks to his son Sean Bonner for the photos of the winners, which I think are a cut above what we usually get! I’m pretty sure it’s the first time that we have ever had photos of all the winners. Christine Noble Many thanks to John Makin for proofreading Editorial copy deadline for the November 2018 Journal is Saturday 13th October 2018

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.

Letters & emails to the Editor

Hi Chris As a plotholder on the old Hare Street Road allotments, I thought I’d take advantage of the Open Day to have a look at the new allotment area. My good neighbour Paul took me to see his plot, then with Roy Ellard, who has done so much to make the allotments a reality, showed me the rest. What a treat! Must be the best organised allotments I’ve seen, with plenty of sheds and polytunnels, nice wide well-maintained grass paths, plenty of water access, and even a decent car park. A valuable resource for Buntingford and a credit to Roy and his team. Regards, John Makin Dear Buntingford Journal My name is Bridget Stice (nee Nolan) and I would like to make local people aware of the proposed sale of an estate of historical importance: Hare Street House in Hare Street. The house, with more than 4 acres of gardens and St Hugh's Chapel, is currently owned by the Catholic Church and the Diocese of Westminster, having been left to the church by Monsignor Robert Hugh Benson when he died in 1914. I have spoken with the financial director of property services for the Diocese who confirmed that the trustees have definitely decided to sell, stating that it is no longer financially viable to keep it. They expect the estate as a whole to be on the market in the next couple of months. I have a link to this house because it was my childhood home. My grandparents, Frank & Joan Nolan, were the caretakers from 1985 to 1995 and lived in the adjoining flat with my mother and me. It was a wonderful place to grow up and the thought of it being bought for redevelopment saddens me greatly. With others of the local parishes, we have created an action group called SAVE HARE STREET HOUSE. So far we have set up a Facebook page which is attracting some attention (we have not yet gone viral!), a twitter account, an email and webpage, and a Go Fund Me page. They are all called SAVE HARE STREET HOUSE (SHSH) so pretty easy to find. We have made an information flyer and will soon be getting these posted door to door in local towns and villages. I wrote a long letter to the current Archbishop of Westminster. He did reply but his letter was very brief and basically said ‘thanks but no thanks – none of your business!’ A copy of his letter is on the campaign Facebook page for anyone who is interested. I have contacted several organisations such as the National Trust, Historic England, National Churches Trust and Historic Houses to mention a few. Some have come back with useful advice and I need to send back more information to the National Trust. I was also lucky enough to have a live interview on the Roberto Perrone show on BBC Three Counties radio. The ‘dream’ goal for our campaign group would be to somehow raise enough money to buy the estate and then have it held in trust for use by the local community and parishes. It could perhaps be opened up and used as a venue, for community gardens, a museum etc. A more realistic outcome might be to persuade the diocese that it means more than just money and has enough historical value for them to want to work with an organisation such as the National Trust who could restore and run it for them. Robert Hugh Benson was a highly intellectual, spiritual and interesting man and we are lucky that he chose this part of Hertfordshire as his home. His house has stood as a memorial to his spirituality and achievement for over 100 years, with the public allowed little access to either the house or his remarkable collection of art, carvings and books. If sold to a private developer it could all be lost forever, yet Benson’s legacy ought to be preserved, together with his mortal remains that were laid to rest where he wanted to be, not least because when he gifted his home to the Diocese of Westminster he also 8

bequeathed a substantial amount of money for its upkeep. It was the country retreat of the Archbishop of Westminster for several decades, but for the last 20/30 years it has been severely mismanaged and left to decline into its present state of disrepair. The current plan to sell the estate, potentially exhuming Benson’s remains and turning out the current caretaker, is quite frankly rather money grabbing and not very Christian. There are many possible uses for this large house, chapel and land. Other than the ideas already mentioned, I think it could be used for non-denominational weddings, with the grounds for photos, a reception venue and on-site accommodation, generating revenue to fund the estate. I hope our campaign and the information below is of interest. If anyone would like to find out more or join our campaign, please go to Facebook or get in touch. Kind regards, Bridget Stice, 07886 228850 / [email protected]

Hare Street House and Robert Hugh Benson Hare Street House is Grade 2 listed, with the oldest parts dating back to the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The old brew house outside in the grounds has its own Grade 2 listing. Several prominent figures have owned the estate, including William Benn who was Lord Mayor of London in 1747, but the most famous was Monsignor Robert Hugh Benson. Originally an Anglican priest, Benson converted to Catholicism and was later ordained a Catholic priest, then progressed up The sunken garden at Hare Street House. the Catholic hierarchy becoming a Chamberlain to Pope Pius X in 1911, which earned him the title Monsignor. Unusually, Benson balanced his career in the Church with being an author. He wrote a great number of books – not just religious studies but also fiction, poetry, ghost stories and even children’s books. His most well-known novel is probably ‘Lord of the World’, generally thought to be the original dystopian novel. It eerily predicts the state of the world in the early 21st century and both Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI have encouraged catholics to read it. In his day Benson was considered by some to be the equal of Thomas Hardy, H.G, Wells, John Galsworthy and Rudyard Kipling. Benson decorated his house to reflect his own spirituality. He was known for his talents in sculpture and tapestry and some remarkable work can still be seen, in particular a statue of St George and the Dragon in one of the bedrooms and his macabre tapestries depicting stories such as the legend of the grail and the dance of death. The tapestry room, where Benson allowed his guests to stay, was full of his own works. Some of Benson’s furniture and art has probably been taken to Westminster already, splitting up the original collection, but most remains in the house where Benson intended it to be. St Hugh’s Chapel contains more examples of Benson’s art, including the sculpture ‘Notre Dame Des Diables’ (right). It is also his final resting place and the beautiful rood screen was built over his grave in 1917. Because it is not listed, this building is particularly liable to redevelopment.

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

This month sees the onset of autumn, with the leaves turning all different colours, falling from the trees and the nights drawing in. However, it is also a good time to reflect on what has been a glorious summer with record temperatures. The Buntingford in Bloom Competition, in its 2nd year, was a great success and it was my pleasure to represent BCS Chairman Graham Bonner at the prize-giving in September. The gardens were impressive but I think everyone agreed that by the time the judging came round, due the extremely hot weather and lack of rain, they were not at their best – although judging by the photographs they looked fantastic. The general consensus is that next year the judging should take place about 2 weeks earlier. It is hoped that even more people will enter next year, especially those residents new to the town. As many of you have noticed, the Town Sign, located outside Lloyd’s Chemist, has disappeared. It has not been stolen, it has been sent away for refurbishment, courtesy of the Civic Society, and it is hoped that it will be returned to us sometime in late September, early October. The Classic Car Show was again a tremendous success, with more vehicles than ever. This event, now an annual fixture on the town’s calendar, attracts a large number of visitors to the town. It helps to showcase the variety of independent retailers that choose to be on our High Street. I was honoured to be asked to present the prizes to the winning entries this year – for details of the winners see page 12. The event would not be such a triumph without all the hard work put in by the volunteers – months of planning, marshalling on the day, clearing away afterwards, and much more. Our thanks to them all, too numerous to mention, you did a fantastic job! You may have been involved with or attended some of the activities during the long summer school holidays aimed at keeping the children entertained during their time away from school. This would not have happened without the unbounded enthusiasm of Alex Zetter and her eager band of volunteer helpers from Freman College. The activities were too many and varied to list in this article, but there was something for every age group. Alex’s report on all the action is on pages 24–25. To commemorate the centenary of the signing of the Armistice on 11th November 1918 there will be a WW1 exhibition at The Manor House from the 9th to 12th November, in addition to the annual remembrance service which fittingly falls on the actual centenary, Sunday 11th November. For those readers who don’t know, the roads on the new housing developments are named after the soldiers from the Town who fought and died in WW1 and are commemorated on the War Memorial. Work to clear the Churchyards at Layston has nearly been completed and for those of you who have not been to see it lately, I recommend you take a look as the change is remarkable. Many more gravestones and memorials have been exposed which represent the history of the Town. I must make special mention of the four CWGC graves and the memorial to Claud Lovat Fraser who is buried along with his mother and father, their memorial now clear for everyone to see. Graham Waite, Deputy Chairman, Buntingford Civic Society

Buntingford Civic Society was established in 1972 with the aim of improving the fabric of the Town. It has led or been involved in many restoration and enhancement projects, planning, communication and financial support to improve aspects of life in Buntingford. Annual household membership is just £10 and includes delivery of the Buntingford Journal (10 issues a year) to your door. If you would like to join us, please email the Membership Secretary, Peter Hay, at: [email protected].

WANT TO WORK PART-TIME LOCALLY FOR A DYNAMIC B2B PR AGENCY? We are looking for an assistant to help with a business that is expanding:  5+ years’ experience ideally working agency side  Strong attention to detail • Good writing skills  Social marketing skills a massive bonus  Good knowledge of MS Office suite • WordPress experience also helpful  Pay range £13-20 per hour, depending on experience  1 day initially rising to 2 days per week Please apply by emailing a CV to: [email protected] / Tel: 01992 587439 Agility PR is a boutique Business to Business PR agency of over 15 years’ standing. The business was originally based in my home in Redhill, Rushden, then moved to offices in Hertford as we grew. We specialise in technology clients in areas as diverse as cyber risk management, car dealership efficiency, IP video, fleet management and pensions technology. I’m looking to expand our client-base in both fintech (financial services technology) and cyber security and I need help to get there. That’s where a great candidate will really help. The work will be varied and interesting – everything from designing a marketing automation campaign, to drafting and selling a news story to the trade media, to running an online survey. I’m looking for somebody with prior experience ideally in Business to Business Marketing or Public Relations. As I live in Rushden, there is a good chance of being able to offer a successful candidate a lift to and from the office. Miles Clayton

PART TIME CASUAL WORKER required Based Anstey (4 miles from Buntingford) Experience of working with farm livestock or horses required Flexible working hours – approx. 15 hours/week Must be trustworthy, interested in animals and have own transport Hourly rate will depend on experience. For more information contact us by phone on 01763 848257 or send your details, with experience, by email to: [email protected]

THE WINNERS

Clockwise from top left: Chairmans Choice – A stunning red 1951 MG TD owned by Tony Yates. Best Bike – A very rare imported Moto Guzzi owned by Tony Regent. Car I’d Like To Drive Home In – Fabulously restored 1965 Ford Mustang owned by Chris Taylor. Best Car – A beautiful white Jensen Interceptor owned by Jim Smith. 12

The Classic organisers would like to thank all the volunteers for preparing and marshalling the show, the High Street traders for their help and support, the sponsors for their generous donations, the owners who bring along their fantastic vehicles – and everyone who came along to enjoy the day. We hope to see you all again in 2019.

