3Hilltop News

June & July 2007

3Hilltop News

NEWS FROM THEPARISH COUNCIL

You may have wondered why therewas no Parish Council election on3rd May. The fact was that we had

exactly the right number of candidates sono election was necessary. This meant thatthe Parish Council did not have to bear thecost of an election, about £1,200, and alsothat the Council qualifies to seek “Quality”status with all the benefits (including somefinancial ones) this would present.

Thanks to Brian Rice who stood downfrom the Council this year and welcome toCouncillor Caroline Coates who takes hisplace.

The Council has decided to commence aParish appraisal, the first stage in becominga Quality Council, and will shortly hold ameeting with Bucks Community Action toget the process under way. Anyoneinterested in taking part in the appraisalprocess should contact me for furtherinformation. The project will certainlyinclude a Parish Meeting, followed by aquestionnaire to find out what you wantfor the Parish, and action to drive throughany changes resulting from the appraisal.

Council meetings take place on thefourth Monday in the month exceptAugust and December - see notice boardsfor venues. Members of the public arewelcome to attend and have their say.

David Clarke

CALLING ALL QUIZZERSSt Leonards Parish Hall

Refurbishment fund.

Many thanks to all who purchasedthe Christmas quiz sheet - no.2. 19were returned and the winner was

Robert Jones of Tring.Quiz no.3 will be available at the St

Leonards Fete on Saturday 2nd June andthereafter at local events or via a memberof the Hall Management Committee.

We look forward to your continuingsupport.

Sandy Clarke

Congratulations, Horace, onyour 100th Birthday!

Hilltop NewsHilltop News

CHOLESBURY CUM STLEONARDSHORTICULTURALSOCIETY NEWS

Despite the very dry conditions prevalentthroughout April and early May,members of the society turned up for

the Annual Bring and Buy Plant Sale on 11 Mayladen with trays of young plants as generousdonations towards the success of the evening.The accompanying supper and tabletop quizensured a merry few hours were spent; some ofit even discussing the merits of various plantsand where they would best flourish!

As usual, any surplus plants from theevening are being lavished with care and willbe passed on to the plant stall at St Leonard’sVillage Fete, which this year will take placeon Saturday 2 June, beginning at 14.00 h.Carol Delaney has again agreed to takecharge of the stall and she will be gratefulfor any additional contributions. Plants canbe left at the Village Hall on the morning ofthe show or can be taken to Carol on thestall in the afternoon, when you may thenfind some others to buy in their place.

The Society’s members-only eveninggarden visit takes place on Friday 8 Junefrom 19.00 to 20.30 h, when we have beenkindly invited to view the garden atBassibones Farm, Ballinger. Members musttelephone Diana Garner on 758347 to beadded to the list of visitors. Lightrefreshments will be served. There will be nocharge for this visit but donations will becollected for a charity of Mrs Godden’schoice.

To round off our midsummer events, onSunday 24 June we are delighted to have fivegardens opening under our auspices to raisefunds for the Bucks Air Ambulance. These areall within walking distance in BucklandCommon, and the generous hosts will beGeorge and Madeline Finlay, Ellie Redding,Jenny and Kim Walker, Laura Moore, and David

and Carol Delaney. There will be a singleentrance fee of £4.00 to cover all the gardens,which will be open from 14.00 to 17.00 h––nocharge for small children. Teas will be served atThe Thatched Cottage, where there will also bea produce stall and a tombola. Parking will beavailable in a field off Bottom Road. Pleasecome and bring your friends so we can raise asmuch money as possible for this very worthycause.

Anyone wishing to join our coach trip toKew Gardens on Thursday 20 Septembershould contact Diana Garner on the numbergiven above to book a seat. Prices are £20 forthe under 60s, with a charge of £17.50 for olderparticipants. Non-members will pay anadditional £1.

Finally, please do not forget that this year’sAnnual Show takes place on Saturday 1September. This is the highlight of our yearand we rely on you all to continue to enteryour flowers, produce, photographic and craftitems to ensure that the Show still earns theplaudits of the judges and the Society continuesto thrive. As has been said in the past, now isthe time to ‘Dig for Victory!’

Anne Brown - Hort Soc Committee 758890http://www.cholesbury.com/hortsoc.htm

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7Hilltop NewsHilltop News

WEATHER ANDNATURE NOTES Take care to look out for a green glow and

the cyanide. Take time to check the time.

Take the opportunity to revel in the

wonders of slime.

