KEYHAM NEWS

Diary Dates Chairman’s Monthly Update: November November: 3rd Autumn Litter Pick 11am Kings Lane Bus Shelter I’d like to thank all villagers for attending and supporting 10th Remembrance Sunday 9:00am my application in becoming your new chairman and to War Memorial Hungarton Sam for ensuring our transition is a smooth one. I very 18th WI: Cynthia’s Crafts – Hungarton much look forward to taking on the role and representing 26th Flower Group Dinner our Parish to ensure Keyham continues to be the village December: we love to live in. 10th Pensioners’ Lunch – Black Boy 12 for 12:30pm (See page 4) October has personally been a busy month and a steep learning curve in getting to know our baby son, who is Church Services succeeding in keeping me on my toes! November: 3rd 9am Keyham Holy Communion 10th 9am Hungarton Remembrance Service at the War Memorial 17th 5pm Hungarton Compline 24th 6.30pm Keyham Service of Lights

Morning Prayers: Wednesdays at 9am Taize Keyham style: Ad hoc Sunday evenings on request – Paul https://www.facebook.com/keyhamchurch/

Church Flower Rota

November: 3rd Louise Flynn 10th Ros Atkin 17th Ros Atkin 24th Fiona Dowsett Baby Declan December: ADVENT (no flowers until the Carol Concert) Ingarsby Road Covert Speed Survey Outcome:

We now have the results from the recent covert speed The annual Ladies Flower Group Dinner will be on survey along the 40mph section on Ingarsby Road. Tuesday 26th November. Once again Elizabeth has kindly volunteered to host the main course and Claire During the timings of the survey (0700-1900), the average the puddings. Please get in touch if you are willing to speed captured was 39.6mph, with 85% of drivers host starters. Recently we have had several newcomers travelling at or below 46.0mph. to our village, if you have a new neighbour please bring them along to enjoy our get together, and let me know Although the 85th percentile is over the speed limit it is as soon as possible if you will be attending. Thank-you. still within the National Police Chief Council (NPCC) Sandra enforcement threshold of 10+2mph. Based on this, the Keyham News Deadline: county council do not deem this stretch of road as high The deadline for risk for them to invest in speed reduction measures. KN December edition is Areas of poor accident history at high risk locations are Saturday 30th November currently the council’s priority for allocating funds. Articles and photographs to

The Lodge or The results of the survey are being submitted to the [email protected] police. Actions we can implement as a village are:

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Chairman’s Monthly Update (cont) REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY Community Speed Watch: A scheme ran by volunteers (minimum 10th NOVEMBER 2019 6) to raise awareness of the dangers of speeding and to help control the problem locally. 20% of village population need to The Remembrance Service will begin at the support the scheme. Further information on this initiative is available at http://www.communityspeedwatch.org.uk/ War Memorial in Hungarton at 9.00am

There will be time for the implantation Bin Sticker Initiative: Police are promoting a ‘Bin of small wooden crosses after the Sticker’ campaign as a reminder to drivers to keep to the speed poppy wreaths have been laid limit. Stickers can be provided to the parish to distribute to the There must be many families who lost residents. If you would like a sticker, I will investigate obtaining relatives in conflict and the wooden one for you. crosses can bear the names of these The service will continue in the Church Flooding along Snows Lane: The collection will be sent to the Royal Over the last two weeks there have been two significant flooding British Legion events at and around the bridge area on Snows Lane. Flooding in parts over two feet in depth with the water flow traversing over the bridge at great velocity and strength. There was also a strong smell of sewage. The Environment Agency and Flood Risk Management have been notified and are investigating contributory factors impeding water flow and drainage that require addressing to prevent this level of flooding happening again. All Saints Church Keyham Christmas Remembrance Planning applications and decisions: Service of Lights Dead, dying diseased tree Cottage Farm Main Street Keyham Leicestershire LE7 9JQ The annual Service of Lights to Ref. No: 19/01559/DDD | Validated: Thu 26 Sep 2019 | Status: Approved Erection of front porch to replace existing porch canopy (Revised scheme remember those we have known and loved will take place on of 19/00627/FUL) th 4 Kings Lane Keyham Leicestershire LE7 9JP Sunday, 24 November, at 6.30pm Ref. No: 19/01472/FUL | Validated: Thu 12 Sep 2019 | Status: Pending with the lighting of candles in the Decision church Change of use of land from agricultural to a dog day care facility, erection Please join us, and if you would like of a building to be used as an indoor exercise area for dogs, office and someone to be remembered in the toilet, installation of a 2.1m high fence, underground septic tank, 6.3m service, please let me have their high wind turbine and six solar panels names beforehand so that they can Land OS 5666 (Lot 2) Lodge Farm Keyham Lane East Scraptoft be recorded in the Leicestershire “Book of Lights” for this year Ref. No: 19/01047/FUL | Validated: Mon 08 Jul 2019 | Status: Pending After the service soft drinks Consideration and mulled wine will be served