For the 5th year running NUTS had its own Club Show in the garden of Layston Court as part of the Buntingford Classic Car Show and once again we were delighted that so many people – adults and children! – came into the garden and voted for their favourite car. This year 1,885 people took part in our famous Button Vote and the winners were: Public Vote: Letter G – Colin & Barbara Hall with their 1928 Ford Model A Phaeton (right)

Members’ Vote: Letter N – Brian Murtagh with his maroon red 1951 Bristol 401 (left) The competition to guess the number of balloons in the car was won by Karen Bryce from Shefford who was visiting friends in Hare Street. Here she is being presented with her prize of £100 by Karen Stephens. Once again we would like to thank our hosts Karen & Ian Stephens for so kindly allowing us to use Layston Court. London to Brighton Veteran Car Run Sunday 4th November NUTS has 3 seats available on their coach to Brighton to see the Veteran Cars arrive at the finish. Of course there are other things to see in Brighton – the Pavilion, the British Airways i306 Tower and the Lanes shopping area if you are not into cars! The cost is £19 – pick-up in Buntingford 9am. Please call Iayn Thomas on 01763 271 954.

Christ Church

Baldock Road, Buntingford SG9 9AA

Minister: Vacant Secretary: Peter Godbert [email protected] Tel: 01763 281359 Services and Junior Church at 11.00am every Sunday Tea and coffee is served in the hall following the morning service. October 7 Holy Communion Rev David Tatem 14 Morning Worship Rev Allen Morton 21 Morning Worship TBA

28 Holy Communion Rev Dr Janet Tollington November 4 Morning Worship Richard Lewney REGULAR EVENTS Bible Study meeting on 2nd Wednesday of each month in the Hall. The format is lunch from 12 noon (bring your own food, tea & coffee is provided), then Bible Study will commence at 12:30pm and finish prompt at 1:30pm. The theme is that we each bring a newspaper and relate news items to the Bible. All are welcome. Junior Church – Sunday at 11am in term time, for all young people and children. Bright Hour – A time for fellowship with prayers, hymns and activities. The next meetings are on Tuesdays 2nd, 16th and 30th October at 2:30pm in the Church Hall. Coffee & Company – Every Thursday morning 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 2pm.

www.buntingfordurc.org.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 10am & 8pm Mon & Thurs 9:30am CONFESSIONS Saturday mornings 10.30-11.00

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 churches: St. Peter’s has a more contemporary style, St. Mary’s more traditional and St. Mary the Virgin more liturgical. Everyone is welcome at any of our churches. Services for October 2018 Sunday 7th 9:30am St Mary the Virgin, Westmill Morning Worship 10:00am St Mary’s, Aspenden HARVEST FESTIVAL Family Service 11:00am St Peter’s, Buntingford Holy Communion

Sunday 14th 9:30am St Mary the Virgin, Westmill HARVEST FESTIVAL Sung Eucharist 9:30am St Mary’s, Aspenden Morning Worship 11:00am St Peter’s, Buntingford HARVEST FESTIVAL & Baptism

Sunday 21st 9:30am St Mary’s, Aspenden Holy Communion 11:00am St Peter’s, Buntingford Holy Communion 6:30pm St Mary’s, Aspenden Celebration of the new lighting system

Sunday 28th 9:30am St Mary the Virgin, Westmill Sung Eucharist 11:00am St Peter’s, Buntingford All-age Celebration Service

The Bereavement Service advertised for the 30th September will now take place at 11am on 4th November at St. Peter’s.

FRIENDS OF REED CHURCH The Michael Goodsell Memorial Race Night, is at Reed th Village Hall on Saturday 6 October Doors open at 7pm with First Race at 7.30pm. Licensed Bar. Tickets (includes supper): Adult £12.50; Under 15 £6; Family Ticket £30. To book please call: Michael Howes 01763 848029 or Liz Jakeman 01763 848398

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

BUNTINGFORD GARDENERS’ CLUB September’s meeting was our Annual Show, an evening intended to offer members the opportunity to show off their achievements in the garden as well as the home in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. We had members entering paintings and handiwork of a horticultural nature, as well as the usual displays of actual fruit, vegetables and flowers. Unfortunately, the vegetable and fruit classes were poorly represented, probably as a result of the very hot summer. The overall winner of the night was Viv Savage, so many congratulations to Viv and to everyone who attended and brought along an entry to the show. The Club was honoured to host the presentation of the Civic Society’s ‘Buntingford in Bloom’ Awards at the Annual Show. The presentations were made by the Town Mayor and Vice Chairman of the Civic Society, Graham Waite. Our next meeting will be held on Wednesday 3rd October and the speaker will be Claire Matthews talking about “The Gardens of Easton Lodge”. The gardens, near Great Dunmow in Essex, are the only example in East Anglia of the work of the great Edwardian garden designer Harold Peto; they feature an Italian garden, tree house and a large walled kitchen garden. If you would like to join the club annual membership is £15. We charge £3 on the door for non-members, who are most welcome. Our trips are priced individually depending on the places that we visit. For more information you can contact me, the Club Secretary, on 01763 271885 or come and try us out. We look forward to meeting you. Lesley Lowers

Buntingford & District Cage Bird Society OPEN CAGE BIRD SHOW Saturday 27th October At Benson Hall, Buntingford Open to the public from 1 to 4.30pm Entry Free / Teas & Raffle If you would like to join our Society, we meet on the first Tuesday of each month at 8pm in Benson Hall. Enquiries to: C Pegrum 01223 833557 or T Robinson 01763 243143

Herons As promised a couple of Journal issues ago, here is my article on the big grey birds that visit the ponds in your garden. I have, or did have, three ponds full of home-bred goldfish. Mr Heron and his family love this ready-made dining area. For years I have had to cover the ponds in netting from early spring to summer to keep them away and again in the autumn. The nets also catch the falling autumn leaves, so serving a double purpose. Last autumn I noticed that the nets on one pond had been moved; they are on a light wooden frame. A day or two later I actually saw a heron trying to push the frame and nets to one side. What a clever bird I thought before shooing it away. I was not quite so complimentary some time later. A few days after that, when I let Katie out for her early morning comfort break, we both spotted a commotion by the top pond. In trying to move the nets once again one of the heron’s legs had become entangled in them. Once I had rounded up a barking Katie and put her in the house I approached with a pair of scissors to try and free the creature. I never realised how big these birds were until I was trying to dodge the huge flapping wings and the wickedly long and sharp beak. I did cut the net away eventually and freed the bird, but not before I received a painful peck on the arm – ungrateful creature. I had decided this spring to empty the top pond as it had a leak and turn it into a bog garden. My son wanted the fish for his pond so I asked him to come over to help me clear the pond of plants and catch the fish. I removed the net a few days before his visit, but when we cleared the pond we found no fish. In those few days when there was no net the heron must have paid us a visit and cleared the pond of fish! B****y heron I thought!! As you might guess, herons are not my favourite bird. I love living in, or near, the countryside but it does have its drawbacks. Obviously my garden was on a heron ‘watch list’ and I will now have to cover the two remaining ponds all year round; sad really, as it does spoil the look of the ponds in the summer. Don’t forget, autumn is the ideal time to plant new trees in your garden. Trees look great and they do help trap harmful air-borne pollution. So before you ‘close’ your garden for the winter – get planting. Brian Lemay

Orchard Surgery News Staff on duty during normal surgery hours: Monday – Dr Corlett / Dr Larmie Tuesday & Thursday – Dr Manny Wednesday & Friday – Dr Larmie

The Nurse, Naomi, is available for appointments on Monday am & pm, Wednesday am, Thursday am. It’s Flu vaccination time! If you are 65 or over, have a medical condition that advises flu vaccination , or are a person with learning difficulties or a carer of anyone with a long-term disability, plus many other patients, you are entitled to a FREE flu vaccination. Please call the surgery to book an appointment ASAP. Also available are free screenings for bowel, cervical and breast cancer. If you have received an invitation to attend for cervical or breast screening, please go to the appointment or reschedule. And use your home screening pack for bowel cancer; if you have lost it then contact the surgery for another to be sent. The basic fact is that cancer spotted early through regular screening is much more likely to be treated and cured. If you haven’t received your invitation or pack then call the surgery to check why (for example, are you the right age, etc.) and get yourself booked in. Extended access for Orchard Surgery patients commences on Monday 24th September at Church Street Surgery in Ware. Please see our website for further details. The next 1-hour Patient Participation Group meeting is on Thursday 11th October at 6pm at the surgery. All are welcome. Agenda items include: use of the new 24/7 practice website; extended hours service for all patients; and general surgery happenings. Come along and take part and give your views as a patient for the improvement of our services. www.orchardsurgerybuntingford.co.uk / 01763 272410 Outside surgery hours dial 111 if you need urgent medical help – the call handlers will make sure you are directed to the right service. In a life-threatening situation dial 999.

Louise Hampton is once again through to the final of Best Business Women Awards, this year in two categories: Best Customer Service, and Best Health and Wellness Clinic. Louise said: “It’s wonderful to be recognised as a finalist in a national competition. All our staff work so hard to provide the best possible care to our patients and this gives us all a real boost.”

Come along with your four-legged friend and raise funds for your air ambulance on the HELI- Hounds 3-mile autumn walk in Little Hadham on Sunday 14th October. It costs £5 and will be followed by a Dog Show and doggy-related fun. Meet at Church End (SG11 2DY), 9am for 10am start. For information and to register your dog, call 0345 5040 055 or visit ehaat.org/events/

SATURDAY 13th OCTOBER THE SETH WARD COMMUNITY CENTRE SG9 9SG DOORS OPEN 7.15 FOR 8pm START TICKETS £10.00 per PERSON Includes a fish or chicken and chips supper. Tables up to 8 people or join a table on the night. BAR & RAFFLE TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM THE CHEESE PLATE, BUNTINGFORD, or CALL 07769 653974

Buntingford Scout Group Quiz Night Saturday 10th November At Buntingford Scout Group Headquarters (Bowling Green Lane, next to Cricket Pavilion) 7pm for a prompt 7.30pm start £8 a ticket including ploughman’s Teams of up to 8 / Licensed Bar Tickets from: Jo McNamara 07917 664737 / email [email protected] or Kay Hamilton-Crook 07984 439404

Autumn Quiz – Reed Village Hall – Saturday 24th November at 7pm Bar & Raffle. Tickets £12, includes Fish or Chicken & Chips supper. Please ring Hazel on 01763 848349 to order supper (essential) before the 15th.