Once again I have cause to mention yetanother new weather record. Thistime April, according to the

understated comment on the Met Officewebsite, was ‘an exceptionally warm month’.It had the highest average temperatures forthis time of year since 1914 and in centralEngland was the warmest April since recordsbegan in the 1600s. Locally it peaked on the15th at 24°C. So much for April showers - Irecorded just 1mm of rain during the month(on 26th) when typically one could haveexpected between 1-3 inches! Long-rangeforecasting is clearly a dying art as I find thePR department at the Met Office has also gotits grip on this too. So cagy to be of littlevalue, they see it being a warmer thanaverage summer though with the odds of areal scorcher being only 8/1. Underlining howwarm and dry the late spring was this year,the oak beat the ash into leaf by a countrymile, the latter only appearing in the firstweek of May. The folklore which dictates ‘ifash before oak = soak, if oak before ash =splash’ is reinforced by science which tells usit’s all about temperature and light. Leaf-burst of the oak is dependent on averagetemperatures whilst that of the ash is basedon length of daylight.

After many years when butterflies ratherthan moths have received all the attention,the latter are at last being given some well-deserved increased recognition. Moths arein fact far more important than butterfliesfor pollinating our garden flowers andshrubs. Although there are over 900 largemoth species to only 70 butterflies in theUK, because they are largely night-flying,

tend to appear unexpectedly from out ofthe curtains and have several less savourymyths attached to them, moths have hadbad press for a long time. Conversely,moths were favoured by the 18th centurynaturalists and then later as part of theVictorian obsession with collecting anythingthat moved - a visit to Tring ZoologicalMuseum will confirm this. This obsessionproduced some intriguing and unusualnames. The Vapourer - chestnut brown withwhite eyespots - is a very conspicuous mothto be seen at twilight flitting at speedbetween flowers. It was so named as thiswas the commonly used title for a braggart,or load-mouthed and fast talker.Meanwhile the Mother Shipton wasassociated with the famous Yorkshire witchbecause it has the profile of an old hag’sface on each forewing. Of the day-flyingmoths, of similar hue are the Cinnabar andthe distinctive five or six spot Burnet moths.The latter has spots of crimson set againstan almost jet black background. Its sinisterlook matches the deadly secret this mothhides - the caterpillar, which feeds onragwort, accumulates a cyanide derivativethat is concentrated in the body of theadult. If you would like to learn moreabout moths you have an opportunity overthe weekend of Friday 22nd June to Sunday24th June 2007. As the websitewww.butterfly-conservation.org.uk says,“Everyone can search for moths andcaterpillars in their own gardens and takepart online in the biggest ever moth survey.Are there Hawks, Ermines and Swifts in yourgarden?”

I surprised a slug yesterday in the earlymorning, well not any old slug but a GreatBlack Slug. It was not black but russetbrown, it was not sluggish but was movingat pace and purposely across a grassy dew-moistened path. In fact I did not surprise itbut it surprised me, stopped me in my tracksjust as my size 10s were about to occupy‘the same space and time’ - something all

the best time-travellers tell youto avoid at all costs. One of 23British species of slug, it can be blackbut also orange, striped or even white.Unlike its diminutive cousins that candevastate your hostas or your salad crops,this slug on balance does more good thanevil, mainly feeding on decaying plants ordead animals. Using its rasping tongue andthe digestive juices regurgitated from itsstomach, it makes swift work of even thetoughest detritus.

Slime is synonymous with slugs and istheir key asset as it provides someprotection from attack by birdsor animals.

Slugs are adelicacy for badger orfox and when attacked they rapidly secretecopious amounts of distasteful slime, rollinto a ball and uniquely, can be seen rockingfrom side to side. By laying down a slimetrail, these large slugs can motor over roughground or up smooth surfaces with ease.Slugs are hermaphrodites and when readyto reproduce they will use their slime to laydown a trail containing a strong attractant.The young hatch and can normally expect tolive up to three years.

Two mentions of bird reports this time.The first cuckoo was heard on 14th April -one up to the apiarists of Shire Lane. Thesecond was an excellent and rare sighting ofan albino sparrow, which has been seenseveral times in a number of gardens inSandpit Hill. Only around 17 in every 30,000birds display at least partial albinism andvery occasionally they can be completelywhite with pink beak and eyes. This is dueto a genetic condition which suppresses ordisables the production of melanin. Suchbirds can sometimes be ostracised by othersof the same species but can happily flock

with other birds similar in size andhabit. Quite often they are

short lived as they stand outfrom the crowd and get

picked off by predators.Apart from sparrows,starlings, blackbirds,jackdaws, crows, titsand robins are mostfrequently reportedin albino form. Dolet me know if, like

others, you haveseen this particular

albino around recently.You may be lucky to

spy glow-worms on warmevenings from June

onwards. They used to be afrequent sight along the verges

of the Chilterns but these daysare much more difficult to find. A

few females (the males do not glow) werereported performing their luminous displayaround Hawridge and Heath End last year.

