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ISSUE NO: 250/8
May 2015
Abbots Langley Carnival
he main attraction this year at the Carnival is 'The Spectacular Knights of the Crusades' with audience participation medieval story telling! We also have dance displays by local groups (Aviv and Hot & Bothered), Majorettes, Hula Hoop Display, Tanners Wood School Choir, a dog show, dog agility display, stalls selling just about everything, clowns, bouncy castles, climbing wall, trampoline, go-karts, shooting , plate smashing and much more. The event is sponsored by Abbots Langley Parish Council, Warner Bros Studios and M.K.Ginder & Sons. All money raised by the Watford Lions at this event goes to local charities and good causes. Why not be part of it and:
• Enter a float in the parade (on a lorry or just a group walking float): email floats@ watfordlions.co.uk • Run a stall and make some money for your charity, community group or just for you: email stalls@watfordlions. co.uk • Enter your pampered pooch in the dog show email dogshow@watfordlions.co.uk • Volunteer your services either as part of the committee or stewarding on the day: email info@watfordlions.co.uk Or just add the date to your diary, Saturday 13th June and come along and enjoy a fun day out.
The Spectacular Knights of the Crusades
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Tel: 01923 263823/262405 The Abbots Langley Village Life | May 2015 | PAGE 1
Top Awards for Lion Members A
t the recent Watford Lions Charter night there were a few surprise awards presented to the members by Lion Ramesh Parmar, District Governor D105A John Frost received an award for 35 years of service; Suresh Gajjar for 43 years; Allen Harvey for 44 years; David Warren for 45 years and Ragh Patel for 46 years. There were also two Melvin Jones Fellowship awards presented to President Berice Andrews and Ragh Patel, this is the highest award to be received with Lions International. Melvin Jones founded Lions International 100 years ago and the awards are issued by the Lions Club
International organisation (LCIF). To qualify a minimum donation of $1,000 is required to LCIF who distribute funds internationally for disaster relief and humanitarian aid programs such as measles vaccinations and eye camps. The Watford Lions, with many of their members living in Abbots Langley, are the organisers of the annual Abbots Langley Carnival and the Fireworks. The club raises funds to donate to local causes, for example they recently donated the money for a new defibrillator in the village. The club also organises a trip to the seaside for the elderly residents of the village during the summer and fish and chip suppers during the winter months. The Club is always looking for new members to join their team. They meet twice per month on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays and also organise many social activities throughout the year where members can catch up on the Lions’ work and events. If you would like to get involved in helping others, please call President Brice Andrews on 01923 462327
Watford Lions
Long Service Awards - L-R Lion John Frost; Suresh Gajjar; Ramesh Parmar; Allen Harvey; Ragh Patel
Berice Andrews receives her Melvyn Jones award
Ragh Patel receives his Melvyn Jones award by Berince Andrews and Ramesh Parmar
PAGE 2 | The Abbots Langley Village Life | May 2015
Abbots Langley Carnival Saturday 13th June
The event is sponsored by Abbots Langley Parish Council, Warner Bros Studios and M.K.Ginder & Sons. All money raised by the Watford Lions at this event goes to local charities and good causes. If you would like to be part of it, contact details are: Stalls: Cheryl Cochrane stalls@watfordlions.co.uk Floats: Berice Andrews 01923 462327 floats@watfordlions.co.uk Dog Show: Carol Spencer dogshow@watfordlions.co.uk Other carnival enquiries: Allen Harvey 01923 232712 carnival@watfordlions.co.uk or John Frost 01923 266649 jyf1966@hotmail.com Are you free to marshal on the day? If so, please contact either cheryl@watfordlions.co.uk or allen@watfordlions.co.uk
Contacts for
Village Life Editorial Julie Barton, Charter Court, Vicarage Lane, Kings Langley, WD4 9HR Phone: 01923 270160 e: julie@villagernews.co.uk Advertising Julie Barton, Charter Court, Vicarage Lane, Kings Langley, WD4 9HR Phone: 01923 270160 e: julie@villagernews.co.uk
Sport Editor Tony Thompson The Hornets, Croft lane, Chipperfield. WD4 9DU Tel: 01923 265690 Features Andrew Selby, 8 Belham Road Kings langley WD4 8BY Tel: 01923 264479 Find us on Facebook and Twitter for up to date news and events
Reporter Joy Mann Phone: 01923 264298 Accounts e: accounts@villagernews.co.uk Sign up for our additional weekly email, full of lots of useful informtion for Abbots Langley, Kings Langley and surrounding areas. Contact events@villagernews.co.uk to be added to the mailing list or sign up through our website:
www.villagelife.org.uk
The Publishers take all reasonable steps to ensure the accuracy of the content of Village Life but cannot accept responsibility or be held liable for any errors or claims made by advertisers. The Publishers also ask you to note that they do not necessarily agree with views expressed by contributors Reproduction in whole or part prohibited without permission
Copy deadline for next issue: strictly Monday 25th May
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The Abbots Langley Village Life | May 2015 | PAGE 3
Record Number of Medals for Leventis Taekwondo O
n the 21st of March a group of 14 students from Leventis Taekwondo competed in the Taekwondo Chungdokwan National Championships held in Bracknell winning a massive 12 medals! This was our biggest medal haul ever winning us a 2nd place club trophy! A fantastic achievement as we are a small young club compared to all the other clubs in Britain. The students, namely George Humphries aged 12 , Sydney Martin aged 11 , Joshua Mercer aged 8 , William Mott aged 9 , Alex Wong aged 10 , Eve Leventis Taylor aged 10 , Luke Mercer aged 10 , Luca Stojanovic aged 7 , Joshua Weidner aged 8 , Aamna Khan aged 9 , Ashley Lewis aged 13 , Emma O'Callaghan aged 12 , Jake Monteith aged 8 and Stephanie Parry aged 17 , won 5 golds , 4 silver and 3 bronze medals respectively. They competed in Poomsae - a series of attacking and defensive techniques which are memorised and performed in front of a panel of Judges.
Leventis Taekwondo incorporates all aspects of taekwondo including traditional and the more modern sport taekwondo as seen in the Olympics. Our ranks and belts are recognised worldwide and our teachings come straight from Kukkiwon South Korea. We are closely affiliated with Master Michael King who teaches the senior classes. We offer evening classes throughout the week and Saturday mornings at Leavesden Green Community
Hub, West Herts College and Divine Saviour Junior School. We welcome all ages and abilities including adults and also children with special needs.
For further information regarding class times and prices etc please contact Lorraine Leventis on 07930368240 or email leventistaylor65@talktalk.net
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Support groups: Bereavement and Loss groups Self-esteem and confidence groups Women’s monthly Sunday creative support groups Support group for people with chronic illness Counselling for individuals and couples Complementary Therapy Clinical Aromatherapy specialists. Hynotherapy Caring for you in a way you deserve, we are as unique as you are!
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PAGE 4 | The Abbots Langley Village Life | May 2015
Amazing Turnout to French Market A
good time was had by all on Sunday 19th April when a French market, France at Home, visited Abbots Langley. We had hoped for 100's of people but on the day we had 1000's! The stall holders loved the bunting in French colours and also commented on the friendly people they had served during the day. The local people loved the crepes, prawns, cheese, smoked sausages and of course the patisserie, the owner telling us that she had had a similar number of customers during the day to the Hatfield House event that they attend. They want to come back! The rain held off, and although the day was chilly, people stood around laughing and chatting, catching up with friends. Many people asked if the market could become a regular event. Event organisers, Pat Waterton from Langley Travel, Lynn Luck of Over The Moon and Amanda Bate, local Homeopath, all members of Abbots Langley Biz, were delighted with the success of the event. They said, " It was very hard work,
photos by Eve Durtnall as these things always are as the organising and the red tape takes months! The day could not have happened at all if we had not received help from people from local groups
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who regularly volunteer at village events, including AIMs, Towns in Transition, Heart for Abbots and we must not forget Fiona Packman and all the members of the Community Centre who provided teas and coffee, more
stalls and some exhibitions including TaeKwonDo, Zumba and Irish Dancing. The local Police and the Parish Council were both very supportive, all in all it was a really wonderful community day." Pat Waterton
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01923 267700 / 07766 203109 www.regencyweddingcarhire.co.uk The Abbots Langley Village Life | May 2015 | PAGE 5
St Lawrence Spring New ALLHS Journal Concert Series T
S
t Lawrence Church will be holding its inaugural Spring Concert Series throughout May to raise money towards the Organ Restoration Appeal. The concerts will be held on each Saturday in May with refreshments served from 10:30am and the performance beginning at 11am. Tickets will be available on the door at £5 each (children free). Please note the change of time for the concert on Saturday 23 May (now at 11am and not 7:30pm as previously advertised). For more information visit our website: www.abbotslangley. org.uk. Saturday 2nd May – Tom Winpenny (Assistant Master of the Music, St Albans Cathedral). Programme to include organ works by Bach, Wesley, Vaughan Williams and Boëllmann. Saturday 9th May – Southorn & Stratton Family (Abbots Langley). Programme to include music for voice and saxophone and songs from the shows.