Buntingford Town Council A QUALITY TOWN COUNCIL The old and new Churchyards are just about cleared and we hope that you agree that the area is now looking particularly beautiful, with a marvellous view across the valley. The churchyard continues to be in the ownership of the Church, but the Town Council has negotiated with the Church to undertake the maintenance. The planning application for the new cemetery, which is to be located next to the existing churchyard, will be heard by the District Council’s Development Management Committee in October. We expect that a condition of permission will be to undertake some archaeological surveys, following which we will be free to issue Invitations to Tender to suitable contractors. The new cemetery will be in the ownership of the Town Council. The Community Governance Review, undertaken by the District Council at the request of the Town Council, will be decided late September. If approved, the Parish Boundary will be moved to take in the new development site north of Park Farm, along Ermine Street. Currently a large section of the site falls within the Cottered boundary. The Town Council felt that for continuity the whole of the site should fall within the same Parish. The District Ward boundary will also be amended to reflect the changes. We are looking for prospective Youth Councillors to replace those we lost at the end of last term. If you know someone aged 11 to 18 who is interested in becoming a Youth Councillor, please ask them to contact us for more details. In line with GDPR (General Data Protection Regulations), the Town Council has published a number of Privacy Notices which can be viewed on the Council website. Jill Jones MILCM Cert HE, Town Clerk Office hours: Monday–Thursday 9:00am–5:00pm; closed Fridays The Manor House, High Street, Buntingford SG9 9AB Tel: 01763 272222 email: [email protected] Twitter: @buntingfordtc Facebook.com/BuntingfordTC Website: www.buntingford-tc.gov.uk

Town Council meetings

Thurs 4th Oct 7:30pm – Amenities Committee

Thurs 11th Oct 7:30pm – Planning Committee 8:00pm – Resources Committee Thurs 25th Oct 7:30pm – Planning Committee 8:00pm – Full Council

All meetings at The Manor House unless indicated otherwise. Members of the public are welcome to attend. Please check the BTC website for details.

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

News from Your District & County Councillor East Herts District Plan The long-awaited District Plan was due to be finally adopted at an extraordinary council meeting on 11th September. At the last minute the Secretary of State James Brokenshire MP, Minister of Housing, Communities and Local Government (SoS), placed a holding directive on the Plan. This was as a result of lobbying by Stevenage MP Steven McPartland and other organisations. The District Plan has been five years in the making and gone through all the formal processes, including examination by an experienced examiner appointed by the SoS, so it is very disappointing to be in this position. Without a plan in place East Herts is once again vulnerable to speculative housing development, but thankfully Buntingford and the six villages have the Neighbourhood Plan which gives us some protection. I have been asking our town and parish councils and local MPs Sir Oliver Heald and Mark Prisk to contact the SoS requesting that the holding directive is withdrawn as soon as possible so that the Plan can be finally ratified at council. BCAT A new timetable and routing for the Buntingford Community Area Transport Bus (BCAT) starts on 1st October. The new town route is circular north and south, which is hoped will be more convenient, and there is a new service to the villages. A flyer with timetable and route details will be delivered to every home in Buntingford and the villages. Town Route North Hub High St/Church St – Ermine St – McCarthy & Stone – Norris Way/The Maples – Parkside – A10 – Greenways – Medical Centre – Hub High St/Church St. Town Route South Hub High St/Church St – Ashfords/Paddock Rd – Hare St Rd – Dellow Close/Knights Walk – Dray Gdns/Meadow Vale – Brice Gdns/The Village – Layston Grove – Luynes Rise/Oak End – Medical Centre – Hub High St/Church St. Village Routes Monday – Buntingford High St – Cottered – Throcking – Buckland – Chipping – High St Tuesday – High St – Wyddial – Meesden – Anstey – Wyddial – High St Wednesday – No service Thursday – High St – Brent Pelham – Gt Hormead – Lt Hormead – Hare St – High St Friday – High St – Westmill – Aspenden – High St You may hail the bus anywhere on these routes and the driver will stop when it is safe to do so. For pick-up and drop-off outside these areas please call the BCAT HOTLINE on 07391 994723. Fare £1 each journey. Full details of the service are available on the Town Council website: www.buntingford-tc.gov.uk/bcat and on Facebook @bcatbus Community Governance Review for Buntingford (New Town Boundary) This came before the EHC Executive on 11th September. The recommendation is that Parkside remain in Cottered Parish and the Buntingford Business Park remain in Aspenden Parish, but that the Redrow Development, ’The Maples’, be transferred to Buntingford Parish. The recommendation will be presented for a decision in October. Anstey Quarry For some time now residents along the B1368 Braughing to Barkway road have been experiencing a huge number of HGV movements to and from Anstey Quarry, which is

licensed for 30 in and 30 out HGV movements per day. It is clear that this quota has been exceeded. I have been working with HCC Enforcement for action to be taken against the quarry for this breach of condition. The Environment Agency has also been concerned and has issued a ‘stop notice’ on the operators. HCC have issued breach of condition notices. The quarry operators, Winters, have also overfilled the restoration of the site and it appears they have now walked away from the site. Although residents along the B1368 can be relieved that the road is quieter, the worry now is how the restoration will be completed. A507 The proposed 7.5-ton weight restriction for the A507 from Baldock to Buntingford came before the Highways Cabinet Panel on 14th September. There are a number of proposals for the weight limit and further information will come back to the Panel in January. This includes a proposal for a weight restriction on Baldock Road in Buntingford to stop HGV traffic using this as a ‘through route’ in town. Agricultural vehicles will also have to use the more suitable route via London Road and the by-pass. Cllr Jeff Jones District and County Councillor, Buntingford Ward 07836 232963 / [email protected]

Our speaker for September was Andrew Sankey and his title was ‘Cottage Gardens’, but it was much more than that – it was the history of what became our world famous ‘chocolate box’ English Cottage Garden. The story was fascinating and Andrew is a very enthusiastic speaker – he used to be the President of Peterborough Cottage Gardens Society. He told us how English Cottage Gardens developed from peasant huts with self-sufficient plots for vegetables and pigs, to the gardens of the early 20th century with special paintings commissioned by Cadbury’s for their boxes of chocolates! He also enlightened us on the origins of some of our common sayings – ‘Touch wood’, ‘Let the cat out of the bag’ and ‘Pig in a poke’. The Church Crawlers visited Stevenage Mosque. Set back from the road (some drove past it – twice!), the specially built Mosque serves the Muslim Community of Stevenage and surrounding area. The group were warmly welcomed by the young Imam who gave a presentation and told them about the Muslim faith, after which there was a question and answer session. As they were leaving the Imam suddenly realised he had forgotten to give them a copy of the Qur’an so hurriedly started handing out the huge copies which were four times the size of the one he had been holding! In other news: the Photography Group had a summer evening get together at the home of Marion & Roy Ellard. The Ukulele Group had a party to celebrate their 5th Anniversary. Group Leaders had a get-together at the United Reformed Church Hall. Our next meeting on Monday 8th October will be our AGM. Members are asked to come to the meeting and support their committee (there will be drinks & cake!). Several members of the committee will be stepping down as they have served the maximum number of years permitted – if you feel you could take their place you will be welcomed with open arms!! We meet at the Seth Ward Community Centre – doors open 1.30pm. Please visit our website for information on our groups. www.u3asites.org.uk/buntingford

Buntingford In Transition I write this as Hurricane Florence is battering the Eastern seaboard of the USA, and super-Typhoon Mangkhut is threatening the livelihoods of 5 million Filipinos in Northern Luzon. Fortunately, we are not likely to face such extreme weather events in Buntingford any time soon – but the long hot summer should remind us that global warming is here to stay, and sustainable lifestyles are an imperative if we are to ensure a long-term future. Extreme weather takes many forms – from the appalling droughts and mega-high temperatures that have afflicted many parts of the world this summer, to the flooding and ‘rain bombs’ that are an increasingly frequent component of the weather patterns of many parts of our temperate region. In truth, there is not much that any community can do to prepare for this kind of extreme weather – but the political storms afflicting many governments at the moment mean that most of us are taking our eye off this particular ball as its speed and seriousness increases around the world. Elsewhere in this Journal we have a reminder of the Buntingford flood of 1968 – and we should not feel that we are immune from similar events in the future. What can we do? Well, Buntingford in Transition made a presentation to the Town Council in July requesting that they consider installing electric car charging points in the town. (There was a very positive response to this suggestion, so watch this space!) At the same meeting, we proposed the idea of a ‘Plastic Free Buntingford’, eliminating plastic packaging from the shops and supermarkets in our town – an initiative that several towns are attempting. We are awaiting the appointment of one of Buntingford’s Town Councillors to take that initiative forward. Meanwhile, our Apple Pressing Day is coming up on 6th October (10am to 1pm outside the Manor House) and our Pumpkin Picking Day is on the 27th October (10am in the Community Garden outside the Police Station on Baldock Road). The Pumpkins are free – first come first served. The Apple Juice is £1 a litre if you bring your own apples; or we will sell you juice made from our apples for £2 a litre. All funds raised from the apple pressing are going to the Herts Welcomes Syrian Families Charity. Syrian Families are also running a cake stall – we hope you will come and buy and give generously. Environmental catastrophe may lie in our future, but the war and political catastrophe that has befallen the lovely, peace-loving people of Syria reminds us that, long before the climate changes, we have a lot of work to do to unite peoples and nations and persuade governments to behave BiT co-founder Madela Baddock better towards each other and their own people. with one of the giant Halloween Let’s start by showing our support for the Syrians Pumpkins grown in the in our community on October 6th. Community Garden and going for David R Woollcombe free on Pumpkin Picking Day – Co-founder, Buntingford in Transition 27th October from 10am.

