October - St Peter's Church, Berkhamsted, Herts

LeaderYour Berkhamsted Leader by Revd. Penny NashAutumn is upon us andduring this season ofchanging colours, Iwonder what it is wewant to give thanks for.It is usually during thismonth that manychurches and schoolscelebrate Harvest festival which traditionallyhas been a time to gather in the crops and givethanks to God for His provision. But intoday’s world in the west, times have changedand so that presents us with a challenge overwhat a Harvest Festival is all about.In churches and schools we tend to thinknowadays of Harvest Thanksgiving; offeringan opportunity for each one of us to reflectand be thankful as well as reminding us of theresponsibility we hold to share what we have.In our consumerist culture being thankful andsatisfied for what we have today can be achallenge. We are told through the media thatwe constantly need to have more, strive forbetter and spend our lives and money tryingto reach perfection. I notice this more thanever whilst working with young people whoselives are most at risk from this pressure. As aparent I find that one of my most importanttasks is to try and communicate the fact thatwe can be satisfied and indeed thankful withwhat we have today.GK Chesterton, once wrote ‘I would maintainthat thanks are the highest form of thought;and gratitude is happiness doubled bywonder.’The Celtic Christians were well-known forappreciating and giving thanks for everyelement of creation. I believe it is within thescope of all of us to look at our landscapewith spiritual as well as physical eyes andbegin to appreciate it for what it is and theway it influences our understanding of bothourselves and our Creator. A growing passionfor the beauty of the world in which we liveand work can lead to a renewal in ourattitudes to the mundane tasks that we faceday by day.Many things I know I take for granted, but inamongst the struggles that some days bring, itis good for the soul to find something to givethanks for.Thornton Wilder, an American playwrightand novelist once wrote ‘We can only be saidto be alive in those moments when our heartsare conscious of our treasures.’Harvest thanksgiving gives us thatopportunity in amongst the busyness andstresses of modern day life to reflect andconnect with the good things around us. Ittakes a conscious effort to pause and bringsomething to mind that we are grateful for. Itmay be the simple act that we are grateful forthe food that God has given us for the day. Itmay be whilst walking through the woodswhen we see the sunshine breaking throughthe trees. It is just a moment, but stopping allthe voices in our heads that are demanding somuch of our attention for a short time, tonotice those good things are opportunitieswhere we are connecting with the Creator andgiving ourselves life.We sow seeds, but we did not create them.We plant them in the ground; a soil we didnot form.The rain nourishes it, with waters we did notproduce.The sun shines, but we are not the source ofits light.The plants grow, whilst we watch.At harvest time we get to reap this goodness,And are sustained by it as we eat.These are all gifts.All grace.This is the Economy of God, inviting ourparticipation, but providing us more than weever give.yB3