Saturday 16th May – Richard Pinel (Assistant Director of Music, St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle). Programme to include wellknown organ favourites. Saturday 23rd May – Peter Holder (Sub-Organist St Paul’s Cathedral, London). Programme of light hearted music including TV theme and film score medleys played on the organ – including an interactive element! Very suitable for children. Please note change of time: concert now at 11am. Saturday 30th May – Katherine Bunting (Abbots Langley). Programme to include works for soprano by Purcell, Handel, Fauré and Gilbert & Sullivan.
he next Journal (No. 42) will be published at the Abbots Langley Local History Society AGM on Monday 18th May 2015. As well as being available at Society events, Journals can also be purchased from the following local shops and offices: • Abbey Pharmacy, High Street, Abbots Langley • Abbots Langley Parish Council Offices • St Lawrence Church Office, Abbots Langley • Abbots Home and Garden, Langley Road, Abbots Langley
Enquiries: 01923 267585 E-mail: info@allhs.org.uk Web: www.allhs.org.uk
St Lawrence Church Quiz Night
J
oin us on Saturday 20th June 2015 in the church hall for a Quiz Night in aid of the Organ Restoration Appeal. Tickets are £12 per person (please note it is bring your own drinks) and include the cost of a fish and chip supper. The Quiz will start at 7pm and a raffle will be
drawn at the end of the Quiz. Tickets are available from the church office. There will be 10 tables of 8 so start getting your teams together! Lots of interest has already been expressed so tickets are sure to sell out fast. www.abbotslangley.org.uk
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Poetry and Prose O
“A
nd after April, when May follows, and the whitethroat builds, and all the swallows!” Well we are in May now and who was it that desired to be in England in these months to see the beauty of the birds and flowers? Everyone who came to the Poetry and Prose afternoon at the house recently should know because that poem was read along with other favourite writers like Joyce Grenfell,
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Edward Thomas and John Betjeman. What made it so special was that some of the people who joined us brought along a reading too. We were grateful to Monica for coming again and arranging such an entertaining afternoon. (And Robert Browning wrote the opening quote.) We were sad to hear on Good Friday that Alan Dicker had died. He had moved into one of our new larger rooms with his wife last year but unfortunately he had to move to residential care for the last few weeks of his life. His wife is such a joy to have in the house despite her sorrow. On 16th June from 10.30am to 12 noon we are planning to hold our annual Open House Coffee Morning, so look out for the Abbeyfield posters around the village and then come and view the House and garden! And if you should require any information about this Supported Sheltered Housing Scheme in Greenways phone Jan on 01923 674177 or Marcus on 01923 334387. Kathleen Charles
Bedmond WI
ur speaker in April was Peter Parry. His subject was Remap, which is a charity that makes gadgets, aids and devices for people with physical disabilities. He gave an excellent talk, with slides and we enjoyed his fine sense of humour! We were told of the Group meeting on April 24th which is to be held in Bedmond and
that the Baton is coming to our area in May. Chris Ballard
LETTER Dear Editor, I would like to thank the Abbots Langley Players on their production of The Herbal Bed held in St Lawrence's churchyard. Congratulations should go to all those who took part as well as those who worked behind the scenes. What an excellent production and so moving and in a wonderful setting. I am sure lots of supporters came to watch
the various productions held during the week and will have nothing but praise to all those concerned. Hopefully we will be allowed to hold another production in the grounds of the church? Yours sincerely Cllr Jane Lay Chairman of the Abbots Langley Parish Council
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The Abbots Langley Village Life | May 2015 | PAGE 7
Abbots Langley Gardening Society Spring Show W
e had another excellent Spring Show this year and even though the flowers were a little confused by the weather we were having, with some already finishing flowering before the show and some not even out enough, there were still enough entries for each of the plant classes. The handicraft, cooking, household and photography classes were well represented as well and the standard is ever increasing. We would like more local children to realise the joy of gardening and the thrill of seeing each of the seeds or bulbs that you so lovingly planted, pop a little green shoot above the soil and grow into something unique and wonderful, so with this in mind a new class was included for the local Schools to grow the best daffodils. Burston Garden Centre had been kind enough to supply compost and daffodil bulbs and these were distributed to six local schools. The entries were collected and placed together and it was interesting to see the results which were very varied in fact the daffodils from one school had already finished flower-ing. It was good to see some different faces in the line up of cup winners too. We are always pleased when we see new members entering the
Show. We would love to see your face in the line up of cup winners at the Autumn Show. Daffodils The Gissing Cup, Keith Gissing. Avalanche daffodils Cut flowers and others. The Valerie Hankin Cup. Carol Gissing. Mixed vase of flowers Fruit and Vegetables. The Chairman's Bowl. Doreen Higgs. Shallots Handicraft/photography. The Goggins Cup. Hazel Johnson. Knitted bowl of oranges and bananas. Household. The Secretary's Cup. Eve Durtnall. Raspberry jam 8 - 12 years. The Dennis Hubbard Memorial Cup. Elizabeth Dunstone. Pot of daffodils 4 - 7 years. The Junior Cup. Paige Caton-Merry. Pot of daffodils Schools Daffodil Challenge. St Paul's C of E School, Langleybury. Congratulations to you all. Details of our Autumn Show are on our web site on:http://www.algs.org.uk Pam Cotton
Cup Winners - photo provided by Eve Durtnall
Hazel Johnson won The Goggins Cup photo by Pam Cotton
The Autumn Show will be held on 12th September, why not submit an exhibit - details can be found on the website www.algs.org.uk
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St Paul's School won the School Daffodil Challenge photo by Pam Cotton
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Abbots Langley Gardening Society Andy Sands “It’s a Bugs Life”
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nternationally known Andy Sands is always a pleasure to listen to. He shows us his amazing close up photos and his commentary is fluid and interesting. This time it was about ‘Bugs’. He clearly knows his subject and had us all horrified by his explanations of the way some bugs eat other bugs to complete their own life cycle. I think it must be a ‘boy thing’ as he appeared to enjoy our horror far too much. He includes funny stories concerning the strange places he gets himself into such as when he was caught on the wrong side of the fence at Windsor Great Park, but my favourite was when he was allowed to enter seldom visited parts of Hampton Court Palace for his
Green Tiger Beetle
photography. He was walking past a spider web covered window when a school child looked up from below and saw him. The child then pointed up to the window to the other children and they all ran off screaming. An extremely interesting evening Our next meeting is on Thursday May 21st and is Lucy Blunden telling us about which “Medicinal Herbs that we can grow.” We meet at the Manor House Sports & Social Centre on the third Thursday of the month. Doors open at 7.30pm so you even have time to buy a drink from the bar before the meeting starts. Entry to non members is £2 so you can try before you
Andy Sands Caught in Windsor Great Park buy but for only £3 more you are able to enjoy all our social events and society BBQs all year. Membership also includes being able to purchase all your garden needs from the heart of the Village. With the Summer not too far away and the Carnival swiftly approaching, if you
have any plants that you think we can sell on our stall to help raise funds they will be gratefully accepted. More details on our web site at http://www.algs.org.uk/ or phone our secretary Jane, on 01923 447281. Have a good month. Pam Cotton
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Email: john@johnfieldconstruction.co.uk www.johnfieldconstruction.co.uk The Abbots Langley Village Life | May 2015 | PAGE 9
Open Gardens, BBQ and Live Music T
The Abbots House Gardens Saturday 6th June 11.30am – 4.30pm
he Friends of St Lawrence are really pleased to invite you to come and explore the delightful gardens of The Abbots House in the centre of our village on 6th June. There will be a BBQ, live music in the Barn, wine/beer/tea/coffee, and some large garden games
for you to try your hand at. Come along and have a great time – just to wander, sit and listen, or enjoy the BBQ. Entrance (via St Lawrence Close) is £5 per adult (£2 for children under 12, toddlers under 2 are free). There will be a small extra charge for the BBQ and drinks.
WEA – Day School Saturday 16 May at 2-30 pm The Secret Life of Still Life presented by Nicola Lowe, Art Historian Kings Langley Community Centre, The Nap
N
icola Lowe has presented a number of popular courses on Art History, on behalf of Kings Langley WEA. She will be returning on 16 May to present a Day School of two sessions, in which she will explore the art form of ‘the still life’. The Day School starts at 2-30 pm – doors open at 2-15 pm. Tickets cost £10 per person, and include light
refreshments. ALL ARE WELCOME To reserve a ticket please contact Mrs Hilary Robins, Day School Organiser on 01442 264741 Further information about the content of the Day School, can be found on our web page www.eastern.wea.org.uk/ map/by-county/hertfordshire/ kings-langley
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PAGE 10 | The Abbots Langley Village Life | May 2015
AIMs Brings Spring to Abbots Langley "Spring is when life's alive in everything" Christina Rossetti
A
ccording to the feedback and compliments from supporters and villagers alike, this Spring’s flower displays around the village, are AIMs best efforts to date, bringing much needed vibrancy and colour into the village centre after the dark days of winter. The border in the Millennium garden during April’s glorious sunshine in the village centre can only be described as a 'riot of colour' with dazzling Tulips, cheeky Violas and dependable sweet fragrant Wallflowers. The village entrance signs are both festooned with spring planting saluting and welcoming all who come to the village. Our small fruit garden situated by the Police station entrance is beginning to show signs of life. AIMs looks forward to seeing
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Strawberries, Raspberries, Red and Black currents emerging as the spring gives way to the summer months. Look out for the fruits. Readers may recall in AIMs’ last update in Village Life we uncovered the mystery of who planted the Redwood Tree at Kitters Green in 1973. Helen, whose is pictured planting the sapling Redwood, as part of the Junior Times Newspaper Tree Planting campaign kindly agreed to meet AIMs at the Redwood Tree for us to take a picture of her now as a young woman standing by the now mature tree. See our Facebook page AIMs Abbots Improvements for previous pictures of Helen and the story of the Redwood Tree. April has been a furiously busy month for AIMs catching up on the early spring weeding of boarders replanting where plants did not survive the winter chills and deluges. In addition we joined Abbots Langley Players (APL) in their wonderfully ambitious community enterprise to present an open air production of The Herbal Bed play. AIMs had enormous pride in joining the event and together planned the Herb Boarders that are a required feature of the play. AIMs and the ALP would like to Thank
Burston Garden Centre for their generous donation of Herbs. AIMs greatly appreciated and benefitted from all the practical advice and help in setting up Three Herb Beds provided by the Burston team. The Herbal Bed production has been a wonderful example of cooperation and has encouraged inclusion from a wide variety of village groups in a very worthwhile and special event. Once the play is over AIMs will receive the Herbs and set up Herb Raised Beds on the cleared land by the Police station, which will keep us busy any help here would be appreciated. AIMs also attended the Community Day organised by the ALP on Saturday 25th April to celebrate and showcase many local and vital village groups. On Sunday April 19th AIMs members assisted the newly formed business group in the village called 'BIZ' with the fantastic French Market that so many from far and wide came and enjoyed. May looks to be yet another busy month for AIMs as
Helen planted the Redwood tree back in 1973 apart from our weekly gardening work in and around the village, we shall be fundraising for summer and autumn planting at the Hillside Residents Fun Day on Saturday the 16th May. AIMs needs to recruit more volunteers if we are to continue our work on the village gardens and open spaces. Without more volunteers AIMs cannot sustain indefinitely. No gardening experience is necessary and it is only two hours a week or as much time as you can offer. Interested? Call Laila 01923 269388.