If you wish to make comments, raise concerns, express approval Richard on any applications you can do so at: [email protected] www.harborough.goc.uk/view-and-comment-on-planning- applications Any concerns regarding development which you feel does not have planning permission, you can inform Council at: https://www.harborough.gov.uk/enforcement

Anna Page | 2 NOVEMBER 2019 KEYHAM NEWS

November 2019 What a Cracker

It is difficult to know what to write at this point (pre-October I see you in my darkest hour 31st), when our nation seems to continue teetering on a knife- standing tall and slim edge, with uncertainty either side, with any number of a promise brightly dressed possibilities by the time this is published in November. and ready to ignite but boxed in at present I am reminded of a saying of Jesus, that a house or kingdom with your kindred kind divided against itself is unable to stand. (Matthew 12.25 / Mark until my flare ignites 3.24-25) and I reach out to hold you for that magic moment When at Remembrance services, we read the names of those lighting up your blues who served their country, we do not just remember an so we can share together anonymous “them.” We remember individuals with stories and another Bonfire Night. loved ones. Oddly

We remember those bands of brothers... but also become MacMillan Coffee Morning aware of innumerable sisters, fathers, mothers, aunties, uncles, grandparents, grandchildren who are all affected, whether The final total for the MacMillan coffee morning directly or indirectly, by choices made by many and few. held at Manor House, Hungarton was £370.35. Lorraine Quaid would like to thank everybody This brings a mixture of emotions. The British Legion website involved in helping to raise this amount, including states, “Remembrance does not glorify war and its symbol, the those who helped with the catering, made cakes, red poppy, is a sign of both Remembrance and hope for a attended and made donations. It was a great peaceful future.” We remember with thanks for the sacrifices success and Lorraine will be hosting again next made for our freedom, but also in sorrow, at the suffering that year. conflict causes – on all sides. We also remember and renew a desire for reconciliation between people and nations.

Lamenting the mistakes of the past I hope may offer the UK a chance to step back and look at our present with a healthy (though also unnerving) dose of realism; and also inspire us to work towards a positive, more peaceful future with those both Tanglewood Planning Application similar to, and different from, ourselves. A kingdom perhaps more united, not divided, against itself. Nicky and I would like to thank all the Keyham residents who supported our planning On the 10th, please do come along to Hungarton at 9am, for a application which unfortunately was declined on joint service where we shall remember people from both appeal. We have been very humbled by the level Keyham and Hungarton. of support from the village and appreciate everyone's time including those few who could We also remember in a different way, at the end of the month, not support the application but had been at Keyham’s Service of Light on the 24th. As we switch on the courteous enough to explain their reasons. It Christmas lights, we offer a simple service and space in church was a pleasure to meet everyone and we are still to reflect and light a candle, in memory of those people who going to be living at Tanglewood for some time. have been lights in our lives, but who we see no longer. Best wishes

Though the nights draw in and the mood is sombre, the Gospel Phil & Nicky of John reminds us, “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not overcome it.” PS If anyone in the village likes cross country running or cycling and would like some company Rev’d Rosie please let me know!

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Keyham Charities - Pensioners’ Lunch

The Pensioners’ Lunch will take place on Tuesday 10th December, 12.00pm for 12.30pm at The Black Boy, Hungarton. If you are eligible (aged 60 or over) and wish to attend, then please book in directly with Mark at the pub no later than Monday 2nd December. Their phone no. is 0116 2595410. The booking is in the name of Keyham Pensioners. Please place your food order at time of booking.