Around the townSaturday 3rd November 2012The Rotary Club Berkhamsted will againhold a spectacular ALL WEATHERfirework display at the BerkhamstedCricket Club. The fireworks will belaunched by the pyrotechnic companyClassic Fireworks.Gates Open 5.00pm, Early Bird rafflestarts 5:15pm, Fireworks 6:45pmCharity Christmas Card SaleThis year’s combined Charity ChristmasCard Sale will be taking place in theCourt House in Berkhamsted on Saturday24 th Oct, Saturday 10 th Nov and Saturday24 th Nov, from 9.30am – 3.00pm on eachof the Saturdays. A large number of localcharities will be represented, each sellinga great range of Christmas cards andsmall Christmas gifts. We look forward toseeing you there.Berkhamsted Art Society welcomesartists of all abilities as well as those whohave an interest in the arts. They welcomepainters in any media and craftspeoplewho are interested in pottery, sculpting orwood-carving. The Society organises afull programme of events includingdemonstrations, talks, drawing eveningsand workshops. Each year they organisetwo well-established, week-long,exhibitions of members’ work with over400 items on display and for sale. Theexhibition includes framed and unframedpictures, pottery, sculpture and woodcraft.A summary of their programme of eventsis available atwww.berkhamstedartsociety.co.uk.Non-members are also welcome atdemonstration evenings - £3 per head.Local newsEvents presented by the Cowper Societyat St Peter’s Church BerkhamstedSat 13 th October at 7.30pm – ORGANRECITAL Sarah Soularue.Tickets £10 on the door, U18s free.Sarah Soularue is one of the world'sforemost organists. A former student ofMaurice Durufle and subsequentlyOrganiste titulaire at St Etienne-du-Mondin Paris, she is now Head of Keyboard atGisors Conservatory. It is of greatexcitement that such an eminent organistis coming to play for us in Berkhamsted.Renowned for her playing, this is a uniqueopportunity to hear an organist from theFrench school on our doorstep, playing onthe newly restored organ in St Peter'sChurch.Fri 9 th Nov at 1:00pm: RECITAL – AnnaLe Hair piano and Helen Godbolt cello.Free Entry. Retiring collectionHOSTLondon 2012 brought talented people toBritain. But did you know this happensevery year? Thousands of bright youngmen and women come to study at ouruniversities. Sadly, most have no contactwith British people outside the campus.Some miss their families; many arecurious about the real life of Britain.That’s why HOST arranges for them tospend a day, weekend or 3 days atChristmas as guests in hospitable homes.This is a great opportunity to get to knowsomeone from another country, and helpthem to feel welcome. As a volunteer host,you could enjoy introducing a student ofyour choice to your way of life andperhaps to their very first Christmas.Please call Sandra on 01296 681625 or seewww.hostuk.org. yB5

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Read all about us!Berkhamsted in the newsJulian Dawson looks at varied and surprising references to our town inthe mediaAs I write the London 2012 Paralympicsare in full swing, and the town isrecovering from the apoplexy ofexcitement that followed the carrying ofthe Paralympic Torch through our town.Many of us waited patiently despite thedelay and witnessed an event many of usare unlikely to witness again in this town.It is therefore no surprise that this hasdominated web coverage and that thelocal press in particular covered this indetail, including the painful headline‘Olympic Torchure’ from the weekly freepaper. The event, including theaccompanying peal of bells from StPeters, was reported further afield onwebsites such as the BBC, HuffingtonPost, the London Evening Standard,Manchester Wired, and somewhatbizarrely Los Angeles Bankruptcy. Gofigure.Those of you eagerly following thefortunes of Richoux Group, which as avidreaders of my column will know ownVillagio, will be impressed to hear that intheir interim report “the Group are pleasedto report improved results, having nowcompleted the disposal of the remainingunderperforming sites and are continuingto focus on improving the offer at theGroup's Dean's Diner and Villagio sites".One has the impression that the diningscene in the town offers a verycompetitive market and it will beinteresting to see how the variousnewcomers and longstayers perform in thecoming months. Which is the longestserving eatery in the town? Answersgratefully received. The Regal Chinesehas been here for at least 20 years, but Iimagine there are few longer servingmembers of the catering trade.As mentioned in an earlier piece, theexploits of the RNLI lifeboat, ‘Spirit ofBerkhamsted’, are regularly reported. TheNorth Norfolk News reports on a rescue inAugust in which both ‘our’ boat and itspartner Friendly Forester II went on a wildgoose chase, only for the recovery tractorto be stuck in the sand when attempting torecover one of the boats. A quiet time fornews in East Anglia obviously.The Hemel Hempstead Gazette reports onthe campaign of John Waller to installpublic toilets in Berkhamsted Castle. Itwould be true to say that this suggestionhas proved quite divisive, causing a minorspat with the local MP who believes veryfew are for the idea. In terms of prioritiesof public spending this isn’t perhaps top ofthe list, and there are concerns that itwould spoil the overall tenor of the site.English Heritage, who manage theproperty, don’t normally provideconveniences for sites that have free entry.Time will tell whether Mr Waller hasreason to be flushed with success.And finally to the regular automobile spot.Last month I reported the sighting of aPorsche 911 996 Turbo, which was in factcorroborated by a less than impressed YBeditor. This month’s challenge for theeagle-eyed amongst you is to find a RedTVR Tuscan reported on the PistonHeadsGassing Station forum - “Lovely colour,lovely lady” was the observation. Therewas no further elucidation as to whetherthey meant the car or the driver.yB7