It was fashionable in the early 1800s toassemble wild flowers into a clock shapeaccording to the time of day they opened.More accurate but less fun than dandelionseed heads, this is still something one canlook out for today if out for a morning orafternoon walk - for example, the scarletpimpernel closes at 3pm. Other flowers usedincluded nipplewort, chickweed, chickory,bindweed and even water lily - allapparently accurate to a few minutes. Noprizes as to when Jack-go-to-bed-at-noonclosed its petals!

The deliberate mistake last time was tosuggest that Spring Watch was about tostart as it was spring. Well it seems globalwarming has hit the schedules, as theprogramme starts at the end of May - insummer!

That’s all this month. Do keep lettingme know about your sightings or questions.

chrisbrown@rayshill.com

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8 Hilltop News Hilltop News 9

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CHOLESBURY VILLAGE HALL

Attractive period hall with good modernfacilities available for hire

Local organisations £5 per hour

Local private bookings & localfundraising/events from £7 per hour

Private parties from £10 per hour

Special rates available for all day functions.

For more details, please call theBookings Secretary on 01494 758334

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LITTLE BEARSLed by Claire, Little Bears walked to St

Leonards Church as usual for their pre-

Easter visit on their last day of term in

March.

Virginia and ‘Charlie’ told the story ofPalm Sunday and Jesus’ triumphantarrival in Jerusalem. The children

were enthralled and for a few minutesbecame a part of the crowd carrying ‘palmleaves’ and waving them in greeting as Hearrived in the city.

We sang a song together then LittleBears sang two songs to us. As it was MacMackenzie’s last day, Claire presented himwith a folder of his work, some photos, aCertificate of Leaving and a Rucksackcontaining writing materials to help him onhis way to Big School. The short and verywell attended service ended with a prayer.

The happy bunch moved into the ChurchRoom and it was agreed to meet again onthe Parish Hall field for Little Bears SportsDay in the Summer. In the Autumn theywill be back in Church again with theirHarvest gifts and afterwards, the nowtraditional, juice and biscuits in the Room!

Ann Horn

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THIS MONTH’S SAINT…I want to begin with a story about the

Bletchley Park codebreakers of World War II.

I tell it, I admit, slightly cautiously – we’ve

had more than one ex-codebreaker in these

villages in my time here – but I think it’s a

story that will be familiar to anyone

‘in the know’.

Winston Churchill appreciated thevalue of their intelligence andtook a strong personal interest in

the workings of Bletchley Park. He took atour there in September 1941, and aftermeeting the mixed group of scholars andeccentrics, commented to Sir StewartMenzies, head of the British SecretIntelligence Service: ‘When I told you toleave no stone unturned in looking forthese people, I didn't expect you to takeme quite so literally.’

I wonder if God himself might have justhad the hint of a second thought alongthese lines when watching John the Baptistin action – something like ‘My goodness,what have I turned up here?’ Have youever considered the irony of the genteel,tranquil church of The Lee having as itspatron saint the wild baptiser from theriver Jordan?

June 24th sees the festival of St. Johnthe Baptist; so we’ll see, in that week andon that Sunday, family services andassemblies up and down the land breakingout the locusts and the wild honey, the

camelhair coats and sandals. There’snothing wrong with that, but in fact thefestival is that of the birth of John theBaptist; technically, we leave the adult partof his life for Advent.

John’s calling and ministry were to beunique – the Biblical successor to the greatprophet Elijah, the person pointing theway to Jesus Christ himself.

His birth was surrounded by two things;prayer and expectation. Both related toJohn himself, but both were also linked, inlocation and in time, to the birth of hiscousin Jesus six months later. Miraculousevents happened at both boys’conceptions; messages through dreams andvisiting angels, and John’s father beingstruck dumb. Partly because of thesethings, both sets of parents were preparedin advance that their sons were to bespecial.

In a less spectacular way, it would begood to think that the world’s childrenwould all have their start in life marked byboth of the same two things. Sadly though,I suspect that the majority don’t – on theone hand we have the particularly Westernphenomenon of ‘trophy’ children, on theother the low value placed on young livesin so many parts of the world.

John’s span on earth, throughconception and birth, through ministry,teaching and on to his death, was a beaconof hope to humanity. The plan for his lifewas God’s, but ordinary human parents,through their prayer, expectations,devotion and love, played their part indeveloping that life and bringing it to itsfulfilment. In a very real way, John’s story isours, and our children’s.

Yours in Christ,

1918 Hilltop News Hilltop

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CHOLESBURY Holy Baptism Sunday 20th May 2007 – Benjamin Charles Oliver Morris

ST LEONARDSHoly Baptism Sunday 6th May 2007 – Amelie Syndey Jenkins

CHOLESBURY

The Cream Tea held on Sunday 13thMay was a great success. Thank you somuch all who helped. Everyone

enjoyed the home-made cakes andsandwiches and the Bric-a-Brac and Plantsand Tombola certainly helped to swell thefunds. This was our first tea of the seasonand we started it enthusiastically! Anydoubts over the grass on the Commonoutside the Village Hall disappeared and weare most grateful to Peter Windus who hastaken over the mowing from JohnBrokenshire.