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The Abbots Langley Village Life | May 2015 | PAGE 11
Abbots Langley WI
M
April Meeting
embers and visitors were pleased to welcome, from the Local History Society, Mrs Jan Palmer, who had compiled a collection of slides, showing London statues of famous people. Each person was significant in their era. Beginning with Queen Boadicea, we travelled in time from the Roman occupation to the present day, ending with a statue of Nelson Mandela. The most poignant of all was a tribute to the Kinder Transport, represented by a group of children, each holding a small bag, lovingly packed by their parents, who they were never to see again. On Sunday May 10th, the W.I. Centenary Baton, which began its journey in North Wales, will be received in our area. It will arrive at the Foyer of the Abbey Theatre, Holywell Hill at
10.30 a.m. where there will be a display of memorabilia from nine local W.I.s; the Mayor and Mayoress of St Albans will attend. In the afternoon the Baton will be taken at 2.30 to Sarratt Green. Here there will be entertainment by a Jazz Band, and Vintage buses will be on show. Refreshments will be available at each of these events, which are open to the general public. In May we hold our A.G.M., but on June 17th, our highly recommended speaker will be broadcaster and journalist, Bill Hamilton. Visitors of any age or gender are most welcome. Details of our meetings are displayed outside the Henderson Hall.
Send us details of your community event in plenty of time of the cut off date
PAGE 12 | The Abbots Langley Village Life | May 2015
All Ready for Glorious Hospice Garden Party A
heady mix of Pimms, cream teas, hot barbecue lunches on the terrace, fabulous stalls, live jazz and children’s entertainment will be on offer at the annual Hospice of St Francis Garden Party, taking place in the beautiful grounds of Ashridge House on Sunday 31st May (1-5pm). Over 3,500 people flocked to last year’s event, raising a record £30k for the Berkhamsted charity, which supports people living with life-limiting illnesses across Herts and Bucks. The Garden Party, this year sponsored by Churchill Retirement Living, is a chance to show support for your local Hospice and help it raise the £4.7 million it needs every year to help fund its care. At this year’s event there will be live music from popular jazz quartet, the Jolly Jazzers and the The D’ukes of Ashridge ukulele band, a choice of lunch from the BBQ and delicious home-made cream teas and cakes as well as the popular Sumner & Tabor Pimms stall out on the lawns and locally brewed beers at the bar. A wide variety of quality and new stalls will be there,
with many local companies and producers offering speciality food & drink, gifts and handmade craft items, jewellery and fashion as well as beautiful accessories for your home and garden, summer bedding and herbaceous plants. This year classic cruiser motorbikes will be on display for the first time. And there’ll be plenty to entertain the children, including the popular Circus Skills workshop, Punch and Judy, magic shows, balloon modelling, Beat the goalie and Face painting. Sarah Adjer, Community Fundraiser at The Hospice, said, “The Hospice Garden Party is a fantastic afternoon out for all the family and is our biggest community event of the year that raises important funds as well as awareness of our vital work. “It offers the perfect way to spend a relaxing afternoon wandering around the stalls and exploring the beautiful gardens of Ashridge House before enjoying afternoon tea or a glass of Pimms and soaking up the atmosphere.” Dolores Kelly, Marketing Manager of Ashridge House adds, “We are delighted to
Garden Party held in 2014 welcome back The Hospice of St Francis for its annual Garden Party and look forward to welcoming local people to enjoy the beautiful gardens and parkland of Ashridge. This year we’ve increased the number of parking spaces available to help keep traffic moving through the Estate and are ready to welcome the crowds.” Yvette Christy, Marketing Executive for Churchill Retirement Living, which has a regional head office in St. Albans, comments: "The Hospice is a very important part of the community here in Hertfordshire. The Garden Party is a fantastic event and something we were keen
to get behind and support. We wish the Hospice every success and hope it raises a significant sum to help continue its vital work." Advance tickets priced £5 are available from the Hospice main reception in Spring Garden Lane, Berkhamsted, all of its High Street shops as well as its furniture showroom, Returned to Glory, in Northbridge Road, Berkhamsted, from the end of April. Alternatively, they can be purchased on the day for £6 per adult. Admission free for 16’s and under. For more information visit www. stfrancis.org.uk/gardenparty, or call 01442 869555.
Advice Column From Your Local CAB I bought a new mobile phone six months ago, and I used the signal checker on the website, but I never have any signal at home or work at all. I want to cancel my contract and go back to my old mobile company as I always had good service with them, but my new provider says I’ll have to pay all 18 months of the contract remaining if I want to cancel. I can’t afford to pay that all at once and a new contract, but I also can’t have a mobile phone that never works when I need it. What can I do? Most mobile phone contracts last 24 months, but often they don’t specify minimum standards of service, so it can be tricky to get out of them without paying a hefty fee. Your best bet is to keep a log of times when your phone doesn’t work. Then contact your service provider and ask them if there is anything they can do. This might solve the problem without you needing to cancel. It might say something in
your contract about how much reception you should get: if so you should be able to cancel the contract without paying. Unfortunately, you can’t rely on what an online coverage checker will say as they’re just a guide and will only ever give an idea of the average signal someone can expect outside in that area. If the phone doesn’t work in your house or workplace but does work outside, the problem might be with those buildings themselves. In that case you wouldn’t normally be able to cancel without paying. It might be that the signal just isn’t strong enough, so you should ask your provider to carry out a signal strength check. If there’s no signal in your whole area, you might be able to cancel under the Supply of Goods and Services Act. Very poor service most of the time might mean the network is breaking your contract. Some contracts have terms and conditions which mean they’re allowed to not provide service sometimes, so you need to get advice to see if this applies to
you. Before anything else, contact your service provider, share any evidence of poor service and explain why you should be let out of your contract early. They might well allow you to cancel. If you need more advice on any issue, contact your local CAB.
