Issue 5 Community magazine for Furneux Pelham & Stocking Pelham Delivered free to all households in Furneux Pelham & Stocking Pelham WELCOME TO THE FIFTH EDITION Well that’s been a slightly unusual month, to say the least. The only place to start is to thank all those from both villages who are quietly helping their neighbours locally, whether its collecting shopping from Clavering shop, getting prescriptions from Much Hadham or Buntingford, giving food or keeping in telephone contact with more vulnerable residents. We’re not going to unintentionally embarrass people by printing a list of names, but if we did it would be quite a long one. You know who you are, and we’re clapping for you on Thursdays as well as our doctors, nurses, carers, emergency services and many more. In the same breath, we should also be thanking Lucy Bonner and her team at the Tap, for starting the shop and generally working their socks off to help the local community. We hope everyone will remember this when the pub eventually re-opens, and enthusiastically support it. In Stocking Pelham, what could better show the great community spirit there than the 75th commemoration of Victory in Europe with the ‘picnic in your own garden’? Great idea! Another great set of contributions this month, please keep them coming, the aim is to celebrate life in Stocking and Furneux Pelham. Finally, could we also ask you also to spare a thought for the vast majority of our advertisers, small local businesses, often self- employed, who are having a very tricky time to keep things going. Please support them if you can. Thank you. Contributions to: [email protected] A reminder from East Herts Council The fortnightly garden waste collection was suspended on 31st March until further notice. The general waste collection and recycling collection services will continue as normal. 2 Cover photo For many years, Furneux Pelham School celebrated May Day with a procession of the May Queen, her court and all of the other schoolchildren round the village. The Queen and her attendants walked beneath hooped flower garlands, holding posies of primroses and other seasonal flowers. The boys carried rattles and other noisemaking implements, and sounded out the pace of the march. Once back at the School. there was a crowning ceremony, displays of country dancing for parents and a maypole dance. The picture dates from May 1972. Eight years later, the tradition caught the eye of the Hertford Local History Society, and was attended by Dr Doris Jones-Baker, their Honorary Secretary. She noted “Mrs Jones and her staff are much to be commended for their splendid preservation of the old Hertfordshire children’s customs for celebrating the coming of May. One would hope this example might become the focus for a county-wide revival of a picturesque and enjoyable part of Hertfordshire history”. The maypole dance tradition certainly continued into the mid 1990s. Latest news - Recognised for Cycling Excellence Delighted to report that both St Mary the Virgin, Furneux Pelham and St Mary, Stocking Pelham have been awarded silver recognition certificates for each raising over £1,000 in the Bike ‘n Hike event run by the Beds and Herts Historic Churches Trust. Half of the funds raised is returned to the individual church involved and the other half supports the preservation and repair of churches in the two counties. Overall, the two Pelhams raised £2488. Well done our intrepid cyclists, David Bailey and Mark Haverson! Little Hadham bypass road works update A120 Hadham Road The proposed road works on the A120 have been postponed until further notice. Albury to Little Hadham road This will be closed from 27th April until 24th May for tree felling, utility works and road alignment. For more information please see www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/a120bypass 3 Coronavirus…….. 4 Stocking Pelham Parish Council Meeting Due to the current on-going crisis the March meeting of the Parish council was cancelled. All future meetings have been suspended for the foreseeable future, but Councillors and the Clerk ([email protected]) are still available for any Parish matters. www.stockingpelhampc.org.uk Stay well and safe. Michael Hutchins Chairman SPPC. Nuthampstead Airfield Museum Due to the ongoing crisis the museum will not be opening this month and will be closed for the foreseeable future. Furneux Pelham Parish Council The May 2020 Parish Council meeting is cancelled due to the continued lock down. The next meeting of will be on Thursday 2nd July at 8.00pm in Furneux Pelham Village Hall. Meetings are open to all village residents. Please see Parish Council noticeboards