The Headless Horseman of AshridgeDan ParryWith Halloween bearing down on us, onecan barely while away a stormy night inthe High Street without stumbling over avaultload of ghosts and ghouls. Perhapsyou may feel that the spooks and spidersadorning shop windows don’t really do itfor you – in which case there’s a haunt inour neck of the woods you might be moreinterested in, though you’d better not goalone. Frithsden Beeches, scene of WW1training-trenches and one of the leastvisited parts of Ashridge, has an eerie feelthat has given the place a starring role infilms from Harry Potter to Sleepy Hollow.In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,Harry and the Weasleys trudge throughFrithsden as they set out for the QuidditchWorld Cup, and here too they meet CedricDiggory (Robert Pattinson) and his father.Ashridge is also the location for otherHarry Potter scenes, with ‘the manky oldboot’ – a portkey no less – turning up onIvinghoe Beacon. Beyond Potter,Frithsden serves as the setting for themurders investigated by Johnny Depp inthe film Sleepy Hollow,which involves a headlesshorseman galloping outof doom-laden mists, justshy of the golf course.Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett.Ashridge House itself appears as themilitary prison in The Dirty Dozen, andthe estate also provided locations for TheOther Boleyn Girl, Henry VIII, MadameBovary, Alfie, Stardust and Bridget Jones:The Edge of Reason. Film shoots can bebig business for somewhere the size ofAshridge, generating thousands of poundsa year, and TV too also brings in income,with the likes of Cranford, Jonathan Creekand Spooks all stopping by in recenttimes. So next time you’re out exploringthe nearby hills and woodland don’t forgetto bring fancy dress and some makeup...justwatch out for over-bearingdirectors – and silent murderers onhorseback.If you know of any more famous locationsin or around the local area that have beenused in TV or film productions thenplease let us know!yBFilm locationsOther corners ofAshridge to be given theHollywood treatmentinclude ThunderdellWood, which in 2010was the setting for amedieval farmstead inRidley Scott’s take onRobin Hood, starringThe queen beech in Frithsden Beeches, by Roger Jones9

Watford Ladies to play in BerkoMatt DawsonSports newsI’m sure many of you would havewatched London 2012 and hopefullywould have been inspired to take upsomething new. One successful team thatyou may have been inspired by was TeamGB’s women’s football team. Despite notwinning a medal, ladies football was puton the map by their heroic displays at theOlympics which saw them reach thequarter-finals where they were knockedout by Canada. If you didn’t get a chanceto see the women’s football and want toget a taste of the action, then here is yourchance, as Ladies football comes toBerkhamsted for the 2012/13 season!Watford Ladies team are going to beplaying their home games at the home ofBerkhamsted FC — the Broadwaterground — throughout the current season.Although Watford Ladies team does notfeature any of Team GB’s heroes it will bea great chance to see what the women’sgame is all about.Watford’s Ladies team play in the FAWomen’s Premier League NationalDivision in which they finished 7 th in theleague last season with 17 points fromtheir 18 games. The Hornets won 5, drew2 and lost 11 of their games during the2011/12 season in which top scorer, vicecaptain and Welsh international SarahWiltshire grabbed 8 out of the 16 goalsthat were scored in the League forWatford.The girls have got off to a great start thisseason though as, at the time of writingthis article, they are currently placed 2 nd inthe League behind Sunderland. They’veput in good displays to beat both Cardiffand Aston Villa 2-1 at home and awayrespectively.This month, October, the Ladies will beplaying home matches at Broadwateragainst Sunderland and Manchester Cityon Sunday 7 th and Sunday 21 st . TheHornets will be playing all their homegames there this season and for a fullfixture list check out their website:watfordladiesfc.com.Watford’s games so far have beenbrilliantly attended and have gone overthree figures which manager JohnSalomon seems to be delighted about,saying ‘The support since moving toBerkhamsted has been brilliant and I hopewe can continue to encourage more andmore fans to come and support us’’.So everyone get down there, keep up thegood support, and cheer on the WatfordLadies team at Broadwater!yB11