The Black Boy Inn Hungarton 0116 2595410 CHRISTMAS MENU 2019

Main courses Traditional roast turkey with roast potatoes, stuffing, pigs in blankets, rich gravy and homemade cranberry sauce Beef steak braised in a red wine, silver skin onions and bacon gravy and served with mash potato Chicken breast stuffed with brie and served with a cranberry and port wine gravy Salmon fillet on crushed new potatoes with a whiskey and horseradish cream Pork steak on a potato rosti, crispy black pudding and cracked black pepper sauce Broccoli, and roasted chestnut puff pastry pie

with mash potato All dishes are served with seasonal vegetables potatoes

Dessert Christmas pudding with brandy custard Mixed berry meringue stack with chocolate sauce Warm bread and butter pudding with a vanilla custard Orange and Drambuie crème brûlée with a shortbread biscuit Warm sticky ginger pudding with rum and raisin ice- cream Cheese and biscuits with homemade chutney

There will be a welcome drink and a limited amount of wine offered to accompany the meal. We respectfully ask that should you want additional drinks that you purchase them yourselves. Thank you.

This lunch is funded by Keyham Charities.

Trustees of Keyham Charities

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Village People Village People (cont.)

Welcome to Judith and Andrew. Jude tells KN….. The Embos are pleased to announce baby Tobias Andy and I have just recently moved into Marlow was born Friday 4th October weighing in at 8lb 1oz. Cottage - we just wanted to say a huge thank you to Grumpa is doing ok (phew), but grandma is everyone for making us feel so welcome. shattered.

I would just like to say a huge thank you to

everyone who donated towards my Everest Base A big Keyham welcome to Jack Hickey in Athboy Camp trek. I raised over £2,600 and together our Cottage. university group raised over £60,000 for Meningitis

Research Foundation. A belated “Happy Birthday” to Ros who celebrated a significant birthday in September by visiting Lisbon. The whole trip to Nepal was an amazing

experience and a real achievement reaching base Keyham’s leading racehorse owner, Margaret Hughes, camp. has enjoyed another winner at the Nottingham track.

Spirit of the Sky is a 2yo trained by Richard Fahey and The highlight of the trip was watching the sunrise ridden by Tony Hamilton. in the early hours of the morning from behind

Everest. Tom Millicheap

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Autumn Litter Pick: SELAG and CPRE (CAMPAIGN TO PROTECT RURAL ) Sunday 3rd November For the last twelve months, the work of CPRE Leicestershire has been focussed Just a reminder that the Autumn on the and Leicestershire Strategic Growth Plan (SGP) and its proposal Litter Pick is due to take place for a new A46 expressway to the east and south of the city, together with the on Sunday 3rd Nov. Meet at the possibility of 38,000 new houses. This road may pass extremely close to brick bus shelter on Kings Lane Keyham (the exact route is not yet confirmed). To provide evidence of the at 11am. flaws in this plan CPRE's Consultant, Gerald Kells, has produced a comprehensive report for them whose details are alarming. We reproduce a We plan to finish off at 1pm précis here (see pages 7 and 8), and hope that Keyham News can be a conduit with bags being deposit outside for further information about a campaign which affects us all, and in which the village hall, ready for many of us may wish to be involved. CPRE is working closely with SELAG whose collection by HDC. Targeting of newsletter was reproduced in last month's Keyham News. Both would roads surrounding Keyham - welcome new recruits! Ingarsby Road/Keyham Lane East, Keyham Lane and Hungarton Lane (Keyham to Hungarton and to Hungarton).

If we could have one person in a vehicle willing to transport pickers to Hungarton Lane and pickup full bags, deliver new bags to pickers - that would be very useful. Pickers, hi-vis vests and gloves will be provided. If weather is foul, we will Is this what we want to see cutting through our countryside? postpone to 17th Nov. Don't worry of you can't do the full 2  If you love the countryside, the time has come to fight for it hours, just do what you can.  Every year, greenfield land the size of Southampton is swallowed up by suburban sprawl Richard Skelton  Noise and light pollution are destroying more and more of our countryside  Our village and rural communities are under threat

Ann Markee SELAG WEBSITE Dear Supporters,

I’d like to repeat the appeal I made back in September for a supporter to come forward to help SELAG get is website back and functioning. (You may have Let There be Light Bulbs noticed that currently it cannot be accessed). Maybe if you don’t have the IT skills yourself you know someone who has and would be prepared to take it on Would anyone like some spare largely pro bono? In the meantime we are relying on our Facebook page but it light bulbs? All bayonet fitting would be good to have the website up and running as well. Please email me if and energy saving. I’ve got a you can help. whole lot surplus to requirements cluttering our Owen Bentley space. SELAG SUPPORTERS’ secretary [email protected] Richard Taylor 2595415

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The Czech Consulate in Keyham Part 6 – Going home?