Our annual Pet’s Service is on 24thJune and we plan to be outside – weatherpermitting. Do join us and bring your petsalong. We expect dogs to be the mainfour legged guests as in previous years, butall pets are welcome to this informalservice.

We would like to thank David Wheatonfor leading our Devotional Hour on GoodFriday and Emma-Elizabeth Whinscomb,aged 14, for playing the organ so well atour Communion Service on May 6th.

The Electoral Roll for St Laurence standsat 20 showing consistency over recent

years. Thank you, Wendy Hutson, forrevising the Roll.

The Fete with Hawridge will be atCholesbury this year on August BankHoliday Monday 27th as usual. Pleasekeep your diaries free for this importantevent and let John Farmer – 758715 – knowif you are able to help in any way. Wewould welcome extra support this year!

HAWRIDGE

On Sunday 29th April at our JointParish Communion, we weredelighted to welcome Marcelle

Siddall – a representative of African Aid –to talk to us and we were even moredelighted to be able to send a donation of£300 to this very worthwhile charity as aresult of our collection.

Marcelle talked passionately about‘African Aid’, and in particular about thevulnerable children of Ingwavuma.

‘In Ingwavuma the enormous problemof children orphaned by HIV and AIDS goeson and sometimes seems overwhelming.There is no electricity and no water supplyand often the head of the family – possiblyonly fourteen years old or younger – has to

travel many many miles to queue for waterbefore somehow carrying it home. WhereNGO support can go no further,‘Ekukhanyeni’ which means ‘Lighthouse’offers an immediate safe and caringenvironment for these vulnerable childrenwhile efforts are made to find suitablefoster homes in the community. But bothresources and funds are poor and a verylittle has to go a very long way. The Centrehas little furniture, few beds and cots andwould love to be able to build a dormitoryso that the girls and boys could sleepseparately. The temperature is very high insummer and freezing in winter but theywork hard and are currently building a henhouse and making a vegetable garden sothat the children may learn self sufficiency’.

It doesn’t seem a lot to ask – but oursupport is life for the children ofIngwavuma. Please contact me, JoanWalton 758332 for further information onhow to help these young people.

Our Annual Summer Concert with Iain

Ledingham is on Friday 22nd June at theSchool at 7pm. As usual Iain will bringwith him students from The Royal Academyof Music. If you have been before you willknow what a good evening this is and ifyou have not, and are a music lover, this isan opportunity to attend a first classevening on your doorstep! Tickets £12.50to include supper – from Elizabeth 758214or Joan 758332

Patronal Festival – 1st July TheChurch will be open between services forvisitors to see the flower displays and artwork by children of Hawridge & CholesburySchool. This year the theme is ‘TheCreation’. The Church services are :- 9.30am Family Service to which thechildren from the School are speciallyinvited.6pm Evensong and Holy Communion27th August Annual Hawridge &Cholesbury Churches’ Fete – CholesburyVillage Hall at 1.30pm

If you are able to help in any way,

Walk of witness

It is with very great pleasure that we welcome David back among us. At the same time we dothank most sincerely Ivor and all Clergy and lay people who stepped in to help us with our manyservices during David’s absence – allowing life in the Hilltops to continue more or less as normal.

David is thanking all concerned personally at a small drinks party in June.

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please contact either John Farmer 758715,Elizabeth Tomlin 758214 or Joan Walton758332. Help is always needed to manstalls or to set up in the morning or clearup in the evening. It is an extremelyimportant fund-raiser for our twoChurches, so do please come and give usyour support.

Hawridge Church Walking GroupThe June walk will be on the 5th andwill start at the later time of 10.30am Wewill meet at the Ashridge Estate in the carpark (where we met last year) which isabout half way on the approach road tothe Bridgewater Monument. Coffee andtea will be served as usual.

This will be the last walk of the summerand we will start again on 2nd October. Adonation of 50p towards church funds isalways appreciated.

Margaret and Joan Walton 758332

ST LEONARDS

Our Easter celebrations were awonderful mixture of sunshine,people and Easter eggs! Our

Sunday School children, visitors and friendsspent a happy two hours with Virginia,hearing again the Easter story and creatingtheir own Easter Garden; the walk ofwitness, led by Gavin allowed everyone tocontribute before we met up with Ivor andthe walkers from Hawridge for a simplereading and final hymn outside CholesburyVillage Hall…followed by our ownDevotional Hour – a simple service of quietwith several readings, prayers and time forthought.

The Church – filled with Spring flowers -sparkled on Easter morning and KevanRoyle really brought alive the Eastermessage to both adults and children whofilled the Church, before joining in theEaster egg hunt. In fact he actually helpedto hide them in the first place!