Following the dissolution of themonasteries, in 1535 Henry VIII tookcontrol of Ashridge and the monasticbuildings became the home of hischildren. In 1552, Elizabeth I – who spenteight years of her childhood here – was atAshridge when she was arrested undersuspicion of treason. Although thedomestic buildings were maintained, StMary’s itself was no longer required, andafter falling into disrepair the church wasdemolished in 1576. Masonry from thebuilding was used in the construction ofthe manor house at Little Gaddesden, andat the same time the Verney tombs, andothers, were taken to the church of St Johnthe Baptist in Aldbury. The ornatemonument commemorating Sir RobertWhittingham, killed in the Battle ofTewkesbury, was also brought to Aldburyand today it provides a tantalising clue tothe lost splendour of St Mary’s. Theremaining buildings were sold in 1604,they were demolished by 1804, and werereplaced by the house still standing today– though the site of the church itself waslargely left untouched. Over time, itsfoundations were slowly swallowed by therising level of the ground until theyvanished altogether as if St Mary’s hadnever existed.In 2010 The Berkhamsted and DistrictArchaeological Society was asked toinvestigate the site. Following workcarried out in 2011, and in April andSeptember this year, they managed toidentify the probable location of thechurch. The foundations of solid flintwalls, more than a metre wide, wereidentified as forming part of the easternend where the chancel would have stood.The archaeologists excavated a series oftrenches but had to quickly fill most ofthem in to stop the loss of both the ruinsand the wedding guests who were keen onpeering into them. One trench revealedfurther massive masonry foundations,which would have supported a wall of oneof the two semi-transepts. Above it oncerose a tower that would have dominatedmany miles of the local landscape andwould have been the most distinguishingfeature of a splendid church long lost totime, until now.yBBerkhamsted HistoryAltar tomb of Sir Robert Whittingham, brought from Ashridge to Aldbury13

Harvest AppealAction for Hope—The Bishop of St Albans’Harvest Appeal 2012Harvest is thought of as a time of plentyand thanksgiving for the fruits of theearth. Even in this difficult summer forgardeners, some crops have done well,while others failed. In some countriescrops can fail regularly, and it is generallyaccepted that climate change contributesto this, as floods and hurricanes happenmore severely and regularly.This year the Bishop of St Albans’Harvest Appeal is focussing on ChristianAid’s work with communities in theCaribbean, helping them to adapt to theeffects of a changing climate. Not onlyare crops at risk, but lives too as heavyrains cause rivers and creeks to burst theirbanks.The project in the Dominican Republichelps people improve their farmingtechniques and trains them to know howto react when floods threaten. This workis bringing hope to communities andindividuals as they learn to manage theeffects of climate change. Please supportthis project through this website:www.harvestappeal.orgyBMothers’ UnionIn a year when large-scale naturaldisasters have not hit the headlines, itshould be remembered that reliefcontinues to be needed as communities insome of the poorest countries of the worldmeet with adversity.The Mothers’ Union knows this well. InSouth Sudan, drought or floods havecaused crops to fail. Drought meantMariam struggled to feed her family withonly one meal a day. In other areas heavyrainfall caused people to lose their homes,crops and livestock. Food, tools, plasticsheeting and utensils have been providedby the MU Relief Fund. Around 3,500women and children have been helped.Longer term solutions are also beingsought so families can cope with an everchangingclimate.In the Democratic Republic of Congoman-made disasters result in severehardship as communities are caught up incivil conflict. Massacres have killedthousands of people, injured many more,women have been raped and buildingsdestroyed. Thousands more have fled thefighting and crowded into towns andcities and even travelled, or probablywalked, as far as the neighbouringcountries of Rwanda and Uganda. Theseare vulnerable people and their onlysupport in some areas comes fromagencies like The Mothers’ Union. MUmembers have been able to distributeemergency food supplies of rice, beansand oil and items like soap and salt fordisplaced families.The money for this aid comes largelyfrom Mothers’ Union members in thiscountry, who fund-raise for the ReliefFund. However anyone can makedonations through the MU website:14