Abbots CAB are recruiting new advisers. Please call into the CAB to find out more, or apply via the national Citizens Advice website: citizensadvice.org.uk
The Old Stables St Lawrence's Vicarage High Street Abbots Langley Three Rivers Residents:
0344 245 1296
Opening Times: Mon 10am-4pm Tue and Thu 10am-3pm Wed and Fri 10am-1pm WE OFFER AN EMAIL ADVICE SERVICE PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE
www.threeriverscab.org.uk Dacorum CAB Dacre House 19 Hillfield Road Hemel Hempstead HP2 4AA Phone(s):
03444 111 444 From Mobile: 0300 3300 650 Web pages: www.adviceguide.org.uk , www.dacorumcab.org.uk/
The Abbots Langley Village Life | May 2015 | PAGE 13
French Leave by Voyager Comparisons with life in France from a former resident
A dying breed… N
otwithstanding some fabulous April weather, Saturdays have been lousy. This is tough on marketeers, for whom week-ends are their best days. If it is wet and blustery, the people stay away in droves, which I find wimpish, because, being English, the weather is irrelevant. One does not turn out for the weather, one turns out for the market, doesn’t one? If you waited for fine weather before venturing out in England, you would be in danger of becoming a hermit. Paradoxically, we don’t buy much; some veg perhaps; a pair of socks; the odd plant… so we don’t really need to go at all. So why bother? And I guess the answer is that even after 20 years (this month) in France, markets have a particular allure, even the small ones. It may be a cliché, but it’s the combination of the smells and the sounds: paella bubbling away in woks; chickens, or ham-joints turning on vertical spits in front of gas grills, and the ubiquitous crepes prepared before your eyes. All contribute to the tantalising aromas that trickle down from the stalls, to be blended by unsuspecting legs. Then there’s
the bustle, and a “grande crème”, and the weekly treat of a fatinducing croissant, ideally on the terrace to watch the world in its remarkable variety of shapes go by. Many Bretons have a distinctive shape, which is to say shortish and round, witness to the vast amount of bread they consume. There are exceptions, but by and large you can easily spot a Breton. On the coast, where we have again moored our caravan in campsite geriatricus, the first invading hordes arrive during the Easter holidays, with Parisians and Nantais in particular beelining for the sea. Sitting on the café terrace, it’s easy to spot them. Most are taller and slimmer. And richer. So, strolling through the market on one unpromising morning, accompanied by our Jack Russell, Augustin, we were suddenly distracted by a dog barking at him. Augustin quivered and looked for the source of this challenge to his authority, but of the miscreant there was no sign. The sound came from a little stall selling Muscadet and offering a free tasting. “Little tasting,” Monsieur calls. “Not now, thanks,” I reply, proud of my supreme effort of will, for
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looking up the road, the fag-end of the market doesn’t look much to write home about. As usual, it’s stalls selling cheap clothing, much of which is naff, but the sellers still seem to ply their trade and apparently make it worth driving long distances so to do. Nonetheless, we persevere and discover a tiny battered caravan tucked between the last two stalls. Handwritten signs proclaim that portions of country pâté among other delights are available for ridiculously cheap sums, viz 2€. Given that 24,3% (44,3% if he’s VAT registered) of what he takes goes straight to the treasury to top up the bottomless bucket that is the French state, how he makes a living is beyond understanding. Mrs. V, whose foody homing instincts are akin to a kind of culinary Formula One, immediately disappears, returning shortly after with a portion of said pâté, to which she adds the intelligence that the young man is also offering a three course, take out meal consisting of paté, lamb stew and crème brulée for 10€. Clutching our purchase, not to mention a walnut cracker, a garlic crusher to replace the fancy one from IKEA, which, unusually for IKEA, didn’t work, and a plastic “doseur” for dispensing Pastis, none of which we knew we wanted until we saw them, we return in the direction of the phantom dog. By the time we reach the stall, it is past 11, so standing on tiptoe on a box the sun would have been just visible over the yardarm, were it not covered by low, rain-sodden clouds. Monsieur’s stall is eye-catching, with a bright yellow and red parasol, sheltering a table bedecked in a patterned, red cloth. On it stand his wares: two varieties of Muscadet at 3€ and 3.5€, one sparkling Muscadet at 4.5€ and a Chardonnay. He is of indeterminate age, but he must be in his sixties and is probably older. A bush of grey hair, quietly receding, sits atop a round, weather-beaten face, while narrow eyes and an impish smile complete the picture. Behind him stands his stockroom, a battered
blue van stuffed with boxes. Muscadet comes from around Nantes on the western end of the Loire. Although the area has produced wine since Roman times, it dates only from the early 18th century after the “great frost of 1709” destroyed many vineyards. Written off as poor quality during the 20th century, it has enjoyed something of a revival in the last 30 years as producers have worked to improve quality. Monsieur has an easy patter, which continues as he pours the first glass to taste. Does he realise he missed his life’s opportunity to make a fortune selling ice to Eskimos, had he but known? Unlikely. His wine is excellent value. “So where’s the dog?” asks Mrs. V. “Zere is no dog,” he replies, “it was I. It is something I can do,” he continues, doing it again. (Augustin, confused, agrees.) An amiable man, he launches into a story about how he periodically winds up his village. One of his neighbours has hunting hounds and, waking at 2 a.m., he opens the window, leans out, barks vigorously and waits for the dogs to erupt. They do. On another insomniac night, he has slipped out of his house and crept round the village barking, triggering a canine chain reaction. The following morning at the café the unruly dogs are the talk of the village. Didn’t you hear them, someone asks. No, didn’t hear a thing. We get talking. He and his wife have a house at up the road at Sarzeau, not far from Vannes. They drive the hundred or so kilometres every week-end and he stands two markets and has done for 40 years. Yes, he’s always there, rain or shine. He chats on until another client hoves into view and we leave with seven bottles of wine that we also didn’t know we wanted. And that’s another reason why I like markets: the last generation of elderly countrymen like him, who love their products, and whose infectious enthusiasm seduces clients. Alas, a dying breed.
Local Resident Family Problems? Publishes Her First Book R Ask Danielle Messenger from Pictons Solicitors for Top Legal Advice
achel McGrath, a local resident who grew up in Brisbane, Australia, where she studied business, before moving to the United Kingdom in her early thirties where she met and married her husband, and has a professional career in human resources. Rachel has always had a passion for writing both fiction and non-fiction. Since her early teens, she has created many short stories as well as smaller pieces that have never been published. Finding the Rainbow is her first published work, a memoir capturing a difficult time in her life. She is passionate about sharing this with a wider audience. You can visit her website at http://www.findingtherainbow. net/ The new book which will be publishd on 21st May Finding the Rainbow is the fascinating and honest insight into a world that, thankfully, many of us cannot begin to understand. McGrath tells the story of her battle with infertility and recurrent miscarriage with unrestricted honesty and directness, leaving the reader in no doubt as to her feelings and thoughts, and the courageousness with which she
I’m worried about the process of splitting a Pension in a Financial Settlement. I want a quickie divorce so think I should ignore it?
deals with a very difficult era. The first book from Rachel lifts the lid on the sometimes taboo issue of infertility and miscarriage, whilst still leaving room for humour, happiness and philosophy. Copies of Finding The Rainbow can be purchased direct from the publisher by visiting the website at www. pegasuspublishers.com or by calling 01223 370012 or on the Amazon website www.amazon. co.uk
Professional balloon decorating by a local family
Q. My husband has a work pension that he has been paying into for a number of years. However, I am intending to ignore this when it comes to agreeing a financial settlement, as I have heard that dealing with pensions really complicates matters and I am hoping to reach a quick settlement. I also worry that in dealing with his pension, means that I will be dependant on him in retirement which I really want to avoid. A. I hear this all the time. People often decide to ignore pensions because they don't want to look at things they don't really understand. But I always say to clients 'if your husband had been saving £500 per month and there were now savings of £100,000 would you be ignoring this cash?' Of course not! A pension fund has a cash value which is easy to obtain. This is known as the current equivalent transfer value (CETV). This helps us to see the overall assets of the marriage. The most typical order in respect of pensions is a Pension Sharing Order (PSO). This means a percentage of the cash value is transferred out of your husbands’ scheme into a completely separate pension fund set up in your name. This happens at the time of the divorce so you are immediately separating the pension, so you can achieve your clean break. Often, rather than taking a share of the pension, parties may agree to consider the value of the pension and allow the other party a greater share of the other assets i.e. more from the house, to compensate them for their lack of pension. This means it is still imperative to understand the value of the pension so fair compensation can take place. This can all be explained and dealt with easily by an experienced family solicitor. Take legal advice and do not just ignore what could be a valuable asset. Email: danielle.messenger@pictons.co.uk Telephone: 01442 229644 Address: Pictons Solicitors, 1 The Waterhouse, Waterhouse Street, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP1 1ES Danielle Messenger is a qualified Solicitor and Associate at Pictons with over 10 years of experience in Family Law Facebook: Pictons Solicitors Twitter: @pictons
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www.specialoccasionballoons.co.uk sales@specialocasionballoons.co.uk The Abbots Langley Village Life | May 2015 | PAGE 15
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No job too small
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Dog Fouling and Under 11s School Places for 2015 Dog Control in Public Spaces T - tell us what you think
T
hree Rivers District Council is interested in your views concerning a proposed Public Spaces Protection Order. A Public Spaces Protection Order (or PSPO) is a new power introduced by the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. This order is about dog fouling and dog control. This power allows councils to prohibit specified things being done in the restricted area and/ or require specified things to be done by persons carrying out specified activities in that area. Exemptions: The Order will not apply to persons requiring the need of a recognised
Assistance Dog. Penalties: A person who fails to comply with the terms of the Order may be liable to a £75 Fixed Penalty Notice, or upon summary conviction to a fine not exceeding Level 3 on the standard scale (currently £1000). We welcome your views on the proposal to introduce the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) that will seek to replace and extend existing powers relating to dog fouling and dog control in public places. More information can be found at www.threerivers.gov.uk - closing date is 15th May 2015
his year 95 per cent of Hertfordshire children have been allocated a place at one of their preferred primary, junior or middle schools. Of the 15,267 applications for reception places received by Hertfordshire County Council, 14,408 have been allocated a ranked primary school. Of these, 12,425 were allocated their first ranked school - an increase of 255 on last year. This is despite an increase of 392 in the number of applications compared to last year. Applicants who have not been offered their first preference school will automatically be placed on the continuing interest list for any schools named higher on their application form than the school offered. An extra 325 places have been made available through this process, with schools across the county expanding to meet local demand. 30 new places have been
created at Abbots Langley School. Andrew Simmons, Director of Education and Early Intervention, said:“We want all children to have access to a good education so they can reach their full potential, with the right number of school places in the right location , so I’m delighted that the vast majority of children have been allocated one of their ranked schools. “This is a significant challenge given there are 10,000 more children under the age of four in Hertfordshire today than a decade ago. However, we are committed to ensuring that where the county’s population grows we build the appropriate infrastructure and have spent £170m to provide more than 3,000 additional reception places, including 195 permanent places for September 2015.”