We were delighted to welcome into the

Church, Amelie Jenkins on Sunday 6th May.She behaved impeccably – as did all hersmall friends – during the Baptism andCommunion service.

The discussion group which meets in theChurch Room began again on Wednesday2nd of May and will continue fortnightlyfor a further five sessions. We arediscussing the Parables and the meetingwas wonderfully well attended with, notsurprisingly, strong views on a number ofsubjects. This is a meeting which has aguiding subject but where an enormousamount of other matters are discussed! Docome and join in.

Car Park Light – Visitors to St Leonardsin the evening will now be able to takeadvantage of the light which comes on asthey arrive in the car park. It can beswitched on for the length of time requiredat the utility room door.

Confirmation – We are delighted thatthree members of our Junior Church,Callum Bright, Madeleine Allsop and RonaOgden together with Derek Larmour fromThe Lee and Chris Young from Cholesburyare to be confirmed on Sunday 15th July.

Ray and Christine Brown whose Marriage wasblessed by John Hull on Saturday 3rd March.

The service will take place either at StLeonards or The Lee and the weekly ParishNewsletter will confirm which.

Family Service and BBQ All thosewho are part of our Family Service andSunday School are warmly welcomed tojoin us at our 11o’clock service on Sunday17th June. There is to be a BBQ afterwardswith a treasure hunt for the children. It isour opportunity to thank you for yourgreat support during the past year, soplease come as our guests!

Do join us at one of the Tea-Parties heldin the Church Room. Our numbers aregrowing and we would love to see you!We meet at 3pm on Wednesday 27thJune and again on Wednesday 25th July.

As I mentioned briefly on theGrapevine I was thrilled to admirethe lovely candle flowers on the old

chestnut tree standing by Braziers Endpond. But for the sharp eyes andimmediate action of some very caringpeople we could just be looking at astump. Their action last year saved thislovely old tree from being cut down and itwill be interesting to monitor its progressand health over the years, and I would notbe surprised if it outlives us all.

Jenny Parsons 758694Barncroft, Vale Farm, Hawridge, CHESHAM, Bucks HP5 2UG

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AS YOU SOW, SO SHALLYOU REAPMy reference at the end of the

Horticultural Society News to the wartime

‘Dig for Victory’ campaign set me to

thinking about the benefits of such a

scheme for 2007 Britain. Naturally, the

reasons behind it would now be

completely different but the benefits could

be equally impressive for us all.

However, I am not suggesting thatevery flowerbed, tennis court orverge be converted into makeshift

vegetable and fruit patches, although onegroup in London is already making themost of that city’s derelict flowerbeds androundabouts, which have been left to grownothing but weeds. The Guerilla Gardenersuse their own time and resources to replantthese urban eyesores to bring a littlegreenery to the locality. Operating mainlyundercover of the night their brand ofinverse vandalism has reaped its rewards byproducing crops such as lavender, whichthey have then used to finance future‘expeditions’ into the urban jungle. Morecan be learned of their ventures atwww.guerillagardening.org. Of course,here in the Hilltop Villages such plantingforays are not only unnecessary but couldbe damaging to the natural ecosystemssurrounding us, by introducing plants andspecies that are not native, so please donot follow their example hereabouts!

But it would be no bad thing if morepeople were to devote at least a part oftheir ‘patch’ to growing some produce.Other than the obvious improvement infreshness of such home-grown items overthe shop-bought alternatives, andtherefore better flavour, there are manyother advantages to growing one’s own.Any trip to the supermarket will offer you

a selection of fruit and vegetables that aresuccessfully grown in the UK at certaintimes of year, but which are available yearround, it seems, from all over the globe.Restricting ourselves to those that are inseason in the UK would do much to reducethe ever-increasing carbon footprintgenerated by transporting fresh fruit andvegetables from places like Thailand,Mexico and Ghana. On a smaller scale,reducing trips by car to purchase freshproduce that can be grown in the backgarden must also have a beneficial effect.

The old saying, ‘You are what you eat’holds true now more than ever. In aneconomy where there is constant demandfor blemish-free, beautifully shaped fruitsand vegetables, many commercial growersmake use of the plentiful array ofpesticides and chemicals that can nowdeter most pests. If, however, you prefernot to ingest too many chemicals or theirresidues, what better way to be sure ofwhat has been on your cabbages,strawberries or beans than to grow yourown?