This year Buntingford launched it’s very own Summer Activity Programme, run by local childcare company Mummy SOS® in association with Buntingford Town Council. Town Mayor Graham Waite and I both had the same idea to produce a programme of activities over the summer holidays so that children of all ages would have plenty to keep them entertained over the school break! There was so much we wanted to include but we just couldn’t do it all this year, especially on such a short timescale, as it took a long time getting the wheels in motion for this new scheme. However, with a lot of help and hard work, we managed to get things organised just in time for the end of term, and delivered a Buntingford Summer Activity Programme brochure through every door before the beginning of the school holidays. The programme included a wide range of activities for children from babies up to age 15 and a work experience scheme for sixth formers. Planning the Programme We started by sending age appropriate questionnaires to local schools, asking that they have all their students complete the questions about what activities they would like over the holidays. A huge thank you to Edwinstree and Freman for submitting more than 1000 student responses, which were processed to create a tally of the most highly demanded activities. Meanwhile, we put out a survey to all local activity providers asking what they had planned for the summer, the results from which were used to create a schedule. Subsequently, we compared what was in this schedule with the activities the children said they most wanted, so we could identify what was missing. We then proposed to the Town Council a full schedule of additional sessions to be run by Mummy SOS, for which they provided a generous grant to subsidise the price for parents. By this stage, we had only 2 weeks left to find the sponsorship for, create and deliver the activity programme brochure, but we were determined to make it happen. Thanks to local businesses taking out adverts in the brochure, we were able to fund the production and printing of enough to deliver one to every home in Buntingford. Finally, we needed to rally more helpers to run the activities and following an assembly at Freman College we signed up 18 students to undertake some of their required community service hours and get valuable work experience. The Programme in Action The summer began with our opening party, a Picnic in the Park in Layston Court Gardens, to spread the word about everything we had in store. The gardens also hosted our closing event, a BBQ in the Park, to celebrate everything that we had done over the holidays. These events were a lovely chance for everyone to enjoy these beautiful gardens together. We also raised £76.50 from the stalls and games, which will be donated to our chosen charitable causes: the NSPCC, the BCAT Charitable Trust and the St Peter’s Church Buntingford fund for the restoration of the building.

Over the 6-week activity period, Mummy SOS ran a variety of sessions including Football, Arts & Crafts, Gaming, Tennis and many other games, sports and creative opportunities. Thank you to Buntingford Tennis Club for setting up nets for us and providing a club player to help out, and thanks also to Buntingford Cougars for the loan of footballs and bibs. I certainly got my exercise this Fun and games in the Manor House (above) summer! One of my favourite and on the hugely popular Wet Day (below)! sessions was our Buntingford Beach, for which I had made a giant sandpit that we could all fit in. The most popular session was our Wet Day, involving 7 paddling pools, 2 slip and slides, and a lot of water balloons. More than 200 children took part in the summer. Thank you to my brilliant Mummy SOS team and to our volunteer student helpers for making these sessions such a success! Other providers’ activities were also a huge success. Buntingford School of Dance’s specialist teachers put children through their paces in ballet, jazz, contemporary and street dance, as well as gymnastics and musical theatre. Rib Valley Gymnastics and Trampoline camps were fully booked, and all children attending had a brilliant time. The Cougars Football camps were fantastic, as was Buntings Holiday Club which went very well and provided many parents with all-important holiday childcare cover. The Library was abuzz with a record 340 children participating in the Summer Reading Challenge. It also hosted Lab Tots fab-lab-ulous science sessions, enjoyed by children and grown-ups alike. Little Sparks Children’s Church at St Peters ran a summer long project on the creation story, now on display at the back of the church, and Layston Grove welcomed young and old for their weekly coffee mornings. The fun swims at Ward Freman Pool were a favourite meeting place for friends to cool off and splash out, and the parks were always full of life and laughter. The Youth Connections programme, run specially for ages 11+, included a slack wire (low tight rope), climbing wall, trampolines and multi-sports, thanks to the Town Council’s generous contribution to the East Herts Diversionary Activities scheme. As ever, the Children’s Centre had arranged lots of fun for little ones. There really was something on for everyone, with our fantastic team of sixth formers helping to make our activity sessions such a success! After three manic months of planning, preparing and provision, I am delighted to declare that the very first Buntingford Summer Activity Programme was a success! My thanks go out to everyone involved. Hopefully this was only the beginning of an initiative that will continue to expand and evolve. One thing I can say is that planning will start earlier next year, so please get in touch if you would like to get involved, as there is certainly a lot more fun to come! Alexandra Kanold (nee Zetter), Owner-Manager of Mummy SOS® 25

BUNTINGFORD FILM CLUB Bringing Cinema back to Buntingford The decision to show our films complementing the annual Classic Car Day on the Friday before the big event proved to be popular. Response to our new Loyalty Scheme has also been positive; time will tell if the initiative is a success. It is encouraging that our ‘outreach’ screenings in the local area are being very much appreciated. ‘West Side Story’ drew a capacity audience in Much Hadham and was an opportunity for those who had missed our showing in May to join in this fund-raising event in the village hall. Thanks are due to our technical team for taking the time to make this goodwill gesture possible. This month’s films on Saturday 13th October, in our usual venue of Benson Hall, are: Matinee 2.30pm ‘Coco’ This is the story of Miguel who comes from a family with a generations-old ban on music. Desperate to show off his musical talent he finds himself in the Land of the Dead where he meets Hector, a charming trickster anxious to find someone who will put his picture on the family shrine. The two friends embark upon a race against time to uncover the real story behind Miguel’s family history. This is the first of our ‘Crafty Films’ this season. The children will be decorating skull-styled biscuits to match the Day of the Dead theme, and then can either eat them during the film or take them home to enjoy afterwards. We can accept unaccompanied children over the age of 8. If younger children require supervision contact Alex at Mummy SOS Ltd. Please visit our website for details of Special Ticket Offers for families. We are always looking for volunteers to help with these screenings: a good sense of fun and a love of children’s films is essential! Please get in touch if you’d like to be involved. Evening Screening 7.30pm ‘The Greatest Showman’ Inspired by P.T.Barnum, this is an original 2017 musical that celebrates the birth of show business, telling of a visionary who rose from nothing to create a spectacle that became a worldwide sensation. A stellar cast, led by Hugh Jackman, give exuberant performances, and despite less-than- kind reviews from the critics, this musical biopic proved to be a spectacular hit! The cinema-going public loved it – we hope you will too!

Once again we look forward to welcoming you to all our events Christine Stuart-Taylor, Event Co-ordinator Tel: 01763 272990 Box Office: Chris Dellar Properties, 58 High Street Tel: 01763 272605 Online Booking via Billetto www.buntingfordfilmclub.org 26

Riverside Taxis – A local Family Business When Derek Peters started taxi- driving 13 years ago he had one car and worked from the taxi rank in Hertford. Now Riverside Taxis, the business he started with his wife Anne, has 13 drivers and a fully- staffed office on the Watermill Industrial Estate. The firm handles every sort of journey, from school runs and short trips to the shops or hairdressers, to airport transfers and executive transport. At Christmas they've taken customers as far afield as Hull and Exeter – they've even been to Calais. But their most recent offer is for their very local customers – a flat fare of £3 for any journey in Buntingford, door-to-door convenience at a price everyone can afford. Initially it was Anne who was the force behind the transformation from a one-man taxi to a family business. While Derek was busy driving every day, she organised leaflets and went out delivering them through letterboxes to promote their fledgling taxi firm. She also got her taxi driver's license so she too could go out on the road taking paying customers. Within a year of starting they had two cars and the company was up and running. Even before turning to taxis Derek had been involved with vehicles all his working life – as an apprentice mechanic, a bus driver, a lorry driver. All that experience was invaluable, but it soon became clear that many female customers like having a woman taxi driver – it makes them feel more comfortable – so Anne becoming a driver was definitely a plus. Derek had moved to Buntingford aged 15, having been born in Watford, and Anne originally hailed from north London. They met at school in Buntingford and have now been married for 43 years, having raised their family here. Today, two of their daughters fill important roles in the firm. Samantha left a career in IT to join Riverside Taxis 8 years ago and Alison, a baker by trade, joined 3 years ago. They handle the admin and office work, organising the team of drivers using a computerized booking system. They also both have a taxi driver’s license, so the family itself makes up a good proportion of Riverside’s driving capacity. Riverside Taxis has a range of vehicles including an Executive Mercedes, 8 Seater Minibus, 6 Seater MPVs and 4 seater Saloon Cars meaning they can cater for all your needs. As the first real taxi firm based in Buntingford, Riverside Taxis know most of their customers personally and offer a service with a personal touch. They are also pleased to be able to give something back to the community as proud sponsors of the Cougars Under 9s football team, photographed below with Alison and Samantha. Next time you need a taxi be sure to phone Riverside Taxis, your friendly local taxi company.

Buntingford Library – A short history As the future of our library is yet again under review, I thought it appropriate to look at how we have arrived at this point. The first thing to appreciate is that in the history of mankind the library in Buntingford is a very recent event. That is not to say that libraries are something new. In fact there were libraries in Mesopotamia and Babylon and there were lending libraries in Roman times. But our modern public lending library owes more to the invention of paper by the Chinese, the development of the printing press, and the spread of education. Without these there would be no public library as we know it today. Critically it was the Victorians who led the way. The Public Library Act of 1850 opened the way for publicly funded libraries but unfortunately this did not apply to Buntingford. A further Act of Parliament was needed – the County Libraries Act of 1919, which brought the rates funded library service to rural areas. Five years later, in 1924, the Hertfordshire County Library finally came to Buntingford, 94 years ago. Initially the books were despatched from Hertford in a contractor’s lorry, contained in a dozen or so stout wooden boxes with lockable lids, and delivered to the Parish Room which served as the first library building. The Parish Room was at the north end of town where the vicarage was built when the incumbent of the time insisted on moving from the old vicarage at the bottom of Hare Street Road because he objected to its proximity to the Bridgefoot workhouse building. It was the vicar’s wife who acted as de facto librarian. She supervised the opening of the boxes for a few hours a week, with some volunteer helpers, overseeing the lending of the books to Buntingford residents. As happens today, the book collection was exchanged and renewed on a regular basis when a fresh supply was sent out from Hertford. It is interesting to reflect that the books are still sent out from Hertford by lorry but now in plastic boxes. It is not clear whether the success of the library in its first location was such that new premises were necessary, or whether the plans for Vicarage Road estate meant a move was essential (the Parish Room and vicarage were demolished when the Vicarage Road estate was built), but after the Second World War the town saw substantial growth and the library was moved to the Technical Institute in Baldock Road, where it had a large room on the ground floor fitted out with shelves. The books still arrived in the wooden boxes but the vicar’s wife ceased to be involved and the service was run by County Library staff. The library became very successful in its new home with a significant increase in use. This probably owed as much to postwar population growth, with all the new houses in Monks Walk and Fairfield to name but two of the new roads, as it did to the improved service. But as the town continued to grow drawbacks in the location became apparent. There was no space for private study and no scope for expansion. It was obvious that the library need more room and so a further move was necessary. Moss’s High Street premises provided the solution. W.B.Moss was a Hitchin grocer that pre-war had built a new shop in Buntingford. After the war Moss’s sold the premises to International Stores but in the 1970s a new store was built further down the High Street and International moved their supermarket there, leaving their old premises vacant. This was just the opening the County Library Service needed and they purchased the building. Some work was needed to adapt it for library use: counters had to be removed, book shelving installed, and a reception area created close to the entrance for the librarians. The library opened to the public in its new High Street premises in 1979. The continued expansion of the town, and its geographical location as a centre for the surrounding villages and farms, ensured that in its new home the library became one of the town’s most valued amenities. The construction of the bypass took much of the traffic off the High Street and the range of services that the library offered increased, with room for talks and exhibitions and story time for the children. Initially the County Library