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A Day in the Life of a Charity Shop Manager W
e spoke to Kim Campbell, Manager of The Hospice of St Francis’ Kings Langley
shop Q: What’s your motivation for working for the hospice? A: The good the Hospice does for the patients and their families – for me that’s what it’s all about, helping them to deliver that care. Q: What does a typical day look like for you and your team? A: I tend to get in around 7.45am to make a cup of coffee, check my emails and get a feel for what I need to do. No two days are the same because you never know what’s going to come through the door. We get between 50 and 80 bags of donations a day and most come in late in the day so these need sorting into sellable and non-sellable and anything we can’t sell goes to rag - nothing is wasted. My volunteers arrive at 9am, I brief them about any promotions going on, then the steaming, ticketing, dating, sizing and pricing begins. Out of season stock is saved, in season stock goes out on the shop floor and then there’s the steady stream of customers to serve and help. Of course there’s all the paperwork too, which I like to keep on top of on a daily basis. Q: Is it a challenge managing all the black bags and their contents? A: Oh yes, it’s hard work! We get some really nice donated clothing – high-end labels like Hobbs, Phase Eight and Karen Millen as well as some quite good men’s and children’s’ wear but we’ve also and damaged bric-a-brac. For some people it’s a short cut to the dump – especially now many local re-cycling centres are closed two had a bag of dirty nappies, kitchen waste, clothes screwed up in a tight ball caked in mud, broken days a week. Q: How often do regular customers visit – everyday? A: Some of our regulars come in at least once, sometimes twice a day, especially on their way to and from school. One of our regulars, a lady called Ruth Farley, has bought
200 plates, cups and saucers for her daughter’s wedding reception and 70% of it has come from us! The stock is refreshed daily so you never know when you might pick up a gem and if you see one you have to snap it up or it might be gone! I always like to keep the window interesting too to draw people in and we’ve actually had men coming in to say how lovely and colourful it looks – which is praise indeed! Q: What are the most unusual / worst items you’ve had donated? A: The most unusual item was a fake, leather-bound book full of Viagra tablets! The worst item has to be the soiled nappies. Q: What have you done to involve the shop in the local community? A: I think reaching out and getting involved in the community is really important and we’ve done all sorts of things. When the Council changed the name of the village to Kings Landing for the release of the new Game of Thrones DVD, we did a special window display to get involved. I borrowed props from the Kings Langley Players and had to carry a knight in armour from their warehouse, which got me some very strange looks! We’ve supported Kings Langley Festival of Lights and the annual Carnival with a stall. We had a Christmas Shopping Evening for our customers which the volunteers and I did all the catering for. We have held children’s painting competitions at Easter and a Name the Polar Bear competition for our first Christmas. Community is everything. Q: What is the shop’s role in promoting hospice events? A: We help wherever we can. We’ve got a picnic-themed window at the moment to help promote the annual Garden Party, coming up on 31st May at the beautiful Ashridge House. We have a mannequin in a gorgeous neon pink Midnight Walk T-shirt encouraging people to sign up for the big new route, new neon-themed night on 27th June. Six of us – myself and volunteers –
Kim in the doorway with regular customer Ruth Farley entered a team last year and it was great fun! Q: How important are the volunteers and how vital have they have been to the success of the shop? A: We couldn’t manage without them. We have 28, many of whom live in the village and because we recruited a lot of them before the shop opened, they feel a sense of ownership and are very proud of their shop. They work so hard doing all the jobs that need doing, serving and helping customers – almost like personal shoppers. One lady, who does the jewellery, is in here every day, tidying up and titivating the window if it needs it – we can’t keep her away! It feels like a great team, we’ve had evenings out together and we have a lot of laughs and fun too. They’re all worth their weight in gold. We’d love some more Saturday and Monday morning volunteers though - we’re very flexible – even if it’s just for a couple of hours, it all helps! Q: People might donate to the shop but do some items end up on eBay? A: Yes, people want to support
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the Hospice and this is all about achieving the best value for our donations, especially the more collectable items, like jewellery and silverware. We had an old musical box of a Swiss dancing figure which went for £300 and a set of old school reading books from the ‘70’s which sold in two lots for nearly £1,500! Q: How important is Gift Aid in raising money for the Hospice? A: It’s crucial. Every person who donates to our shops should be asked for their Gift Aid identity number and if they don’t have one, we can sign them up in a matter of minutes. For every item we sell that has a Gift Aid number attached, we get an extra 25% in the pound! Last year we claimed £70k in Gift Aid across our shops and this year we are aiming for £90k. You just have to be a UK tax payer to register. Q: What type of donations do you need? A: Good quality, saleable clothing, accessories, bric-a-brac and books please – in the condition that you would like to buy them in.
Abbots Langley Roll of Honour The Big Bell will once again ring out at 12 noon, to commemorate all of those from this Parish who died during World War One, on each date when it is known that an Abbots Langley man fell. Instead of ringing for one minute, the Great Bell will toll 100 times to mark each centenary of death.
Memorial. His brother-in-law Aubrey George Flowers (brother of Agnes) had emigrated to Canada before the War, and returned with the Canadian Contingent. He was “Killed in Action” on 24th April 1916 serving with the 5th Canadian Infantry (Saskatchewan Regiment) and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres.
Arthur KIMBLE Private #3009 2nd Battalion East Surrey Died of wounds 15th April 1915
Charles Lewis England Private #2637 2nd Battalion East Surrey Killed in Action 27th April 1915 Aged 23
Arthur Kimble was born in 1893, the son of Master Shoemaker at Cublington near Leighton Buzzard. He had six brothers and four sisters and before the Great War had worked at the Leavesden Asylum, and was recorded in the Asylum Roll of Honour which was published in the Hertfordshire Advertiser on 17th October 1914. Between October and December 1914 Arthur married Agnes Flowers. Agnes lived with her family at the Model Cottages (1901) in Troley Bottom, and latterly at Asylum Terrace (1911). In the 1911 Census Agnes is listed as working as a Nurse/Housemaid for Henry Somerson, a barrister living at “Hillbank” in Abbots Road. When War broke out Arthur and Agnes lived in Watford, and Arthur enlisted in the town. He left for France on 23rd February 1915. In April 1915 the St Lawrence Parish Magazine reported that Arthur had been wounded at the Battle of Neuve Chappelle (between 10-13th March 1915). Sadly he never recovered and died at the Base Hospital at Le Treport, a small coastal town some sixteen miles northeast of Dieppe, on 15th April 1915, eleven days after his son, Arthur Ernest was born. His death, noted as “Died of Wounds” is recorded in the Parish Magazine of May 1915. His elder brother William and younger brother Ernest also served and survived the War, and together with Arthur are commemorated in the Roll of Honour at St Nicholas Parish Church in Cublington, where Arthur is also listed on the War
Although Charles England was Killed in Action on 27th April 1915, his untimely death was not reported in the Parish Magazine until June that year. Charles enlisted at Watford, where he was living at the time of the outbreak of War. He arrived in Flanders on 24th March 1915, and joined the 2nd East Surrey’s in the area to the north-east of Ypres. The battalion was in trenches near Zonnebeke, when on 22nd April the Germans released a new weapon – Gas. Throughout the following days the battalion was subject to a series of attacks on their trenches and suffered severely as a result of a new gas attack on 25th April. In the few short weeks since the battalion had arrived in France over 800 of the original 1000 men had been killed, wounded or were missing. Vicar Parnell commented in the June 1915 Parish Magazine “Charles England, of the 4th East Surrey Regt (sic), was killed in action at Hill 60 (sic) on April 27th. He was very closely and intimately connected with our Church, as a keen member of the C.E.M.S (Church of England Missionary Society), and a regular communicant from the time of his Confirmation. He gave up his home and civil life and made ‘the great surrender’ and was prepared to give up all even to his bright, young, vigorous, happy life for the liberty and honour of his country, and we are sure that in losing his life he has found it. His relatives and friends may be assured that he has the real and true sympathy of all in the Parish”. Research has confirmed that Charles was serving
Photograph – Menin Gate inscription, November 2011 – Back to the Front Project with the 2nd Battalion of the East Surrey’s at the time of his death, and that he died in the Zonnebeke area, and not at Hill 60, which had been the scene of a brave defence by the 1st East Surrey’s at the same time, where 2nd Lieutenant George Woolley (former student at Parmiters School) was awarded the VC in this action.. Charles was born in 1892 at Clay Hill in Bushey, one of four sons, and five sisters of David and the late Ellen England. The family lived at 64 Adrian Road, and both Charles and his father David were Gardner Domestics. His elder brother Walter was a full time soldier who served with the 1st Bedfordshires throughout the War. His younger brother, Harold, volunteered in 1915, and after spending a short time in France in February 1917 with the Machine Gun Corps, moved to Palestine and from
there to India and the NW Frontier. Charles England is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres, Belgium, and on the Abbots Langley War Memorial.