Refusing to use artificial compounds todeter damaging insects does not have tomean sacrificing a portion of your harvesteither. A careful inspection of cabbagesand other brassicas during the height ofthe butterfly season will reveal their eggson the reverse of the leaves. While notbeing an especially pleasant task, it is nottoo hard to rub these away and preventdamaging caterpillars from emerging. Ifthese are already present, however, it isjust a matter of grasping them betweenfinger and thumb and removing them.Blackfly and aphids can be rubbed fromleaves in a similar fashion, or removed fromplants with a strong jet of water, andpinching out the growing points of broadbeans once the pods have set will deterthese flies from settling. Carrots should beplanted between rows of taller vegetablesso that carrot fly do not detect the rows so

easily and any thinnings should beremoved completely to prevent the scent,which acts as an attractant, fromspreading. The natural scent frommarigolds deters aphids, which is why theseare often planted with tomato plants.

In 2007 Britain we are all made aware,on what seems a daily basis, of the healthproblems pursuant upon a low-exerciselifestyle, something that has led to a boomin health clubs and gyms. However, physicalactivity does not need to be a drain onyour purse as well as your energy. An hourspent in the garden wielding a fork orspade, hoeing or raking, or marchingaround behind the lawnmower will reapsimilar rewards for your health but at thesame time improve your surroundings orprovide healthy food for your table. It doesnot matter how large a garden you have, itis about making best use of the spaceavailable without being too ambitious tobegin with. The verges, flowerbeds andlawns of the wartime Dig for Victorycampaign, can be translated into windowboxes, for salad and herb plants, patio potsand hanging baskets, for tomatoes andstrawberries, and ornamental borders, for afew brightly flowering climbing beans.Once you have tried that, there’ll be nostopping you!

Anne Brown 758890

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100 CLUB WINNERS April 20071st Prize £15

No 64 Mr Trafford Matthews, The Vale

2nd Prize £10

No 67 Mr G Ogden, Buckland Common

May 20071st Prize £15

No 61 Mr C Firth, Buckland Common

2nd Prize £10

No 90 Mr Philip Matthews, Buckland Common

New Members always welcome, please

contact the Treasurer, Mick Mariscotti 837093

St Leonards Parish Hall Fête, Horse Show & Gymkhana

Saturday 2nd June 2007

Horse Show & Gymkhana - from 9.00am

Dog Show – from 1.00pm

Fête – Opening at 2.00pm

by MATT BAKER

Children’s Circus Fancy Dress

Judging by MATT

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HAWRIDGE &CHOLESBURYCOMMONSPRESERVATIONSOCIETYSummer PartyThis year’s Summer Party will be held atHawridge Place on Saturday 7th Julyfrom 6pm - 9pm and tickets will be on salesoon. We will be having marquees; livemusic; a hog roast with lots of salads andvegetarian options; a licensed bar; a varietyof activities for children including a bouncyslide and a raffle with lots of terrific prizes.

Admission is by ticket only and prices are£12 for adult members, £15 for non-members and £6 for children aged 5 -16:under 5s go free. A family ticket formembers only is £35.

We are again seeking sponsorship fromlocal businesses so if you run a smallbusiness you may consider giving us adonation in cash or kind. We will

acknowledge all donors on the day, in thelocal press and in our HCCPS Newsletter.We would also welcome help with catering(salads, quiches or desserts) from individualmembers and friends and will happilyreimburse you for any expenses. As youcan imagine, setting up, serving andclearing up are all time-consuming and so,if you are able to help in any way, pleasegive me a call on 758 440.

We do hope that you will be able tocome and spend a relaxing evening in Carysand Eric Gadsden’s lovely garden withfriends and neighbours. This is our majorfundraising event of the year and yoursupport will help keep the Commonsbeautiful.

Bird/plant walkWe held the first of our Summer Walks onSunday 6th May. A number of hardy soulsmanaged to be there at 7am and we verymuch enjoyed listening to the various birdsongs. It was a joy to be with JohnKilpatrick and his wife Francesca Greenoaksince they are so knowledgeable and to

listen to individual birds instead of justbeing vaguely aware of bird sounds in thebackground. We also managed to see a rarebird amongst a group of scouts – see thephotograph above.

Butterfly WalkOur second walk, the butterfly walk withDavid Dennis, will take place on Sunday3rd June at 2pm, meeting opposite theFull Moon. Those of us who went on lastyear’s walk with David know what a realtreat it was, so do try to make it if you can!It will be helpful to have binoculars andDavid hopes to have some charts for saleagain. These are excellent value since theyshow all of the butterflies which you arelikely to see around here and are a handyreference for use around the garden or onwalks on the Commons.

Manorial wasteI have had a complaint from a memberabout the increasing numbers of daffodilsand other plants on the Manorial Waste -the strip of land outside the houses on thesouth side of the Cholesbury – Chesham

Road. Please avoid planting anything onthe Commons, including this area.

VergesNow that the ground has firmed up alongthe verge opposite the school we haveremoved the protective brash. However,we hope that you will continue to becareful where you park.

Fly tippingWe recently had a load of conifer dumpedon Hawridge Common in broad daylight.If you see anyone dumping waste can youplease try to take down their registrationnumber and let us know?