Service continued to enhance the premises – the reception desk was moved to its present position, the leaks in the roof were fixed. But since 2010, with the country in austerity, the County Council has had to make savings and the Library Service is not immune. In 2014 it issued a consultation document aimed at restructuring the service to save £2.5 million. The High Street premises are the third home of The concept graded the 46 Buntingford Library in its 94-year history in the town. libraries in the county into three tiers, from the first tier covering libraries in main urban areas to the third tier of libraries in villages staffed by volunteers with access to a virtual library service. It placed Buntingford in this third tier. The town’s response to the consultation was truly amazing with more comments coming from Buntingford residents than for any other library in the county, plus a petition was delivered to County Hall, forcing the Council to reconsider and re-designate Buntingford Library to tier two. However, the premises are inadequate for what is required of a tier two library so a second petition requested the use of s106 money, paid to the Council by housing developers, to refurbish the building. The County Council preferred to build a new library attached to the Fire Station, paid for by a Government grant, despite it being an unsuitable location. Once again local opinion prevailed and the Fire Station concept was abandoned for Buntingford, but by then the County Council had had enough of us and shelved consideration of the library’s future for 18 months. Now there has been a further development. The Library Service has issued another consultation document in which they have floated the idea of outsourcing the entire service, probably to a Public Mutual body, although nothing has yet been announced. I commented at the time that I could not see any outside body taking on Buntingford Library until something is done about the building. We wait to see what is proposed. Our Town Mayor Graham Waite and Graham Bonner of the Civic Society are in talks with the County Council to encourage them to use some of the s106 money which continues to increase as more new houses are built. I hope that they are successful. Brian Thompson, Buntingford Local History Group

The next meeting of the Buntingford Local History Group is on Tuesday 9th October at 2.15pm in Buntingford Library.

Lab-Tots fortnightly Autumn Term sessions begin at the Library on Monday 8th October. Preschool session for 3-5yr olds: Mondays 2pm-2:45pm Afterschool session for 4-8yr olds: Mondays 4pm-4:45pm Further sessions are on 22nd October, 12th & 26th November and 10th December. Cost is £50 for all 5 sessions. Enquiries to: Sophia Mitchell on 07720 292350 or visit www.labtots.com to book a place.

FUNDRAISING EVENTS FOR OCTOBER Autumn Golf Day – 1st Oct, Brocket Hall, Welwyn. This year our Annual Autumn Golf day is on the Palmerston Course at the prestigious Brocket Hall Golf Club, a championship standard course set in the beautiful 18th-century parkland of the Estate. Please join us on what is considered one of the finest courses in England. Teams of four. Call Natasha Hind on 01707 382500.

Party Night with The Overtures – 5th Oct, Presdales School, Ware. The UK’s favourite rock and roll tribute act will be playing the greatest hits from music's best decade so come and dance the night away! Tickets £18; all proceeds from ticket sales go to the Hospice. For more details contact Olivia Woodcock on 01707 382596.

The Humphrey Lyttelton Band Jazz Night for Isabel Hospice – 6th Oct, at The Memorial Hall, Welham Green. Tickets £22, including light refreshments! Bring your own drink and glasses. Parking available. Raffle. Call 01707 265333.

Don Giovanni – 13th Oct, in the Marble Hall, Hatfield House. Mozart’s dramatic opera is coming to Hatfield as part of the Lord and Lady Salisbury’s charities’ fortnight in aid of Isabel Hospice. Felici, a professional Hertfordshire/Bedfordshire-based opera group, will be accompanied by piano, trombone and timpani, a dramatic sound that will be enhanced by the Marble Hall’s wonderful acoustic. In keeping with the setting and history of the house, this will be a Tudor style production, using Schirmer’s English translation and the music will be played by the Pirton Early Music Group. Tickets £50 for front rows, £45 back rows. To get tickets go to: www.felici.company. The Kings Men, with Organ & Trumpet – 20th Oct, All Saints Church, Hertford. The Choral Scholars from Kings College Chapel, Cambridge, with Michael Smith (organ) and Crispian Steel-Perkins (trumpet), in the presence of the Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire. Tickets £25, concessions £18. Call 07860 116202 or 01920 464117. Fire Walk – 20th Oct, at Sherrardswood School, Lockleys, Welwyn, AL6 0BJ An amazing way to impress your friends and yourself! Entry £30, plus we are asking participants to raise at least £70 in sponsorship. On the night there will be music, a bar and hot food, so invite your family and friends to watch. Call Olivia on 01707 382535. Barn Dance – 20th Oct, Welwyn Garden City United Reformed Church, Church Road. Come along to WGC's Folk Dance Club. Tickets £8, light refreshments included! Admission by ticket only – call 01707 320299 or 01438 817785 to get yours. www.isabelhospice.org.uk

Art in Sandon Friday mornings, 10am – 1pm, in Sandon Village Hall Local budding artists are continuing their weekly drop-in sessions in the refurbished Sandon Village Hall. New members are always welcome, even if regular attendance is not possible. The new sessions started in September and will run every Friday until 14th December. To join costs an initial £5 to cover insurance and commitment to the group, then a fee of £10 per morning when attending. These drop-in art sessions are designed to appeal to everyone from virtual beginners through to more experienced artists. Why sit at home painting on your own? Come and be motivated and learn some new techniques in a calm and friendly atmosphere. The hall is opposite the church; it is warm and has free parking. Find us at SG9 0QU. During the term, three local artists – Rachel Hayes, Jane Davalle and Mike Dobson – will give demonstrations and tuition, concentrating on drawing skills in pencil, charcoal and paint. Other members will give occasional demonstrations of their own short-cuts and techniques. The medium is a free choice – watercolour, pastels, ink or acrylic. If you are fond of one stick to that, or you can try something new. Visitors are welcome any Friday morning to meet the group before committing. Bring your own drawing/painting equipment to the sessions. Tea, coffee and biscuits provided. For more details of the tutors and their attendance schedules, and anything else you want to know about Art in Sandon, contact: [email protected] or call 07960 408635

The following article was supplied by Curwens LLP, a local firm of solicitors with offices in Royston, Hoddesdon and Enfield No Fault Divorce – becoming a reality? The legal profession (especially those dealing with Family Law) have welcomed the Government’s recent announcement that there will be a public consultation on introducing ‘no-fault’ divorce. The aim is to reform and modernise our divorce legislation that is nearly half a century old. Many of us had recognised that our existing divorce process is not fit for our times. If the marriage has already irretrievably broken down, separating couples should not be spending time and money arguing over why they are getting divorced and who is to blame. They need to save their energy and resources for resolving issues around the arrangements for any dependant children and the matrimonial finances – in particular the conundrum of rehousing everyone. There has already been some resistance to the suggestion of change – in case it makes divorce too easy. However, surely that concern is a bit late given that it has been possible to apply for a divorce online since July! Further, there are still basic requirements to meet before you can seek a divorce – such as having been married for one year, and for the marriage to have irretrievably broken down. If you would like more information on divorce, or any other area of family law, please contact: [email protected] 01763 241 261 – Royston 01992 463 727 – Hoddesdon 0208 363 4444 – Enfield

‘Chances Peak’ – A Short Story Jaxon’s bruised eyes briefly flickered open, taking in his surroundings as blurred shapes. He struggled to keep them open and heard his own dismayed groan as he fought falling back into unconsciousness. Willing his eyes to focus, he blinked several times and moved his head to one side encountering a searing pain across the back of his neck. Moving his hand slowly, he tentatively rubbed the ligaments, hoping to ease the discomfort. Jaxon remained still, conserving his energy for his next move. His breath moved slowly and consciously as he forced his panicked tense body to relax. His first aid training kicked in at this stage. Jaxon relied upon it totally, allowing it to take over like a trusted mentor. Using his other senses, Jaxon gathered information about his situation. Heat fanned his face, dry and uncomfortable. Sounds of flames crackling close by. Rock beneath him, hard and unyielding. Spreading his fingers wide they moved loose stone and debris. His tongue tasted acrid smoke mixed with flakes of ash and sulphur. Again he tried opening his eyes to take advantage of his final sense. Finally, his eyelids obeyed his command and opened. Widening in shock, they took in swirling clouds of crimson and slate chasing across the heavens. Grey flecks of ash buffeted gently in the sky, falling like autumn leaves upon his face. Jaxon searched his memory for anything that would reference this doomsday picture before him and came up blank. The lack of information made him instinctively wary and frustrated. The throbbing in his head was thankfully receding and he tried casting his mind back to his last thought. A hazy picture emerged and sharpened into a recognisable image. The measuring equipment he had bought; the digital Radon gas detector and the laser marking system. Then it all fell into place. Montserrat. He had arrived yesterday with the tools of his trade. As an experienced volcanologist, his help had been eagerly accepted by the Caribbeans. Chances Peak had woken up after being dormant for over 300 years and had given off warning signs in the form of small earthquakes and eruptions of dust and ash. Jaxon had been measuring the Radon gas and noted with alarm that there had been a sudden increase, indicating the possibility of a larger earthquake and soon. With this new information, he rose determinedly into a crouch position and scanned 360 degrees around him. He was positioned on a rock platform jutting out of a huge volcano. The ground was hot to the touch and from his years of experience, Jaxon knew it was only a matter of time until this one would hurl forth its devastating fire. “Water”, his inner voice desperately pleaded. Jaxon's throat was scratchy and sore from lack of moisture. Licking his dry chapped lips he slowly stood upright. His laboured breathing sounded loud and ragged in his ears. Jaxon knew full well the severity of his situation and he immediately set about locating help and a possible water supply. The heat radiated off the volcano, creating a shimmering haze over the landscape. Jaxon held up his hand to shield his eyes as he set off down the slippery slope. He felt the ground beneath him shift and crumble as he picked his way gingerly down the side of the mountain. After roughly half a mile he noticed his smashed equipment languishing in a small outcrop of grass. “There must have been a small earthquake. I can still feel the instability of the ground”, he thought as he passed the irreparable machinery. He felt light -headed and his stomach queasy as his weak legs staggered onwards. “Aftereffects of concussion”, he thought. “I must have hit my head when the earthquake struck. Got to make it to base camp. Nearly there.” The heat of the day had risen to nearly 40 degrees and Jaxon’s shirt stuck to the sweat running down his back. He realised with a jolt that he should be seeing the camp by now. According to his calculations, the tent should be 200 yards in an easterly direction. Unless he had gone off course? Or they had packed up in a hurry and left without him? He recalled that only top management knew that he was here and that he had driven up