The Prager/Heller family living in Keyham during the wartime years may have escaped the Nazi threat that they would have faced in Czechoslovakia, but even in an isolated village such as Keyham there was danger quite literally on their doorstep.

In 1940 Helene Kraus and her nephew stood on the doorstep of Praha Cottage and watched the glow in the southern sky as Coventry burnt. Around the village there were constant reminders of the war. Evacuee children from London were billeted in the village and a Home Guard detachment totalling 30+ men met at the Village Hall and patrolled the local area. Ten villagers were away serving in the forces, two of whom died.

Three incendiary bombs were dropped between Keyham and Scraptoft Wood, although not targeting the village. The bombs were probably jettisoned by a plane returning from a raid. The biggest danger came on the night of the 8th September 1944 when a RAF Wellington Bomber on a night training flight crashed in the field beyond the brook behind the cemetery, 800 metres away from Praha Cottage and the village. The pilot, Flight Lieutenant John Jayes and his crew of seven all died.

Military activity around Keyham intensified during 1944 with the build up to D-Day. A military camp (Camp March Hare) was established at Scraptoft (1 mile to the west of Keyham) and the American 82nd Airborne and 325th Glider Infantry Regiment arrived. Over the coming months the fields between Keyham, Beeby and Scraptoft became a drop zone as paratroopers and glider pilots practised landings in preparation for D-Day and Arnhem.

The surrounding countryside became a huge ammunition dump with every wood and road side verge used for storage. These dumps were all unattended and local children soon discovered how to disassemble a shell to get to the cordite inside. With sweets strictly rationed they had found that cordite had a sweet taste not unlike sherbet. More sinisterly, stored on Ingarsby Lane (1 mile east of Keyham) chemical shells were stored, probably of Mustard gas. The weapons were never used, but were produced for retaliation if the Nazis had used chemical weapons.

As the war progressed the Scraptoft camp became a Prisoner of War camp and later a Repatriation Camp which saw the arrival of 2,000 German prisoners. The prisoners were classified as low risk and in response to the shortage of labour put to work on local farms and public works often unsupervised. Keyham certainly would have German soldiers in uniform working on farms and passing through the village.

It is interesting to speculate to how the Heller/Prager family reacted to the situation. A feeling of intimation and threat? Or pleasure that they could communicate with fellow German speakers. The family had deep German roots having originating from the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia, had German as a first language, and relatives in Hamburg and Berlin.

The local population was generally welcoming and sympathetic towards the prisoners, particularly as a lot of the prisoners were conscripts in their late teens or early twenties. The Charlesworth Family of Scraptoft recall having two prisoners (Dr Joseph Jacobs from Essen and Bernhard?) around for afternoon tea every Wednesday and Saturday. A Keyham resident also recalls her mother in Shenton insisting that the local Camp Commander send prisoners to join them for Sunday dinner every week, even though she had a family to eight to feed.

By early 1945 the outcome of the war was no longer in doubt. The British and Americans were at the Rhine and the Russians had captured Warsaw and were marching across Poland. The Czech government in exile under Edvard Beneš in London had begun planning for a post war Czechoslovakia. All Czechs in the UK received repatriation forms on the 28th February 1945. It was an offer that was not taken up by any of the Czechs living in Keyham. Helene Kraus (27th September 1948), Laura Heller (8th September 1948) and Martha Prager (8th September) all became naturalised British citizens.

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There was nothing for them to go back to. The Heller family had owned two hotels in Karlsbad (Karlovy Vady), but they had been seized by the Nazis and most of the possession they had managed to rescue when they fled had disappeared at the docks in Hamburg. In hindsight the decision was correct. Going back in 1945 they would have been engulfed in the turmoil and tragedy that was to befall Eastern Europe.

Immediately after the Red Army had liberated Czechoslovakia in 1945 reprisals by the local population against the ethnic German population began. With the approval of the Allied powers. Incorporated into the Potsdam agreement was the need to the ‘transfer to Germany of German populations… remaining in Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary’. The whole ethnic German population in Czechoslovakia was forcibly expelled to Germany and their property seized. 1.6 million were expelled to the American zone and 0.8 million to the Soviet zone of Germany. In the process up to 30,000 were killed. For those returning who were German speakers it was difficult not be caught up in the anti-German feel. The welcome that returning Jewish refugees received was also mixed with some greeted with open anti-Semitic hostility and the refusal to return appropriate goods and property.