If you haven’t already paid your Annualsubscriptions, now is the time to do it sothat you can get cheaper party tickets!Subscriptions remain at £7.50 per memberand are payable to Mike Fletcher, IvyCottage, Cholesbury. Tring. Herts. HP23 6ND.

Lindsay Griffin - Chairman

Hilltop News30 Hilltop News

THE THURSDAY CLUB21st June - AGM & Birthday Party –

7.30pm St Leonards Village Hall

There will be a short meeting followedby a Fish & Chip Supper at around8.00 and entertainment by Sparkies

Jazz Band. Those of you who came to our50th party last year will know that Sparkiesis an excellent jazz band. If you like jazz,why not join us for a really good evening –visitors are very welcome.

Cost, including Fish and Chip Supper ismembers £5, non-members £6.

Please contact a committee member by18th June if you would like the fish andchips.

Brian and Anne Lake 01296 620169; VioletLovett 758775; Primrose and Alan Langdon 01296 696092;Joan Walton 758332

CHOLESBURY-CUM-STLEONARDS W.I.

The next meeting will be on Monday18th June, starting as usual at 8pm inSt Leonards Parish Hall, and it is to be

a cookery demonstration with the title ofRolls/Wraps/Roulades. Lulu Stephen, alsoknown as the "Curvaceous Cook" byreaders of Hilltop News, is sure to havesome good ideas for your summer menus.This meeting is open to visitors so make anote of the date.

Two days later, on Wednesday June20th, there will be a Ramble, starting fromCholesbury Village Hall at 6.45pm and againopen to all comers. The walk is expected tobe about 11⁄2 hours and tickets are £6.50 toinclude the Supper which follows. This isalways a good evening, whatever theweather may hold in store - and there havebeen thunderstorms in the past! For moreinformation or to buy tickets please contactSue Scott on 01442 822661.

The July meeting is our Birthday Meetingand this will be for members only.

Carol Henry on 758435 will be pleased togive you more information about themeetings or about our WI and its activitiesin general.

NEIGHBOURHOODWATCH

The usual reminder totake care during thesummer months -

keep doors and accessiblewindows locked if you areout in the garden, don't leavegarage doors open and remember to putall garden tools away before you go out.Never leave anything visible in your car andif you don't need your Sat Nav for thejourney, leave it at home and make surethe mount has been removed.

A Ringmaster message early in Mayhighlighted thefts from hand bags acrossAmersham, Chesham and the Chalfonts.Purses, mobile phones and other valuableshave been stolen while people have beenshopping and when bags have been left insupermarket trolleys. Make sure handbagsare closed and secure and valuables are outof sight whenever possible. Tuck pursesaway at the bottom of the bag and if youwear the strap across your body make surethat the openings face inwards.

If you witness a theft or have anyinformation regarding an incident, contactthe police on 0845 8 505 505. If you donot want to talk to the police or give yourname, call Crimestoppers charity on 0800555 111. Remember also, use 999 foremergencies.

Shirley Blomfield 758314

31

GOOD AS NEW SALE!To be held on Saturday 8thSeptember from 10 – 1 in St Leonards Village Hall.

Clothes only please (includinghats, bags, shoes and jewellery)Please put it in your diary!

In aid of Church funds.

TEA PARTIESThe next Tea Parties to be heldin St Leonards Church Room -open to everyone who would

like to come - are on 27th June and 25th July at 3o’clock. Do let Anne Lake –01296 620169 – know if you

would like a lift.

We look forward very much to seeing you!

33Hilltop NewsHilltop News

HAWRIDGE ANDCHOLESBURY SCHOOLNetballs and bluebells…

Everyone’s feeling fit, fit, FIT here at H & C School! We have a strongcommitment to sport and P.E. which is

evident from the wide range of activities towhich the children have access. Theseinclude tennis, gymnastics, netball, rugbyand cross country and this year we seem tobe excelling at many.

Earlier in the term our Year 5 class (aged9-10yrs) entered and won the local inter-schools netball tournament. All thatpractice time in the playground really paidoff and we are so proud of everyone whotook part. We also did incredibly well atthe Chesham tennis tournament, againbetween pupils from schools across thearea. We were delighted to find that thiswinners’ trophy was also ours - some futureWimbledon stars in the making perhaps?

Collectively, the entire school then wentexercise crazy for our annual “Fit for Fun”event. The pupils, from the smallest at agefour years to our top juniors at the ripe oldage of eleven, were sponsored to performa series of ‘jumps’ - bunny, star, hoop, etc -in a major fundraising event. The olderchildren showed enormous maturity andcare as they encouraged the younger onesthrough their paces and a fabulous sumwas raised towards resources for theschool. Great work everybody!