as far as he could in the 4x4 before setting out on foot. With a disheartened groan, he realised too late that nobody in the camp would have had enough time to be updated with his presence or where he would have been. This was a definite game changer. Jaxon reached the empty plateau where the base camp had been and sat down to assess his situation once more. He had lost his backpack down the side of the mountain when the earthquake had first happened. Desperately he searched the ground for anything that the crew would have left behind. Much to his dismay, they had done a thorough job of cleaning up. “Think Jaxon, think!” he shouted out loud. “The truck!” a stab of elation ran through him. Why on earth didn't he think of this earlier? Spinning around, he frantically scanned the surrounding area but drew a blank. His brain was still fuzzy from the earlier fall and discouragingly he couldn't remember where he had left the vehicle. “Argh!” he yelled angrily as he kicked the ground. At first, it felt like he had started another small tremor just from the impact from his ash- covered boot, but the shaking grew relentlessly until Jaxon couldn’t retain his balance. He lost his footing and fell once more. He watched in disbelief as the ground around him cracked open. Jagged lines running on their own personal mission, carving into the earth. The heat was unbearable mainly due to the pyroclastic flows which had started escaping from the volcano’s gaping mouth. Unknown to Jaxon, the eruption would be the most intense yet. Most of the small population had already been evacuated to the north, neighbouring islands and the UK. This information would have been small compensation to the prone man whose ill-fated mission was about to come to an abrupt end. Defeated, Jaxon stared up one last time into the turbulent sky and let out a strangled scream as the ground beneath him split open. Emma Christou – Buntingford Writers’ Group

The Hundred Parishes Society www.hundredparishes.org.uk Markets and Market Towns The Domesday Book of 1086 lists just 50 markets across England. During the Middle Ages that number increased dramatically. Between 1200 and 1350, 2000 new markets were established as monarchs granted charters to towns and villages allowing them to hold markets on specific days. A charter was a document that gave protection from rival markets which were prohibited from trading on the same day or within a certain distance. The term ‘market town’ originated in the Middle Ages and the Hundred Parishes has four former market towns that still hold a regular market, albeit very different to when live cattle and sheep were traded. Newport had a flourishing market until 1141 when Geoffrey de Mandeville was granted the right to move the market to Saffron Walden. This was about the time the church and castle were built and nearby Walden Abbey was founded. Chipping was an old name for market and the town was then known as Chipping Walden. Today Saffron Walden holds a market on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Market day in Thaxted is Friday and its charter was granted in 1205. The guildhall has an open ground floor where part of the market could be held under cover. In 1253 King Henry III granted Great Dunmow the right to hold a market. Today, it is held on Tuesday mornings. Finally, Buntingford was allowed a market in the 14th century by Edward III. It still holds a market on Mondays. Barkway, Hatfield Broad Oak, Linton, Puckeridge and Standon were also once classed as market towns. Ken McDonald, Secretary

Millfield School Monday nights, 7:30–9:30pm

The choir has been very busy over the past few weeks. We were delighted to accept an invitation to sing at Layston Grove Care Home's Vintage Tea Party at the beginning of September (above) and enjoyed a very warm welcome and a truly appreciative audience. Having worked with and supported our local schools throughout last year we are turning our attention to Buntingford's older residents this year and will soon be performing at Nevetts Care Home. Choir members recently held a celebration social evening at the Wine Bar, to formally thank Mandy and Gareth Wilson, who founded Buntingford Community Choir, for their amazing seven years of musical inspiration and leadership. They were presented with gifts and we wish them and their family well for the future. The choir has a very busy schedule for the coming months and we will provide details as each event approaches. New members are always welcome – there are no auditions, and you do not need to be able to read music. Enquiries to: [email protected] or visit www.buntingfordchoir.co.uk

Dementia Carers Support Group

A free support group for carers meets on the 3rd Wednesday of each month, 10am to 12noon, in the Tea Room at the Wine Bar on Buntingford High Street. The next group meeting is on: Wednesday 17th October Future meetings will be held on: 21st November & 19th December For more information, call HertsHelp on 0300 123 4044, Monday – Friday, 8am–6pm. www.hertswise.org.uk

Royston & District Choral Society Sunday 4th November – Britten’s War Requiem, Haileybury College First performed on in 1962, this was commissioned to mark the consecration of the new Coventry Cathedral built after the Second World War. Britten, a pacifist, combined the Latin Mass for the Dead with poems by First World War poet Wilfred Owen. We will be singing alongside Haileybury choirs and orchestras. For more information: See www.roystonchoralsoc.org.uk, Facebook, or contact our Chairman, Huw Jenkins, at [email protected] or 07855 311192.

Local community enjoy Vintage Tea Garden Party at Layston Grove

Sunshine, the Royston Town Brass Band (below) and the Buntingford Community Choir (left) – what more could you ask for on a late summer afternoon. Residents and visitors were able to sit back in Layston Grove’s beautiful gardens and enjoy a delicious cream tea, with Victoria sponge and scones with clotted cream, as well as wonderful live music from ‘A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square’ to a medley of favourite songs. It was a lovely way to enjoy the afternoon, make new friends and reminisce, while raising money for two amazing local charities: Isabel Hospice and Hertswise. A big thank you to the local community for coming together to support this event.

RECRUITING NOW Full and Part-Time positions available • Competitive annual salaries • High staff-to-resident ratios • In-depth training • DBS checks • Uniforms • Pension scheme • Paid-for breaks • Generous holiday entitlement • Excellent career prospects

Memories of the Great Flood of Buntingford Monday 16th September 1968 – Part 1 This year is the 50th Anniversary of the Buntingford Flood and many of us are familiar with photos taken that on memorable Monday. But no-one had recorded the testimonials and eye-witness accounts of those who were there, so in 2016 I put a request in the Journal and as a result I have interviewed several people who told me their stories of that day. Using these stories, and with the permission of the people themselves, I gave a talk to the Buntingford U3A last October and last month – just four days before the actual anniversary – I gave a talk to the ladies of the WI. Having spoken to the Editor, and again with the permission of the people in the stories, she has agreed to publish these stories in the Buntingford Journal over the next few months. As with my talk I begin with my own memories and the photos are some of those I took on the day. If you have a story of that day and wish it to be recorded please contact me at [email protected]. Norman & Jean Cook Norman and I were married in 1965 and moved to Parkside, Buntingford. In 1968 Norman was working in Bramfield and I worked in London at Chancery Lane – the Fleet Street end. Every morning Norman took me to the station, but not Buntingford Station as that line had been axed by Mr Beeching in the summer of 1965. The road in front of Parkside was the A10 – the bypass was not opened until the 1980s. People who live near a railway are used to hearing the sound of the trains and so we were used to hearing the sound of traffic. But on that Monday morning Norman was woken by a different noise – a lorry was having difficulty driving along the A10 and when we looked out of the window, the A10 was flooded and the lorry was battling against the water. It was immediately clear that neither of us would get to work that day and as soon as I knew someone would be in the office I rang to inform my colleagues. A little later we donned our wellies and went outside. Our neighbour Betty Brett (left) was coming down her drive in her wellies. Her ditch was overflowing. The road to Chipping was flooded, with one car on its side (below). I wonder what happened to the occupants?

We then walked into town and were part of the group of people, adults and children, unable to get to work or school, watching the traffic trying to negotiate the flood. Like many others I took several photos. Phillip Plumb, our local historian who gave talks on Buntingford, borrowed them, took photos of them on

his 35ml (slides) camera – there were no computers back in those days or digital cameras so no scanning and emailing photos! – then used them in his talks and gave the originals back. This applied to all photos of Buntingford, not just the flood. When he died, his daughter Alison painstakingly transferred his whole collection to the Buntingford In Old Photographs facebook page for everyone to see. Jean Cook

HOME-START ROYSTON & SOUTH CAMBRIDGESHIRE Unit 6, Valley Farm, Station Road, Meldreth, Nr Royston Herts SG8 6JP. Tel: 01763 262 262 Charity No: 1105385 www.hsrsc.org.uk NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING to be held at Icknield Walk First School, Poplar Drive, Royston, Herts, SG8 7ER on Tuesday 16th October, 2018 7.30pm for 8pm. Refreshments available from 7.30pm LITERARY LUNCH Tuesday 2nd October with Gavin Clayton and Tom Sparke, author and illustrator of children’s book ‘Brollo’. At: The Old Bull, Royston SG8 9AW. Lunch from 12.15pm. Chat 1pm to 2.15pm, with questions. Tickets £15 call 01763 262 262 email [email protected] or go online to www. ticketsource.co.uk/hsrsc

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 services for children under 5 and their families. Autumn is a time of change for many of our families as they see their little ones begin their school journey – whether it be starting Pre-school, Nursery or Reception, it’s a big milestone. At the Children’s Centre, we are committed to supporting our families to get to this stage. From before these children were even born we were thinking of their future, their confidence in themselves, their ability to make friends. Getting ready for school starts at the very beginning in our antenatal groups, sharing with parents how to bond with their unborn baby; to our new baby course, where families focus on brain development; to movement sessions, learning to coordinate and take instruction; to our stay and play sessions, learning to share and take turns. All of our groups aim to support families and their children to get the best possible start. Moving forward, there are some changes coming to the Children’s Centre. From this October the new Hertfordshire Family Centre Service will work to bring children’s centres, health visiting and school nursing together to provide a more joined up support service for children, young people and their families from pre-birth through to 19. We are very excited about the new service and want to let our families know what is happening. You can read more about it on our website: www.oneymca.org/cc To contact the Children’s Centre, call 01763 273008 (Bramble Hill) or 01763 243338 (Royston); or email us at roystonbuntingford.cc @oneymca.org.