or the Council website www.furneuxpelham.org.uk for the agenda. The Parish Council has a vacancy to fill by co-option. If you are interested in being involved, please contact the Parish Clerk on [email protected] 5 THE EASTER BUNNY COMPETITION At the start of April, the Easter Bunny asked me to put a sign on the Whitebarns Honesty stall to ask children paint/draw a picture relating to Easter with the chance to win a prize. The winners were as follows: 1st Prize: Amelie of Furneux Pelham who won a big Cadbury Egg 2nd Prize: Matilda of Furneux Pelham who won a box of Caramel Eggs 3rd Prize: Katelin of Buntingford Who won a box of Caramel Eggs 4th Prize: Beatrice of Furneux Pelham who won a knitted Easter basket with chocolate eggs. Thank you for everyone who entered on behalf of The Easter Bunny xx Tracey Bayford By Amelie of Furneux Pelham 6 Calendar of Services for St Mary’s Furneux Pelham and St Mary’s Stocking Pelham April 2020 In the light of the HM Government's announcement introducing measures to slow down the spread of COVID-19, all Sunday and weekday worship services have been suspended for the time being, as have all other events organised by the Church. This doesn't mean no church but it does mean church in a different way! Every week we are meeting (virtually, via zoom) for services. Here is our schedule of services: Sunday Morning children’s worship 9.30 am Sunday Morning Worship 10.30 am Wednesdays - Morning Prayer 9.30 am Additionally, for Sundays, you can receive by email, Sunday Morning Worship information including a reading, prayers, a reflection, links to music to listen to and church news. If you wish to receive this or the ID number and password for joining these services, please contact the office [email protected] Please note that currently the Parish Office is unable to receive telephone calls (because the office is located in the Church in Braughing and the Church is closed) but the Administrator, Ali Bennett is picking up emails. Although the church building is closed, it is being regularly checked - if you are walking past or live near the church and see anything unusual, please contact the Rector. If you have any questions, if you would like prayer for yourself or any one you know, if you need something or know someone who needs something or would just like a chat, please contact me Rev’d Julie Gawthrope, [email protected] (01920) 823531. I am here for you. St Mary’s, Stocking Pelham and St Mary’s, Furneux Pelham are part of a Benefice of three churches which also include St Mary’s, Braughing. St Mary’s, Stocking Pelham Churchwardens: Mrs J Bailey (01279) 777454, Mr R Taylor (01279) 777593 St Mary’s, Furneux Pelham Churchwardens – vacant (Please contact Malcolm Ewen in the absence of the Rector – (01279) 777530) 7 VE Day Tuesday 8th May 1945 In 1945 May 8th and 9th were declared public holidays. If there were any celebrations in either Furneux or Stocking Pelham on those days they were not reported in the local newspaper. There were however celebrations in Bishop’s Stortford. “On Monday afternoon the town began to prepare for the long awaited VE Day. Flags appeared at the windows of shops, office and houses and soon the streets took on a gay and colourful air reminiscent of Coronation time. Tuesday in the evening the centre attraction was The Causeway where there was dancing on the car park, specially flood lit for the occasion, fireworks on the Castle Mound and a huge bonfire in the Town Meads. Now the black-out was beaten with a vengeance. As darkness came on the crowds grew larger and it was noticeable how many parents had brought their children to see this cheerful display of light. One street lamp in The Causeway, back temporarily to pre-war brilliance, was gazed at in wonder by the youngsters, many of whom of course had never seen such a sight before. At about 10.30pm a cascade of fireworks went off on the Castle Mound, which ringed with flares made an impressive sight and brilliantly lit up surrounding trees. Then the bonfire was lit and the occasion celebrated in the age-old manner” (Herts & Essex Observer 12th May 1945) Two months later in Furneux Pelham the children had their own celebration with an outing to Clacton and “A VE tea for the children in the school meadow with sports and bonfire was enjoyed by about 70 children besides their friends. A bountiful supply of American ice cream added to the pleasure” (Herts & Essex Observer 21st July 1945) Furneux Pelham History Group 8 A poem of our time A walk in the fields when the day is done, a time to reflect in the last of the sun. Sadness is rampant all over the world, but many good things will surely emerge.