As soon as the Russians had occupied Czechoslovakia they began the process of establishing control which would culminate in the crushing of democracy and a Communist take-over. The same techniques were used throughout Eastern Europe. Initially supportive of the democratic process but simultaneously creating a Communist controlled Secret Police Force, taking control of the Radio stations and the mass media, discrediting any independent forces e.g. the Church, Trade Unions and Youth groups, that might be a threat and direct violence against any opposition. In Czechoslovakia this culminated in a Communist Coup on the 25th May 1948 and Communist control until 28th November 1989.

One form of repression had been replaced by another, but what had not changed was the anti-Semitism. By 1951, Jewish religious practise had been banned, as had emigration (until 1964). The Jews were now seen as ‘Class enemies of the working people’. Imprisonment, exile, forced labour and executions were common, culminating in the Slansky trial of November 1952. A show trial of Rudolf Slansky was orchestrated by Stalin to purge the Czech Communist Party of Jews. The defendants were accused of a ‘Trotskite-Titoite-Zionist’ plot. Eleven including Slansky were hanged.

The turmoil that a return to Czechoslovakia would have brought had been avoided, but life in Keyham was hard and not without sadness. Clara Lowy had died in 1941 and is buried in the cemetery. Konrad Heller died on the 21st November 1946 and 3 days later his wife, Franseska also died.

At the time the Allen family were living at Keyham Hall. Cynthia Allen in her memoir of Life in Keyham gives a harrowing account of the Heller’s funeral and the hardships faced by the Heller/Prager family.

In 1946/47 there was a family of Czechoslovakians living in Keyham. There was a husband and wife and a sister of one of them and perhaps two children. They were refugees. During that dreadful winter the husband and wife died. They were impoverished and couldn’t afford a funeral hearse. So they used the Church Bier which was kept in an outhouse at the Old Hall. One died during the ice and snow and the other a few weeks later when everywhere was flooded. The cemetery was flooded from the swollen stream caused by melting snows and the coffin floated in the grave.

Helene, Laura and Martha stayed on in Keyham until at least 1949. They were visited by Laura’s brother Victor Heller in 1947 and 1949. Victor had emigrated to America in 1903. Initially he worked as a waiter at the Hawley House Hotel in Cincinnati but spent most of his working life as a steward on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.

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By the time of his next visit in 1953 Helen, Laura and Martha had moved to Oxford. There is mention in Cynthia Allen’s memoir that one of them may have initially moved to Leicester, but eventually all three moved to Oxford. In Oxford they lived with the Lawrence family. Else Lawrence was Laura Heller’s niece. Laura’s sister Olga died in Treblinka and Olga’s daughter in Stutthof concentration camp. Else and her husband Peter Lehmann lived in Hamburg prior to the war and managed to escape to England in February 1939, but not before Peter spent time in Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp following Kristallnacht in November 1938. Peter Lehmann joined the British Army in 1942 and changed the family name to Lawrence. After the war he became a librarian at Oxford University.

Helene, Laura and Martha spent the rest of their lives living with the Lawrences on Bullingdon Road in Oxford. Laura Heller (83) died on the 6th Feb 1961 two days later Helene died (91). Laura Heller (84) died in 1975. They share a grave in Wolvercote Cemetery in Oxford as they had shared their lives. As far back as 1934, Laura, Martha and the Hellers had shared the Villa Heller at 1317 Panaramastrasse in Karlsbad.

The group spent at least ten years in Keyham between 1939 and 1949 and for Clara Lowy, Konrad Heller and Franzeska Heller it is also their final resting place.

What Keyham meant to Helene Kraus, Laura Heller, Konrad Heller, Franzeska Heller, Clara Lowy and Martha Prager and what they brought to Keyham is probably best summarised by a passage in Cynthia Allen memoir.

One of the Czechs moved to Leicester and returned to Keyham from time to time on high days and holidays and always expressed gratitude for the kindness she had received in Keyham, which made one feel extremely humble.

Steve Bailey

https://www.keyhamparish.org.uk/

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