William Edward Sadler 2nd Lieutenant 3rd Battalion (attached to 2nd Battalion) South Lancashire Regiment Killed in Action 8 May 1915 Aged 18 William Sadler applied for a commission at the outbreak of the Great War, and was gazetted 2nd Lieutenant, 10th South Lancashire Regiment on13th November 1914, and soon afterwards transferred to the 3rd Battalion. He was born at Upper Clapton, London on 20th September 1896, and
The Abbots Langley Village Life | May 2015 | PAGE 21
was living at Highgate at the time of joining up. He had been a member of the Officer Training Corps at both Cranleigh and Highgate Schools and was working in insurance with Messrs Price, Forbes and Co of Lloyds London when he enlisted.. He was the eldest of four sons and two daughters of William and Ada Sadler of “Abbotsford”, Abbots Road. More recently the house has been replaced by new properties between 113 and 123 Abbots Road. Having arrived in France on 24th March 1915, attached to the 2nd Battalion of the South Lancashire Regiment, he survived barely six weeks before being Killed in Action on 8th May whilst deepening some partly made trenches on Hill 60 near Ypres in Belgium. His Company Commander wrote “Shortly before he was hit I had been round his platoon in the trenches and thought what a cheerful, smart young fellow he was and how well and bravely he was doing his duty”. Adjutant Major Cotton added “He was a gallant lad, most deservedly popular and a thoroughly promising young officer, keen, energetic and reliable”
William Edward Sadler William’s brother, David George Sadler, served with the RAF from 1918 and his cousin Kendal Sadler, who lived in Abbots Road, served with the Honourable Artillery Company. Both survived the War and are recorded in the Abbots Langley Roll of Honour. William is not included in the Abbots Langley Roll of Honour lists which appeared in the Parish Magazine each month throughout the War, and does not appear on the War Memorial. Throughout the War the Roll of Honour was transcribed into red leatherbound ledgers by his Aunt, Florence Sadler, who lived at “Woodmancote” in Abbots Road (today No 136), and it is unknown why he was
not included in the village records, whilst other members of his family were.
Arthur Rowland Hill Private #3189 13th (Kensington) Battalion London Regiment Died of Wounds on Ascension Day 13th May 1915 Aged 22 When the Great War broke out in August 1914 Arthur Hill was working as an Insurance Clerk and was living in Kensington where he attested. He later enlisted with the 13th London Battalion (Kensingtons) when they came to Abbots Langley early in the War. He was born at Abbots Langley in 1893, one of four sons and three daughters of the village Draper, William Hill and his wife Frances. The family home was at “The Limes” in Abbots Road, near the junction with the High Street, close to where the Post Office is located today. Arthur’s Medal Roll Card records that he went to France on 6th March 1915 and was wounded in action during the Battle of Aubers Ridge on 9th May. The Kensingtons lost 436 officers and men in the action. He was evacuated to the Casualty Clearing Station at Merville, northern France, where he died of wounds on 13th May and is buried in the Merville Communal Cemetery, along with another man from Abbots Langley, Ernest Roome (Grenadier Guards), who was Killed in Action three years later on 27th March 1918. An obituary appeared in the Watford Illustrated on 22 May 1915 “Died of Wounds – Private A.R. Hill, 13th London Regiment (Kensingtons), second son of Mr William Hill, Abbots Langley, has died in hospital of wounds received on the 9th. He was formerly a member of the Abbots Langley Church Choir, and a memorial service was held in the Church, on Wednesday evening, the 19th” Vicar Parnell, the Vicar of St Lawrence, Abbots Langley, added his own commemoration the Parish Magazine of June 1915 “The sorrow of the war has been brought home to us in a very real way during the past month. Arthur Rowland Hill, of the 13th (Kensington) London Regiment died on Ascension Day (13th May) of wounds received at Aubers on
May 9th. He was very closely and intimately connected with our Church, formerly as a member of the Choir and then as a Sunday School Teacher, and a regular communicant from the time of his Confirmation. He gave up his home and civil life and made ‘the great surrender’ and was prepared to give up all even to his bright, young, vigorous, happy life for the liberty and honour of his country, and we are sure that in losing his life he has found it. His relatives and friends may be assured that he has the real and true sympathy of all in the Parish. Mr and Mrs Hill and family wish to express their thanks for the many kind tokens of sympathy which they have received and which they greatly appreciate.” Arthur’s elder brother, Francis William Hill served with the Royal Fusiliers from July 1916, and later with the Royal Veterinary Corps where he reached the rank of Acting Quarter Master Sergeant. His younger brother, Bertrand Ernest attested on 3rd September 1914 and served throughout the War with the 13th London (Kensington) Regiment. Both brothers survived the Great War.
Frederick James Timms Ordinary Signalman HMS Princess Irene Royal Navy Killed in Action 27th May 1915 Aged 18 Frederick Timms does not appear in the Abbots Langley Roll of Honour, and is not listed on the War Memorial. His record has only recently been discovered from the National Roll of the Great War records, where it was found that he had lived at 53 Breakspeare Road, Abbots Langley, and had worked as a Blacksmith’s Labourer. In the 1901 Census he was registered as living in Watford.
PAGE 22 | The Abbots Langley Village Life | May 2015
The National Roll of the Great War records that he volunteered at the outbreak of war and was posted to HMS “Princess Irene”, a ship originally built in 1914 as an ocean liner, but requisitioned by the Royal Navy and following conversion was pressed into War service as an auxiliary minelayer. Aboard this vessel he was engaged on patrol duties, mainly in the North Sea. On 27th May 1915 “Princess Irene” was moored off Sheerness in Kent and was being loaded with mines before proceeding on a minelaying mission. At 11.14 the ship exploded and disintegrated. Two columns of flame shot over three hundred feet into the air. Two barges laying alongside the “Princess Irene” were also destroyed, and 273 crew and 76 dockyard workers were killed. On the nearby Isle of Grain a girl of nine was killed by flying debris and a farmhand died of shock. Wreckage was flung up to twenty miles away, with people near Sittingbourne being injured by flying debris, and a case of butter landed in Rainham, six miles away across the River Thames. Severed heads were later found on the Isle of Grain, where a ten ton section of the ship landed on the Admiralty’s oil storage tanks, causing damage. The sole survivor of the “Princess Irene” was a stoker, who suffered severe burns. The victims, whose bodies were recovered, were buried at Woodlands Road Cemetery, Gillingham. A Court of Inquiry confirmed that the disaster was not the result of sabotage, and discovered that the priming of the mines had been carried out hurriedly and by untrained personnel, and a faulty primer was blamed for the explosion. In 1921 a memorial was erected at the Dockyard Church, Sheerness, and Frederick Timms is commemorated there.
HMS Princess Irene
News from Abbots Langley Community Centre S
unday 19th May was ‘incroyable!’ in the village, with our first French market. Community Centre ‘Chair’ Fiona Packman, commented ‘We have had a fantastic day at the French Market today. I am amazed at how many people have visited. The French stalls offered a great selection of really tasty foods especially the crepes and patisserie. I think we have served about 400 hot drinks today in the Community Centre, it was a bit chilly outside which encouraged people to come inside and visit the centre and see what we do here’. A warm welcome was provided with an uplifting display of Celtic dancing and Zumba showing us how much fun keeping fit can be. The BJ Academy had an impressive number of trophies on display and Nelson was chatting to people about the benefits of Boxercise. In addition to this, the Abbots Langley Community market were selling local homemade produce and crafts, which complimented the French market outside. Fiona added; ‘I would like to say a big thank you to Erica for very ably assisting in the organisation of the day and all the volunteers
who served beverages: Ruth, Nicola, Brian, Elaine, Alex, Lucy Mary, Gill and Erica. Also volunteers; John, Richard, Neal doing all the important jobs! Finally, Abbots Langley Parent and Toddler group who has provided a fun filled play area for little guests to the community centre to hang out too! I would also like to mention Lynn, Pat and Amanda from BIZ who put the whole event together, it has been an incredible day, well done’. And what was the verdict from some of the young visitors that attended? ‘Fresh Croissants and Panne au Chocolate for breakfast, all the way from France, yummy!’ Ollie & Zac Baker
What’s on at the community centre: Surestart Children’s Centre – Monday mornings Kumon – Educational classes Monday’s and Wednesday’s from 3.30pm Monday Club – A weekly club every Monday from 6.30pm for anyone with learning disabilities Parent & Toddler Group – Play, chat and make friends Tuesday’s, Wednesday’s and Friday mornings from 9.30am
Celtic Dancers *NEW* Music with Mummy – Parent & child music classes suitable from birth to 3 years, Tuesday’s from 2pm Zumba – Come and party & dance Tuesday’s and Friday’s from 7pm Boxercise - Tuesdays 8.30pm to 9.30pm Taekwondo – Classes Wednesday’s from 8.30pm, Saturday’s from 9.30am & Sunday’s from 10am Runaround Rascals – Thursdays from 9.45am Youth Project – Thursday’s 5.45
Evergreens – A club for the Over 55’s Thursday’s 2pm and Fridays for Keep Fit 3pm Irish Dancing – Classes for 3 years and over Friday’s from 4.30pm Abbots Langley Orchestra – thriving orchestra meeting Sundays from 7.30pm Abbots Langley Winter Acoustics will be returning to the community centre for a series of concerts in the year ahead. Make a note in your diary for Sunday 10th May, Sunday 11th October & Sunday 8th November
The Abbots Langley Village Life | May 2015 | PAGE 23
The Centralian Players Present
Ten Times Table F
rom the award winning playwright, Alan Ayckbourn, comes the hilarious comedy Ten Times Table, performed by The Centralian Players. Taking place at Henderson Hall, Abbots Langley, from Thursday 14th through to Saturday 16th May 2015. The leading lights of the village have decided to hold a pageant based on a lost piece of local history, "The Massacre of the Pendon Twelve". It all seemed like a good idea at the start. But there's a young left wing teacher on the committee who decides to turn it into a rally for proletarian revolution, and the right wing faction being led by the Chairman's conservative wife. Committee meetings become symbolic
battlefields for conflicting views and the pageant itself turns into a violent confrontation between the two extremes, all leading to a climactic, caotic, yet hilarious, and farcical conclusion. Steve Barker will be making his directing debut. He has been with the Centralians for many years, giving outstanding performances on stage. Steve has stepped up to the demanding role of producer, with assistance from Wendy Read, together creating a masterpiece of comedy. Ten Times Table is an amateur production in association with Samuel French. The Centralians were founded in 1933, making 2015 its 82nd year. Having
performed in 3 different locations in the group’s history The Centralians have been performing at Henderson Hall in Abbots Langley since 1983. The Centralians perform 3 productions per year, in January, May and October. The group are always looking for new talent both on and off stage. Please contact the Box Office or a member of the group on the evening of the performance, for more details. We are online (www. thecentralians.co.uk), on Facebook (The Centralian Players) and on Twitter (@ TheCentralians).