Edwinstree Middle School A Voluntary Controlled Church of England School As a Christian school, we recognise the unique and wonderful in everyone. As a community, we support one another to flourish and live life in all its fullness. It was lovely to welcome our new students to Edwinstree at the start of September and introduce them to what it means to be working in a Church of England school. We enjoyed seeing their faces in awe at the Friday collective worship (left) where we celebrate ‘Life in all its Fullness’ by singing loud and clear! We would like to remind the community of Buntingford that if you ever feel you need cheering up, you are welcome to visit for our hymn session which takes place every Friday from 2:45pm until 3pm. Please call the school office on 01763 271446 if you would like to join us. Our new students have been finding out that we really believe they are ‘Unique’. They have discovered lessons that make sure they are planned for as individuals, to challenge and support where needed. They are noticing their new school really listens to them and they have a voice. They are now aware that our restorative justice system supports them to be honest about their mistakes and to learn from them. This year the students will explore what makes each one of them ‘Wonderful’ and why it is important for them to celebrate their uniqueness and not hide from it. To help them, this term we will be creating their ‘jars of wonderful’ (right) and students will consider what makes them who they are. They place all their ‘wonderful’ into a jar and we display these around the school. We really enjoy this part of our school’s Christian ethos as we notice our older students feel less pressure to conform and take more opportunities to shine. In supporting students to ‘Flourish’ we have already begun to explore our first Christian value of ‘Creation’. We have considered in our Collective Worships that this value encompasses the idea that the world is amazing, but we have been given the responsibility to look after it. We are considering as a school how well we are living up to this expectation of caring for our globe. The first House Competition will be based around campaigns to support our families, communities and national businesses to reduce plastic use. To help us with this, we will be thinking about how ordinary people can make a difference. The recent BBC drama ‘Mother’s Day’ offered a great example of someone ordinary making a massive change. During COWO, students will have the chance to explore how, if we are determined enough, we can all make a difference. 38

Open Evening Parents considering Edwinstree Middle School for their child’s education are invited to visit us at our:  Open Evening: Thursday 4th October 2018, 6:15pm–8pm. The Headteacher will talk at 6:30pm prompt.  Open Morning: Tuesday 9th October 2018, 9:30am–10:30am. Parents will have the opportunity to meet and talk with our students, who will be giving tours of the school to showcase their learning. Jo Gant, Headteacher

The Autumn term began with a calm and settled start. We have welcomed new children into all our classes and have been really pleased to see how even our youngest children have learned the routines and made new friendships. Our Junior children have all been recruited as Officers on the School Council and have already begun to make a difference across the school. Our Year 4 children have been elected as Chairs or Friends of Reed School Ambassadors (photo below). In Year 3, there are Officers responsible for Charities, Welcoming, Energy and Recycling, Playtime and the Dining Room. Besides being good role models for the younger children, they will be considering ways in which we can improve outdoor learning to maximise the use of our beautiful grounds. Following on from all of the sporting opportunities we provided to our pupils last year, we have once again been awarded a Bronze Level School Games Mark. We will continue to encourage all of our pupils to improve their fitness levels by incorporating exercise into their free time, both in school and as extra-curricular activities. Our Infant class is doing The Daily Mile with 5 laps of the school field every morning. In the classrooms, it is a real pleasure to see and hear the buzz of children learning. The Juniors are enjoying finding out about the Vikings, the Infants are learning about the history and geography of food, and in Early Years the topics include Autumn and Space. The Year 4s have been proudly representing the school at The Royston Arts Festival which coincided with our Open Afternoon. As in previous years, we will be taking part in the Reed Harvest Festival in St Mary’s Church on 5th October, as well as holding a competition to design a box for our Harvest gifts in school. The Friends of Reed School launched the term with a Welcome Breakfast when new parents were able to chat to those who have been in school longer while enjoying a delicious breakfast. It was lovely to see so many families there. Although we have already held our Open Afternoon, we have places in all of our year groups and welcome visits from prospective parents by appointment. Please ring the school office on 01763 848304 if you would like to come and see what our small village school can offer. Jackie Harvey, Headteacher

Millfield First & Nursery School www.millfield.herts.sch.uk It has been fantastic to see so many of our parents since returning to school last week. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support with varying access routes into school due to our school expansion. Despite the building disruption, the children have settled into their new classes incredibly well and continue to be engaged and interested in the range of changes to our school. We are delighted to welcome all the children back to school, including all our new children. We have an additional 15 children in our Reception cohort this year creating our first full 2-form entry year group. This will be the first 2-form year group to move through the school resulting in reduced mixed-year classes. Lunchtimes Staff and children were all very excited to try out our new dining room furniture (right). The children have adapted very well to eating their lunch in the hall on new stools at lovely big tables. We have worked well with T&B, our build contractors, to ensure that break times and lunchtimes are not affected – the children have access only to limited playground space but our spacious field is still available for adventures and fun in their wellies! Expansion! We are now 7 weeks into our school expansion and have seen some exciting developments on our site (photos left and below). The foundations of the two new classrooms are being laid and we can now see the footprint of these classes. As we are a ‘live site’, our priority is to ensure that we meet the health and safety requirements at all times. This expansion has already been, and will continue to be, an excellent learning opportunity for Millfield children. Staffing Our Inset day, just before the children returned, enabled us to focus on a range of training including the updated ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ and our School Development Plan for the year ahead. We welcomed Miss Victoria Tetley to Millfield; Miss Tetley is a Reception class teacher and she has settled very well into our school. In July, Miss Fuller successfully completed her NQT year at Millfield and is now a qualified teacher joining Miss Tetley as a Reception class teacher. We are excited to share the news that Miss Fuller became Mrs Healey as she got married over the summer – what a time of celebrations! 40

PTA Projects I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Millfield PTA, as well as our whole school community, for the wildlife area that has been transformed into a wonderful learning space for the children (see below). All the staff and children are amazed by our new outside area and are incredibly grateful. In addition, the PTA have also funded a fabulous school yurt (right) which is still in the process of construction. It will provide great opportunities for the children to learn in a stimulating and different area. Our thanks again go to the PTA and school community for the commitment shown to Millfield school. Laura Kennedy-Weeks, Headteacher If you would like to know more about our School (or Little Stars Nursery) please visit our website www.millfield.herts.sch.uk or contact the school on 01763 271717.

Millfield School PTA are very proud and pleased to announce that we have now funded and provided the school with a completely renovated Wildlife Area. Thanks to the generous donations of money and time from a variety of local businesses and parents, the children now have a fantastic outdoor space (below) that includes planters to grow vegetables and plants, a clean and visible pond (right) to learn about insects, frogs and fish, some decking, and a shed to store all the bits and pieces they need to look after the new area. It’s completely safe, being fully fenced all around and the children will be supervised while using it. We would like to thank the following businesses that donated money to the project: Attend2Health, Chamonix Estates, Macarthy & Stone, Attend2IT, Matthew Homes, First Class Business Solutions, Executive Carpet Care, Riverside Taxis, Keith Ian Estate Agents, Linden Flooring, and Bliss Babysitting & Gels. The hard work was undertaken by David at Barker Brothers Fencing & Landscaping and Nigel at Aquatilium Pond Maintenance, while Poulton Building Supplies & Mark Mason of Howe Fencing supplied goods at discounted rate which enabled us to achieve so much more. Finally, thanks go to the many parents and volunteers (including Steve Rolt and Andy from AG Landscapes) that got the whole project started at Millfield’s Big Dig back in April when they gave up a Sunday to clear the area. Well done to everyone involved, the staff and children are very grateful and we couldn’t have done it without all your support! Sara Poulton, Chair, Millfield School PTA

Layston C of E First School Loving to Learn, Learning to Love For every child a chance to shine!

Head’s Welcome I would like to introduce myself as the new Headteacher of Layston C of E First School. I feel extremely honoured and privileged to have been chosen to continue and build on the success the school has already achieved under the leadership of Mrs Bloomfield. My journey to headship started in 2000 when I joined a very large five form entry school in East London as a newly qualified teacher. I was fortunate to have the opportunity for promotion within the school and became the Deputy Head for Early Years in 2008. In 2016 I moved from London and took on the role of Deputy Head across two local lower schools in Central Bedfordshire. Being a mother of two young children, I am very much aware of the responsibility that my staff and I have in ensuring that the highest standard of teaching and learning is achieved. From the time I was appointed as Headteacher I have seen a huge commitment from the staff and a thirst for learning from the children, which of course makes Layston a great place for any new Head to start! I am also pleased to announce that Mrs Penwill has joined Layston as the EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) Lead and Deputy Head, and along with our existing Deputy Mrs Mc Murrough we are confident in the school team and optimistic about our journey ahead. The needs of the children are always paramount in the life and decision-making within our school. I strongly believe in providing the children with exciting, creative and meaningful learning experiences, which build their enthusiasm for learning and help them to grow and develop positively in a variety of ways. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff, pupils and parents/carers for a very warm welcome to Layston and I look forward to building positive relationships with the Buntingford community. Mrs Sonia Singh, Headteacher Our New Deputy Head Although I have only just joined Layston School as the Reception Teacher and Deputy Head, I already feel like part of the team. I have been made to feel extremely welcome by the children, parents and staff and other members of the school community. The children across the school are confident and friendly and have been stopping me in the corridors and at playtime to say hello and introduce themselves. Prior to joining Layston School I taught and held the position of Early Years Phase Leader in a large primary school. I have many years’ experience of working with young children and have been lucky enough to work in a range of settings during my career, including managing a day nursery, leading a pre-school and teaching in both Nursery and Reception Class. I feel thrilled to be joining Layston School at this time and look forward to exciting times ahead. Debbie Penwill, Deputy Head Our Reception Class We are extremely proud of our newest members of the school who have taken well to life at Layston. At the time of writing the children are settling nicely into their first full week and are eager to take part in many activities, as well as independently exploring their new

environment. On Tuesday we had our first Forest School session where we met the ‘King’ tree who waved and let us enter. The children spotted ladybirds, a bird and spiders on our walk and they began to learn how to respect this new environment and how to keep safe. The children in Reception have made a very positive start to their learning journey. We leave you with photos of the whole class with Mrs Penwill (left) and Mrs Handy (right), plus some of the varied activities they are involved in both indoors and out.

B A L A Buntingford Action for the Less Able Registered Charity No. 1094426 Minibus trips for October 2018

Tues 2nd 9:30–3pm Peterborough – Shops and Cathedral £13

Tues 9th 9:30–12:30pm Biggleswade A1 Retail Park – M&S, Wilko, £6.50 Next, Boots, Laura Ashley etc.

Thurs 11th 9:15–12ish Tesco at Bishop’s Stortford £5

Mon 15th 10am–2pm Harlow Town Centre £6.50

Wed 17th 11:30am Pub Lunch £5

Thurs 18th 9:15–12ish Bishop’s Stortford Town Centre – Market Day £5

Tues 23rd 9:30–3pm Bury St Edmunds £12.50

Thurs 25th 9:15–12ish Tesco at Bishop’s Stortford £5

Tues 30th 10am–2pm Brookfield – M&S, Tesco, Next, Boots etc. £6

November Tues 6th 10:30–2pm Harlow Garden Centre £7

Wed 7th 9:15–12ish Tesco at Bishop’s Stortford £5

All trips start from Benson Hall car park unless otherwise agreed. To book a seat or for more information call: 01763 271708, 01763 271909 or 07870 638480 B.A.L.A.COFFEE MORNING Wednesday 17th October 2018 10.15–11.30am at Benson Hall Tea, Coffee, Cakes etc. Raffle, Christmas Cards

Ware & District Photographic Society The new season commenced in September, 8pm on Wednesday evenings, at Ware Arts Centre, Kibes Lane, Ware SG12 7ED. Coming up on 3rd October there is an excellent Print presentation by Hugh Milsom & Pat Broad, who are both members of the Society. They are very well known award- winning landscape photographers who exhibit both nationally and internationally. An evening not to be missed. And on 17th October there is a lecture by Dave Mason entitled ‘I Shoot People’. Anyone who is interested in photography is welcome to come along. For further information visit www.wareps.org.uk or telephone 01920 822104.