It’s not all been so tiring though - we’vealso been out and about. The Receptionclass enjoyed their very first school outingfeeding sheep, climbing in the hay barnand riding on the tractor at Odds Farm.Then, on St George’s day, a group of pupils,some dressed in their cub, scout andbrownie uniforms, walked up to the FullMoon where they raised the flag to ahearty rendition of ‘God Save the Queen’.Finally Class 1, who are studying nature

and ’growing things’, trekked out on toHawridge common to see the splendidbluebell display there. How delightful thatthe school is able to enjoy its marvelloussurroundings in such a manner, and howdelightful for our community to have theschool there to do so.

Kay Bass

32

CELEBRATION OF LIFEDANDY SHEARMAN 1912-2007

Dandy Shearman, who died in January at

the age of 94, will be warmly remembered

by many in the Hilltop Villages.

Christened Rosaline - a name shealways disliked and only used onofficial documents - by her parents,

Johannah and William Beeson, she wasborn on October 17, 1912, the eldest childand only girl amongst three boys, Patrick,Stan and Jack, all of whom she outlived.Dandy was just thirteen when she first metfourteen year old Sidney Shearman, the boyshe was to marry eleven years later in May1937. Setting up home in Watford she gavebirth to her daughter Margaret in 1943 andher son, Paul, in 1950.

The family moved to Biggleswade in1953 when Sid and Dandy became Landlordand Landlady of their very first pub.

It was in 1956 that they arrived in theHilltops, initially taking over the Rose andCrown (later renamed the Horse andHounds ) on Buckland Common and in

doing so forged a lasting link with the area.After eleven happy years they moved butonly as far as The Bull at Bellingdon whichthey ran until 1980. As a landlady, Dandyalways said that the warm welcome theyreceived and the many good friends theymade more than compensated for theextremely long hours and very hard workentailed by the job. Originally a rather shyand private person she more than rose tothe challenge, blossoming in a role thatrequired all her strengths.

Interviewed in Hilltop News, here’s howshe defined a good landlady: ‘you have tobe a good listener; be the soul of discretionand have a sense of humour’ - qualitiesshe was blessed with in abundance.

Retiring in 1980, she and her husbandlived just a stone’s throw from that first pubin Buckland Common. Here Dandy tookenormous pleasure in her plants andflowers and enjoyed tending her beautifulgarden. She never lost her zest for life. Sheloved nothing better than spending timewith her family and friends, reminiscingand enjoying a laugh.

When Sid died in 1984 Dandy stayed onin her much loved home until 2006, onlythen moving to live with her son Paul andhis partner Jean in Lincolnshire before herdeath early this year.

She was a devoted wife; a caring, lovingand proud mother, grandmother and greatgrandmother and a true friend andinspiration to all who knew her. Manypeople have said ‘it was an honour to knowher’. We want all her friends to hold on totheir memories of her.

Appropriately, a commemorative plaquein her name will soon be placed in St.Leonards Churchyard overlooking thecountryside she loved so much.

‘Hear her voice and her laugh. See hersmile. Remember her expressions. Neverforget those experiences that meant somuch to you’.

Michele Woodward – her grandaughter

Hilltop News34 Hilltop News

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HILLTOP NEWSWe welcome all letters and articles which are of general interest and relevance to the HilltopVillages.Fletcher Nicholson - 758366 (fletcher.nicholson@virgin.net) is editing the August-Septemberedition of HN. Please note copy should be with him by 5th July - a week earlier than usual

Kay Bass H & C SCHOOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .786016 kay.bass@tiscali.co.uk

Anne Butterworth CHURCH MATTERS . . . . . . . . . .758700 anne@oldbrunsfarm.co.uk

Nick Butterworth TREASURER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .758700 nick.butterworth@btinternet.com

Jim Hetherington WILDLIFE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .758836 mailbox@jimhetherington.plus.com

Ann Horn ADVERTISING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .758250 annhorn43@aol.com

Bill Ingram THE PUBS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .758258 ingramold@aol.com

Maureen Newall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .758515

Fletcher Nicholson AUG/SEPT EDITOR AUDITOR . .758366 fletcher.nicholson@virgin.net

Oliver Parsons FRONT COVER & PHOTOS . . . . . . . .758694 oliver@parsons111.freeserve.co.uk

Rosemary Pearce DISTRIBUTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .758334

John Phimister . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .01296 623425

Sally/Marcus Reynolds FARMING . . . . . . . . . . . . . .758548/758610 woodfarmmichael@lineone.net

Michael Spark PRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .758882 mjbspark@googlemail.com

Imogen Vallance SOCIETIES, DEAR DIARY/PROOF READER . . . . . . . . . . . . . .758552 imogen@ciders.fsnet.co.uk

Guy Williams SECRETARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .758735 guyandsuewilliams@btopenworld.com