PAGE 24 | The Abbots Langley Village Life | May 2015
LISTINGS INFORMATION TEN TIMES TABLE: Written by Alan Ayckbourn Directed by Steve Barker Opening night: Thursday 14th May 2015
Also showing: Friday 15th May, and Saturday 16th May Show start time: 7:45pm each day (Bar opens 7:15pm) Henderson Hall, High Street, Abbots Langley, WD5 0AR Ticket Prices: £8.00 Adults, £6.00 Concessions Box Office 01923 227392 / tickets@thecentralians.co.uk
Help in the Home “My Home Helper is perfect and I don’t know what I would do without her” Age UK Hertfordshire’s Help in the Home service is a real lifeline Age UK Hertfordshire’s Help in the Home is a service like no other. Our Home Helpers are carefully chosen, trusted and reliable. They enjoy their role and are happy to do the tasks around the house that you find difficult. Home Helper Donna says “I like to see my clients with a smile on their face when I carry out my weekly visit.” People have Home Helpers for many different reasons. Sometimes it is a relative who contacts us because they live far away and they want someone reliable and trustworthy who can provide the support their loved ones need. Miss Smith* says “Thank you all for your support. I really appreciate it and I know Mum does. We couldn’t manage without your excellent caring and efficient team. I feel reassured to know Mum is in such safe and capable hands.” Some of our clients use the service because they have health issues. Mrs Jones* says “My husband used to do the housework before suffering ill health so I am really glad of the service. It is a great help to both of us.” Whatever the reason our Home Helpers are there to anything you need from making the beds to dusting those hard to reach places. We appreciate that as an older person you want to retain your independence so our Home Helpers will only do the tasks you want them to and just the way you like it. You can enjoy an even better quality of life whilst remaining very much in control.
Age UK Hertfordshire’s Home Helpers can: • clean floors, windows, kitchens, bathrooms and wash up etc • change your bedding, do the laundry, iron and put away clothes • collect your prescription,
dry cleaning or shopping • keep the fridge clean and check sell by dates • prepare light meals • help keep your home looking tidy • provide companionship
How it works You can have as many visits as you like, it’s up to you. However, we ask that each visit is for a minimum of 1.5 hours duration. You pay £15.50 per hour and you pay by Direct Debit only, to help us keep our administrative costs as low as we can. You pay a one off assessment and registration fee of £20.00. This is paid when you have your pre-service visit. Your Home Helper will come from a local team who have been trained in Health and Safety, Food Hygiene and First Aid. Home Helpers also receive Dementia Awareness Training We will arrange a preservice visit before booking a Home Helper to come and see you. At the preservice visit we will discuss what tasks you would like your Home Helper to do ie: cleaning, laundry, cooking, shopping etc, talk about the service in detail and answer any questions you may have, outline our terms and conditions and look at other areas we may be able to help. Mr Ellery* says “I rely on Sarah coming each week. She is perfect and I don’t know what I would do without her.”
Our Home Helpers are: • carefully chosen, interviewed and checked through • references and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) • reliable, trustworthy and all work to the same high standards • specially trained to give an effective service • ready to listen to your concerns and maintain confidentiality • able to help you access our services
and I enjoy having a clean home.” “We greatly value the range of services offered by Age UK Hertfordshire and everyone is always so helpful. It is very reassuring to know that we can turn to Age UK Hertfordshire in times of need. I take every opportunity to sing your praises to others who might benefit from contacting your organisation.”
A name you can trust
Age UK Hertfordshire has been providing services and support to older people for over 50 years and we are recognised as an expert in this field. So you can feel safe in the knowledge that you are getting the best possible service from a name you can trust. Mr Jones* says “I am very happy with my Home Helper. We have a good laugh together and I really look
forward to seeing her every week”.
Are you interested in having a Home Helper? If so just call our Help in the Home Team and they’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have and to arrange a pre-service, no obligation, visit.
South West Hertfordshire Covering Watford, Three Rivers, Dacorum and Hertsmere Tel: 01923 224472 Email: helpinthehome.sw@ ageukherts.org.uk Age UK Hertfordshire is a registered charity number 1116662. *names have been changed to protect identity
Mrs Billington* says “I want to let you know how much we appreciate the service. Your team are always helpful and considerate; my husband enjoys the company
The Abbots Langley Village Life | May 2015 | PAGE 25
Seussical The Musical Preceeds New Dr Seuss Book? W
hen ALGSS decided to present Seussical in June using many of the favourite characters from the Dr Seuss books, we had no idea that a month later on July 28th a brand new Dr Seuss book is scheduled to be published, the first since 1990. Believed to have been written between 1958 and 1962 'What pet should I get' was discovered by his widow 20 years after his death.
His love for quirky animals is demonstrated in our musical and his sense of fun and clear ideas on social justice are apparent in the story of Horton the elephant and his protection of the Whos. 'A person's a person, no matter how small'. The show is full of toe tapping music and lyrical songs and the two teams of children who are playing the Whos are having great fun rehearsing. Seussical runs from June 10th-14th at 7.30 with matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 3pm Tickets for the show are on sale now from 07502 426721 or www.algss.ticketsource. co.uk or boxoffice@algss.org. uk
PAGE 26 | The Abbots Langley Village Life | May 2015
Flower Arrangement Society April Meeting
W
e held a workshop for our April 2015 meeting with Gill McGregor starting by demonstrating a contemporary arrangement with 10 80 cm Dracaena leaves, 10 roses, Fatsia leaves and other mixed foliage. The Dracaena leaves were rolled and folded into shape. Then the members were set then the task of replicating the demonstration which resulted in a number of colourful arrangements being made. To our amazement we all completed the task and had a
great evening. Our next meeting is on 28th May 2015 with a demonstration by Nadira Burki, entitled “Dream Weavers”, venue the Henderson Hall at 7.00 pm for 7.30 pm. All visitors welcome with a £5.00 entrance fee for non-club members. On 16th May we will hold our Annual Plant sale at the Henderson Hall Abbots Langley from 10.00 am to noon. Plants, cakes, brica-abrac and refreshments will be available.
A
s the weather gets warmer a reminder to residents that leaving windows (or doors) open to cool the house, can offer opportunities to criminals. We are very fortunate that the level of crime, particularly burglary, is very low in Kings Langley - however the lure of an open window or door will encourage opportunistic criminals. It’s a fact that burglars prefer to use as little force as possible and stay quiet, so tend to avoid damage and noise – an open window or door is an invitation to a burglar. Please ensure all windows and doors are kept closed and locked whenever possible – in particular ensure Upvc doors are locked with the key as just lifting the handle leaves them insecure. During hot spells, particularly at night use windows that are not easily accessible or can be locked
Home Security in a semi open position. Keep downstairs windows and windows above flat roofs closed. There is a great deal that residents can do themselves to reduce the risk of their property and home being targeted: • Check that all ground floor windows and doors are closed and locked when
Thank you to all volunteers for delivering this paper down their road. If you would like to help, there are more roads left in your area or you could volunteer to fill in when necessary
you are in the back garden, leave the house or go to bed. Upstairs windows should be closed and locked when the house is unoccupied • UPVC doors can only be properly locked by lifting the handle and using the key • Car and house keys should be kept out of sight. Don’t leave them on display on window sills, in porches, hallways or kitchens • If you are away overnight or on holiday, use timer switches indoors to turn lights on and off, giving your home a “lived-in‟ look • A good quality alarm and external dusk till dawn low energy lighting, fitted near doors and other entry points, are excellent deterrents • Register your valuables on the free database www. immobilise.com - it is quick
and easy to do and can help police return them to you if they are lost or stolen. It also helps police to prove that property found in a suspect’s possession is stolen. Joining or starting up a Neighbourhood Watch in your street can reduce the risk of crime, deterring criminals and bringing communities together. You can find out if there is a scheme where you live, and more about Neighbourhood Watch, at www.owl.co.uk. For comprehensive crime prevention advice visit our website at www.herts.police. uk or contact me via the non-emergency number 101. You can also use the nonemergency number to report any suspicious activity, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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The Abbots Langley Village Life | May 2015 | PAGE 27
PAGE 28 | The Abbots Langley Village Life | May 2015
F
The Music for 'The Herbal Bed'
or five evenings from 21st to 25th April a mysterious construction appeared in the Abbots Langley Churchyard. This was the banked seating and stage set for the Abbots Langley Players production of Peter Whelan's play 'The
Herbal Bed', as part of the RSC's Open Stages project, and timed to coincide with William Shakespeare's birthday. Incidental music was provided by a trio of local musicians gathered especially for the production, comprising Lynne Watkins on harp, Freddie Goldsmith on flute and tin whistle, and Tim Brooks on fiddle. We were asked to use music which would have been played in the pubs and streets around the period the play was set (1613). So rather than focus on the early chamber music usually associated with this period, we looked to popular dance music of the time. Fortunately the relatively new facility of printing at the turn of the century had enabled the publication of two notable collections of popular dance music, namely John Playford's
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Photo by Laura Furlong 'English Dancing Master' (first edition 1651 and Jehan Tabourot's Orchésographie, (1859) a study of late sixteenth-century French Renaissance social dance. The pieces we selected were 'Branle des Cheveaux' (Horse's Brawl) from Orchesographie, 'Jenny Pluck Pears', 'The Hole in the Wall' and 'Jack's Maggot' from The
English Dancing Master, a traditional Northumbrian 3/2 hornpipe 'Rusty Gulley' and John Dowland's Lute piece 'Lady Hammond's Alman' (in some sources this last piece is attributed instead to the composer and lutenist Robert Johnston, who composed the music for several of Shakespeare's plays ) Tim Brooks
Social evenings are held at the Manor House, Abbots Langley on the second Thursday of each month from 8pm to 10.30pm. There are also a variety of outings organised throughout the year that are announced at our social meetings.
