countyCapturing the essence of ... life HERTFORDSHIRE SUMMER ISSUE 2021 THE GREAT OUTDOORS - on the cover If you would like to advertise in our next hard copy edition of County Life-Hertfordshire email us today [email protected] HOWEVER... If you can’t wait to advertise in our next edition we can upload your advert to our latest online e-edition of County Life-Hertfordshire. Simply email [email protected] Down your way County Life - Hertfordshire Letchworth Garden City is Ebenezer Howard’s dream of betterment. As the world’s first garden city, it retains the fusion of a town-country magnet. Grand Days Out Aspects of County Life County Life visits the idyllic Cotswold village of Summer issue, number 32, 2021 THE MAKING OF THE FOUNDING FATHER. Broadway. Easily £3.25 One man’s gift in recognition of another’s legacy, one in which people live accessible from our harmoniously together with nature. region, it’s a grand day out. Down Your Way • Aspects of County Life • History & Heritage • County Connections • The County Gardener • Wildlife • New Books • Lifestyle • Seasonal Features • Grand Days Out • Great British Traditions • A Picture of England • The Short Story • FIRST WORD Your Summer Edition ummertime, and the living is - now - easier! So, with a renewed sense of freedom as we emerge from lockdown there is much to look Sforward to - especially reconnecting with friends and family - with places to visit near and far, as we are now allowed to journey further afield. To embrace this opportunity, we take to the road on a classic car trip through the scenic shires, embracing the many pockets of beauty along the way as we trace aspects of our region’s interesting heritage. Further afield, on our grand day out, we visit the Cotswold village of Broadway and its all-consuming quintessentially English charm. One of our region’s best loved stately homes, Hatfield Park, reveals aspects of its connection with farming and conservation. The great outdoors is a valuable source of therapy to many people, so don’t miss Tim Sharrock’s ‘Nature Notes’ and, for those with green fingers, we have top tips from our county gardener, Peter Dean. Heading off to the capital, we engage John Williams, Executive Chef at The Ritz, in conversation and learn a little about this gentle Geordie’s background. In our regular series, ‘A Very British Tradition’, we picnic on a punt and trace the history of this iconic pastime, and in our ‘Picture of England’ the traditional tea shop captures our imagination. Let’s not forget ‘Cover-to-Cover’, with new book releases, ‘Under The Hammer’ auction news and ‘Serendipity’ gift selection. Closer to home, ‘Down Your Way’ visits Letchworth Garden City, and in ‘Aspects of County Life’ we tell the story of the making of the garden city founding father. From our archives, we have two fascinating stories of early aviators from our region. Enjoy your summer, keep safe, and I hope that this edition’s content will provide an eclectic, and inspiring, line-up of articles for your consumption. Sit back, savour each page of County Life and treat yourself to a well-earned break! In closing, I extend sincere thanks to our readers, advertisers and contributors alike for your best wishes and valued support during the Covid-19 pandemic. lan Enjoy! A www.countylifemagazines.co.uk @countylifemags 3 YOUR LETTERS A WELL-BALANCED COMBINATION... Dear Editor. I class myself as a member of the portion of society who, having dipped into social media platforms, was quick to realise the medium was not the way forward for me. I have spent my working life in the media and proudly class myself as ‘old school’. That is not to say that I don’t embrace technological progress; it would be utter stupidity to do so. I take great joy from simply browsing the selection of magazines on sale in my local newsagent and County Life Magazine recently took my eye. Your spring edition contained a well-balanced combination of lifestyle articles and county-related content too. It’s a particular style of magazine which I relate to. One which places editorial content above commercial content - not an easy balancing act these days but, nevertheless, one in which not only benefits the reader but also serves to provide a great platform for non-editorial content. Having worked for 45 years in publishing, I recognise a well-crafted publication when I read one. B Clifford. From the editor... You have my vote! There is nothing wrong with ‘old school’! writeback Write to County Life at ... Pen-ultimate letter DEAR COUNTY LIFE .. email: [email protected] “Got my Jab, sat down and read your magazine.” I was recently invited to have my first Covid-19 vaccination. A very nice nurse stuck a needle in Have your say - make a comment or my arm and then told me to take a seat in the recommendation. Our ‘Pen-ultimate’ letter will receive one year’s subscription waiting room and to, “Wait 20 minutes before to our Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire or leaving.” “Twenty minutes!”, I exclaimed. Hertfordshire editions; redeemable as a gift subscription to a friend if preferred! Thrusting a magazine in my hand, she replied, “Read this. It will help.” And it did. Both jab and magazine (County Life) were an enjoyable experience! Michael Barry 4 @countylifemags www.countylifemagazines.co.uk www.countylifemagazines.co.uk @countylifemags 5 EDITOR: Alan Humphreys - [email protected] SALES: Lesley-Ann Humphreys - [email protected] Published by County Life Magazines (Select Publishing), PO Box 32, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 8TE PROUDLY INDEPENDENT, SINCE 1998 www.countylifemagazines.co.uk - Tel: 01462 81 94 96 A look inside LIFESTYLE SUMMER 2021 ISSUE 32 REGULARS 28 • FROM THE ARCHIVES Travels Round My Aunt. 38 • UNDER THE HAMMER The hallmark of quality. 44 great outdoors • COUNTY GARDENER 46 The natural summer garden. on the cover 46 • NATURE NOTES image: © Ian Dawson image: Front cover image Cole Keister Butterflies. waive any and all moral rights in such text, photography images. 48 • COVER TO COVER non-exclusive right and licence to use, reproduce irrevocable, al, royalty-free Can’t put a good book down. ose of the editor and should not be taken as such and the proprietors, publisher and editor publisher and editor ose of the editor and should not be taken as such proprietors, 51 • BRITISH TRADITIONS A little of what we love. 52 • GRAND DAYS OUT The delights of Broadway. 58 10 • FLAG BOARD It’s your move. 64 down your way 44 51 • SHORT STORY Time to relax and unwind. 66 • THE LAST WORD Letchworth Garden City A picture of England. SPECIAL HISTORY ASPECTS OF SUBSCRIBE FEATURE HERITAGE and editions and assert in future and to re-publish developed, unless otherwise directed or technology now known hereafter in © 2021 Select Publishing, unless otherwise stated. Contributors automatically, and hereby, grant Select Publishing a perpetu and hereby, in © 2021 Select Publishing, unless otherwise stated. Contributors automatically, 34 HERTFORDSHIRE LIFE • IN CONVERSATION not necessarily th in this magazine are at the owners risk. The views and opinions expressed aterial submitted is sent entirely The notorious Jarrow Crusade 10 • HERTFORDSHIRE Ebenezer Howard secured his place from Newcastle to London HAS A CLUSTER OF in social history as the founding took 25 days and 300 miles, JEWELS IN ITS CROWN: father of the garden city. His legacy, earning the Geordie men a Letchworth Garden City was 14 Letchworth Garden City, is testament place in history. Although this the realisation of one man’s may seem a tenuous link with 52 Courtesy Cities Exhibition of Garden image: to this visionary man’s dream. dream. Ebenezer Howard 34 Geordie Head Chef John imagined a bold new world Williams, his journey from 14 GRAND DAYS OUT where town and country would • THE MAKING OF THE GARDEN CITY FOUNDING FATHER Subscribe to Hertfordshire’s image: © Jo-An Price Dodds © Jo-An image: Tyneside to The Ritz, where he Idyllic Cotswold serenity. live, not side-by-side but as a In 2015, and in recognition of the achievement of the founding traditional county magazine for is Executive Chef, has been an fusion of the two, and where father of the garden city, a life-size sculpture of Ebenezer Howard JUST £23 A YEAR equally incredible journey in 52 • THE DELIGHTS OF BROADWAY profits from the town would be was gifted to Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation and, A quarterly miscellany of CONTRIBUTORS Hertfordshire life, home its own way and has earned County Life visits Broadway. This idyllic Cotswold village reinvested for the benefit of its in 2019, was erected in the grounds of the Spirella. Kathryn Clover - Peter Dean - Peter Etteridge interest, days out and lifestyle Robert Halliday - Alan Humphreys him worldwide recognition, an boasts serenity, tranquillity, ‘olde worlde’ charm and residents. Today, the world’s The sculpture is testament not only to the ‘moustached’ garden in the county and beyond. Dean Juniper - Isobel Murdoch MBE and the utmost respect character in equal measures. Easily accessible from first garden city remains a city founder’s endeavours but also to those of Peter Colvin, W&H Peacock - Jo-An Price-Dodds - Jon Boon See page 56 All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited. All m in whole or part without written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited. Reproduction All rights reserved. Tim Sharrock - Jill Sheldon from his home town. our region, it makes for a memorable day out. living testament to his vision. its self-taught sculptor. editorially within the content of this magazine.