BUNTINGFORD W.I. Celebrating 100 years in Buntingford The speaker at our September meeting didn’t have far to come because she was our member, Jean Cook, very appropriately talking about the ‘Buntingford Flood’ which occurred exactly 50 years ago, on the morning of Monday 16th September 1968. Jean brought along lots and lots of photographs showing the extent of the flood, which affected Parkside (where Jean was living at the time), through to Vicarage Road (under construction at the time), Church Street, Wyddial Road, High Street, Market Hill and Chapel End – some houses having about 4-foot of water rushing through. She told us lots of eye-witness accounts from people who were personally affected, including some of our members, and it was heart-warming to hear how the people of Buntingord rallied round to help each other. Well, not ALL the people. Apparently milkman Frank Aylott had to abandon his milk float to rush home to help his family and when he went back he found that it had been stripped of milk, eggs and other provisions. Our next meeting is on Thursday 11th October when Lucy Lewis will talk about her ‘Life in the Army’. There will also be a sale of Christmas Cards from Save the Children. We meet at the United Reformed Church Hall, Baldock Road, at 7.15pm for 7.30. Visitors are always welcome. We are looking forward to our Lunch to celebrate our Centenary – the first meeting of Buntingford WI took place on Tuesday 5th November 1918 at Layston Court. Val Hume For more information about Buntingford W.I. call Jen Cresswell on 01763 273221

Early Christmas Fair Tuesday 23rd October 10am–3.30pm At Fanhams Hall Hotel, Ware, SG12 7PZ £4 booked online, £4.50 on the door 30 stalls selling quality goods such as ladies’ clothing, shoes, accessories, jewellery, gifts, artisan cheeses etc. Come for an enjoyable day out with family and friends buying gifts for Christmas, or simply treating yourself. Proceeds from the Fair will go towards replacing the Red Cross Emergency Vehicle used by our Emergency Response Volunteers to respond to house fires, floods and other emergencies across Hertfordshire, 24/7, 365 days a year. www.redcross.org.uk/hertschristmasfair

Armistice Day Concert in Reed – 11th November ‘The Beauty and the Sorrow’ – words and music inspired by World War I At St Mary’s Church at 3pm on Sunday 11th November we are holding a concert to commemorate the centenary of the guns falling silent at the end of the First World War. Profits to the British Legion and St Mary’s Church. Tickets £10 adults, children free. To book please ring Liz Jakeman 01763 848398.

Buntingford Town FC www.buntingfordtownfc.com

For many this summer will hold memories of lovely weather, the optimism and eventual heartache of the World Cup and a real sense of football in England regaining some confidence about the future. It’s been no different here at Buntingford Town! Our County League Squad pre-season preparations started early for once, giving last year’s management team the chance to prepare properly for the season ahead. Spirits at training are high as the players look to embark on what is likely to be one of our busiest ever seasons. The County League 1st Division has 18 sides in it this year which means that, excluding cup matches, the Firsts will play 34 games over the season, with some sides already playing mid-week fixtures as the league attempts to fit them all in. Our First Team got started in August, always difficult given that it’s holiday time, so it was no great shock for the first league game to result in a 6-1 defeat to a good Hoddesdon Town Reserves side. The team bounced back to register their first win in their second game, notching up 3-1 against Lemsford, but we were unable to carry that form into the next game which we lost 3-0 to Oxhey. The final game in August saw a near full strength squad draw 3-3 against St Margaretsbury Reserves. By September we were just below mid-table with two games in hand and travelled to Oxhey Jet Reserves expecting something from the game. Unfortunately late withdrawals weakened the squad and, despite competing well, we conceded three goals in the last 20 minutes to return empty handed. The Reserves saw action in a pre-season friendly against Westmill before getting their season underway with a trip to Harpenden Rovers. Despite some cracking performances all over the pitch it was an untidy game and Harpenden came out 2-1 victors courtesy of a penalty. The second game saw our young Reserves face a very good Hinton Reserves at The Bury and the difference in age and experience was clear as we succumbed 6-0. The Vets kicked off in style, notching up an 11-2 victory at home in a pre-season friendly against Welwyn Garden City, with new recruit Nathan Searle banging in a hat-trick, whilst Ross Murphy notched a brace. The first league game was a different story as local rivals Standon and Puckeridge came from behind to force a 1-1 draw. Heading off on their now traditional tour, the Vets continued their unbeaten start defeating Porchester Vets 3-2. The game was played on the Saturday of the tour weekend, leaving the lads plenty of time to familiarise themselves with the social life of Portsmouth! The Vets then faced Ambers Old Boys in a home league fixture. After a shaky first 10 minutes Town started to establish themselves and dominated the game, eventually running out 5-2 winners. On 9th September our Ladies played their first ever league game at Freman College. They faced a young but settled AFC Kempston Town & Bedford College squad who ran out 12-1 winners. The following week the team travelled to Langford and put in a much better performance, losing 6-2 but drawing the second half. Much as the results are disappointing, just a few months ago we had no Ladies side at all and to field a side in the Beds and Herts League is an achievement in itself. We have a positive and sociable squad who are keen to improve, and we look forward to seeing results improve. As a Committee, we are committed to building Buntingford Town FC into a club which our town can be proud of, one which our children aspire to play for. We can only do that with your support! Home games are free to watch at The Bury or, in the case of the Ladies Team, at Freman College so why not come along and lend your support? Details of our next fixtures are on the website or follow us on facebook for the latest updates. Mark Cotton, Chairman, Buntingford Town FC 46

Buntingford Cougars Season 2018/2019 Kick Off! And we’re off! The close season goes very fast doesn’t it?! The club pulled the shutters down on another successful Cougars 5-a-side Tournament at the end of June, took a couple months break to rest up, and now we’re back at it for the new season. The Cougars continue to go from strength to strength, active across 10 age groups, plus the Cougars Cubs for younger kids. We have around 20 teams, which increases as we welcome more players. And in terms of players, we have over 250 – as you can imagine this takes some organisation! Well over 20 coaches and managers keep them all in check and build their skills and confidence. And finally there is a club committee of around 20 keeping the lights on and organising the logistics in the background. By the time you read this we’ll already be 5 weeks into the season and our winter training schedule with most teams using the Multi-Use Games Area at Norfolk Road. If you venture down there of an evening you’ll see cold parents huddled round whilst their kids are put through their paces. If this whets your appetite to get your child involved, we are always happy to bring new players on board so get in touch via Facebook or our website. For this season, we are looking to bring some improvements to the Cubs group and our U6s. The aim is to get a nice introduction and progression for our youngest members, so that when they are moving into the U7s they are fully prepared for regular games and we have a good structure set up for them. Cougars Cubs is for children aged from 4 years up to the end of school Reception Year, then they can progress into our U6s (School Year 1) where they really get the chance to develop their skills and then, from the U7s, we begin regular games. Again, if your child has an interest in our Cubs training sessions you can find details on our website or message our Facebook page for details. Our U7s are the newest age group to begin regular games. It is quite an adjustment to go from training to playing matches every Saturday morning and in recognition of all their hard work in making that switch here are some photos of the U7 players in their fresh new Cougars kits ready to get stuck into their first games. Well done and keep up the good work! Finally, if you would like to get involved with the Club and help out a little, the Committee would love to hear from you – we are entirely volunteer run so every little helps. We have specific vacancies on our committee (Website Manager, Fundraising Officer, Health & Safety Officer) but we also always need general committee members. Please get in touch if you’d like to find out more. Best of luck for the season to all our players, parents, coaches and all the helpers in the background. David Deane www.buntingfordcougars.co.uk

Presents a Concert in aid of MS Multiple Sclerosis Society and Diabetes UK. ‘Best Female Artist’ BRIT Award Nominee Izzy Cooper Izzy has pioneered the classics in an innovative way, achieving three No.1 albums in the classical charts worldwide. HMV Choice says: “Midway between Lesley Garrett and Kiri Te Kanawa, Izzy has a beautiful soprano voice … [she] can sing. The point is worth emphasising because there are plenty of artists exploring the crossover scene who can’t.” Tickets £20 (including cheese platter) from 01920 Saturday 20th October, 7.30pm 822229 or 07905 184619 At Gravelly Barn, (Wine is available to Gravelly Lane, Braughing, SG11 2RD purchase at the venue)

Royston and District Ramblers Group Walks for October 2018 Tues 2nd Panshanger Park, 6½ miles, led by Trudi 01727 860027 / 07581 584796 Thurs 4th Hayley Wood, Little Gransden, 6½ miles, led by Nick 01223 208172 / 07909 977994 Sun 7th Maulden Woods, Ampthill, 9½ miles, led by Roy 01462 812591 / 07713 464510 Tues 9th Croydon, 6 miles, led by Nick 01223 208172 / 07909 977994 Thurs 11th Ashwell, 6 miles, led by Sandy 01763 243003 / 07553 344567 Sun 14th Benington, 7 + 5 miles, figure-of-8 walk, led by Christine 01462 734298 / 07986 597271 Tues 16th Short morning walk: Weston, 3½ miles, led by Roger 01763 281368 / 07840 832648 Tues 16th Weston, 6 miles, led by David 01763 247572 Thurs 18th Bassingbourn, 6 miles, led by Sue & Keith 01763 245955 / 07734 081014 Sun 21st Woburn, 12 miles, led by Roger & Linda 01462 453752 / 07896 620243 Tues 23rd Arkesden, 6 miles, led by David 01763 247572 Thurs 25th Barley, 5 miles, led by Jackie & Christine 01763 260809 / 07817 044385 Sun 28th Watton-at-Stone to Burnham Green, 10 miles, led by Lesley 07734 111225 Tues 30th St Paul’s Walden, Preston, 6½ miles, Trudi 01727 860027 / 07581 584796 Unless otherwise stated Tuesday & Thursday are morning walks, Sunday walks are all day. www.ramblers-herts-northmiddlesex.org.uk Click on ‘Groups’ and then on ‘Royston’ for details, or ring the walk leader.