The Royal British Legion Abbots Langley Branch We welcome all those interested to join us. Monthly meetings are held at the Abbots Langley Men's Club on the 1st Monday of the month (except on Bank Holiday when we assemble on the 2nd Monday) at 8pm. Everyone welcome. The Abbots Langley Village Life | May 2015 | PAGE 29
Abbots Langley Cricket Club 18th April Abbots Langley took a short trip to Chipperfield for a preseason warm up game. Chipperfield won the toss and elected to bat. George Agius opened the bowling with a maiden followed by Steve Wallis who came on and took out opener Hampson first ball with the score on 1. The score board ticked over nicely for the next few overs with 15 year old Lewis Hodgins coming on to replace Agius, who had pulled a back muscle. A nice ball bowled giving Tipton a chance to loft it high only to be caught by Metcalfe in the outfield for 21 followed by another with an over the shoulder catch by Parkins. Chris Chellew was then brought on and proceeded to take key wickets finishing on 7 for 4 before being replaced by Faisal Rehman on debut 2 for 11. Then it was time for the Gurney brothers. Josh batting Nick bowling, with Chipperfield coming out on top. An inspired bowling change came in the 42nd over. Metcalfe was asked to turn his arm, having bowled well in the nets and bowled number 11 first ball. So Chipperfield
were all out for 154. In response Ben Balmforth and Matt Parkins opened the batting Balmforth being caught on 5. Parkins hit a quick fire 52 off 41 balls before falling to an LBW off Bambury. Chellew and Metcalfe put on 35 with Metcalfe, bowled for 22 by Tipton. This brought on Michael Burgess who with Chellew 36 n/o saw Abbots get the winning runs in 23 overs, finishing on 155 for 3 with Burgess making 33 n/o. Here's looking forward to a successful season. 24th April Abbots Langley headed off to another preseason friendly against St. Albans West Indians. The usual uncertain weather returned with rain threatening. Abbots won the toss decided to bat. Parkins found it hard to put bat to ball in the first few overs, eventually settling down to hit good timed shots off some fiery bowling. First to fall was Cox run out for 4 bringing in Chellew setting up a 34 run partnership until Parkins was caught for 38 off Weekes. Metcalfe then took to the crease, and with Chellew
holing out for 13, settled down to make 28 until he too was caught off the bowling of Morris. Captain Warner and Nick Gurney put on a good spurt scoring 33 and 21 respectively to give Abbots a total of 147 for 9 After tea the first over saw Wallis take 2 wickets and Chellew to take a 3rd with the score on 2. With the score on 26 for 6 big Devon Weekes came to the crease and all changed. He hit the ball to all parts of the ground and it looked like Abbots score would not be enough. On came Gurney and too a hat trick maiden to leave the score at 65 for 9 leaving the final wicket to be taken by veteran Phil Hobs to take the final wicket as SAWI were all out for 68. 26th April Sunday saw a chilly damp day which soon turned out to be a hotly contested match against St. John's Wood. Jack Read opened the batting with Peter Metcalfe and the ball flew to all parts until, with the score on 99, Read fell to an easy catch off
McCloughlan for 35 . John Battams came in and with Metcalfe put on 67 before Metcalfe too was caught after scoring 107. Battams was joined by Gurney and with both hitting 4's and 6's the runs flowed freely when Battams was caught on the boundary for 68. With Gurney 69 not out and Chellew 8 not out the score finished on 270 for 3. In reply St. John's came out guns blazing. Opener Crossland hit out with panache scoring 131 not out. with Brown 54 not out St. John's finished on 208 for 3. Mehta taking 2 for 22 and Graves 1 for 32. Judy Metcalfe Communications Officer
Cut off date for next issue: Monday 25th May
If you see a dog owner not clearing up after their pet, please email enquiries@threerivers.gov.uk giving as much detail as possible – what area, any address details, day, time of day, type of dog. You can also telephone 01923 776611 and report it to Customer Services PAGE 30 | The Abbots Langley Village Life | May 2015
My Treasured Memories of Hemsby by Billy Crush
A
ll geared up and ready to go, the opening day came. The first weeks guests arrived, the Mayor of Great Yearmouth, local dignitaries, the Company Directors and the “Guvnor” Fred Pontin. My young and eager to learn Blue Coat Team did me proud, handing round drinks, mixing with guests and first week campers. It was another great challenge met. I had four years at Hemsby and many tales to tell. Just across the road from our camp was the well established “Seacroft” owned by a Mr Bishop and Family, well known for its lovely gardens and greenhouses. They were always keen to tell me of “the good old days” of Madisons and the friendly intercamp sports that took place. Many times I suggested that this would be a good idea to start again but was frowned upon for fear of large crowd damage, however, Mr Bishop was appointed Mayor of Great Yarmouth and his wife, a lovely lady, made her Charity of the Year the Caister In Shore Lifeboat. I said I would like to help and in fact raised £350,000 for her fund. She was so pleased, she suggested holding an intercamp football match like the old days. I was pleased because this particular week we had some ex pros from the London League staying, so I thought we were in with a chance. A practice match and we were all set for the big day. Led by a piper, the Blue Coats Team and about 400 campers all hyped up and singing “When the Saints Go Marching In”, everything was fine although they had locked up the greenhouses. This friendly match was well into the second half, the
score three all, the up to then good natured bantering of the crowds had spurred the teams on to special effort. Our centre forward was forging through ready to score but with a crunching tackle was brought down. Not taking too kindly to this he got up and started to mix it, the teams joined in and so did the campers. I thought now is the time for me to make my exit, a gap in a hedge was just right and I crept back to camp. The tannoy was calling “office immediately” a right good telling off, how could I help it. Anyway, match abandoned and no more inter camp sports. So many memories I recall of my great friends of the wrestling fraternity. They taught me how to be a referee. Get out of the way when they were diving about, how to count, disqualify and give an Irish whip when being threatened. One wrestler, a fitness fanatic and 16 stone Policeman, used to practice forearm smashes on the wall of the dressing room. I heard them talking – it seemed he had been called to a skirmish in the town, he said “No, I am not allowed to hit anyone”, he made a rush at me and I put my arm up to protect myself and he ran into it (that took a bit of believing), Gwen loved the wrestlers and they loved her but she could not stand violence of any sort. This is well known to be part of the act, but it tempted providence to be near Gwen on the bottom rope when trying to strangle an opponent, it deserved being hit with Gwen’s handbag and to call her “silly moo” which got the reply “don’t you talk to me like that” then it was my turn “what are you laughing at you big poor entertainments
manager, you’re not fit to sell ice cream” and to the guests “you miserable lot at Pontins, if I never come here again it will be too soon”, boos and cheers as they go to the dressing room. Great stuff! Before they left, kisses all round for Gwen, handshakes for me, what great people here at Hemsby, how do they do it?
My four seasons at Hemsby was really great, the camp firmly established and the Norfolk people really friendly. I’ve heard trouble at my old camp “Little Canada”, will it be another job for me? Next month, I was back where I started. Thanks for listening
Above: My new Hemsby Bluecoat team Below: End of season "All Camps" Miss Pontins Finals
The Abbots Langley Village Life | May 2015 | PAGE 31
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Cost of 118 calls Do you know how much you are spending?
W
e’ve all seen the fancy TV ads, and some of us have used the services – but do you know just how much it does cost to use one of the 118 directory enquiries? All the companies charge a one off fee followed by a cost per minute – 1 minute and 1 second will be charged as two minutes – costs below are from the companies web sites and are based on a call from a land line (calls from mobiles “can” cost more)
118500 - £1.99/call + £2.46/minute
118118 - £1.88/call + £2.57/minute 118247 - £1.53/call + £1.83/minute (Other service providers are available) So a 1 minute call to 118118 will cost £1.88 + £2.57 = £4.45, a 2 minute call will cost £7.02, the operators may offer to connect you to your chosen number, which sounds great but the cost per minute continues. So a 15 minute call could cost over £40!
PAGE 32 | The Abbots Langley Village Life | May 2015
01923 260 402 01923 268 455
ABBEY PHARMACY 45 HIGH STREET, ABBOTS LANGLEY
Your independent chemist for personal professional service We can collect REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS from selected local surgeries and dispense them ready for you to collect. For further details ask our pharmacist, Mr Suri Patel MRPharmS Free home delivery service for the housebound
Telephone: 01923 262151 Open Mon - Fri 9am to 6.30pm; Sat 9am to 4.30pm
Published by The Village Newspaper Ltd. Editor: Julie Barton Charter Court, Vicarage Lane, Kings Langley, WD4 9HR - Tel: (01923) 270160