Berkhamsted Citizens AssociationBerkhamsted Citizens AssociationProgramme 2012-2013The Berkhamsted Citizens Association(BCA) – the organisation with the town’slargest subscription-paid membership –will be holding a series of talks and otherevents during the coming months. Withthe exception of the rambles, all eventsare held at Berkhamsted Town Hall,Sessions Hall starting at 8pm. The AGMis held in the Great Hall.On Thursday October 11 th , Tim Amsdenand Mike Bass of Tring Local HistorySociety will be giving an illustrated talkentitled ‘The Story of Tring: the TringLocal History Museum Project’.In a talk held over from earlier this yeardue to a combination of illness and badweather, on Thursday November 8 th ,Nancy Reid, the Warden at College LakeWildlife Reserve, Bulbourne (near Tring)will describe how a former chalk quarrywas transformed into a thriving wildlifeReserve.The BCA’s traditional New Year’s DayRamble will start from BerkhamstedStation at 10.30am. After a four milemorning leg, lunch will be taken atAldbury where we are usually entertainedby the Morris dancers, then three milesback to Berkhamsted in the afternoon.The walk leader will be Paul Crosland.The walk is undertaken at your own risk.As a term-time precursor to the ‘mainsports event’ of the summer, the‘Berkhamsted Games 2012’ involvedlocal first and middle schools inOlympic-themed events. On Thursday,February 7 th , one of Berkhamsted’s ownOlympians, Louise Collins, will give anillustrated talk on how the event evolvedand what it achieved for the children ofthe town.The BCA’s Annual General Meeting,Environment Awards and Open Forum isscheduled for Thursday, March 14 th .Speaker to be announced. Great Hall.Thursday, April 11 th . A Berkhamstedpersonality will give a talk on hisprofessional experiences - subject to his(or her) working schedule ! Details willbe posted on the website (see below)nearer the date.Sunday, June 30 th is the date for theBCA’s Summer Ramble. Meet in front ofBerkhamsted Station at 10.30 a.m. for acircular walk of 11 miles to the south-westof the town, with a stop for lunch at ‘TheFull Moon’, Cholesbury. The leader onceagain will be Paul Crosland. The walk isundertaken at your own risk.With the exception of the rambles, whichare free, there will be a charge of £2 fornon-members of BCA, which is deductiblefrom £5 annual household membership.For holders of the Dacorum Card, thecharge is £1.The Berkhamsted Citizens Association isa member of Berkhamsted Arts Trust,which is financially supported byDacorum Borough Council. For furtherinformation on the BCA and its work, visitwww.berkhamstedcitizens.org.uk. TheChairman is Katy Brookes-Duncan (tel:386974) and the Membership Secretary isChristopher Talbot-Ponsonby (tel:865882). yB15

Storytelling CabaretStorytelling cabaret comes to Berkhamstedthink. Our protagonistsinclude brides-to-be, warphotographers and schoolchildren. It promises tobe a lively and enjoyableevening, quite unlikeanything seen inBerkhamsted before."The Kings Arms is hosting a uniqueevening of storytelling to celebrate thisyear's National Short Story Week. BerkoSpeakeasy, billed as a "cabaret of shortstories" will entertain guests with talesfrom writers including Hanif Kureishi,Adele Parks and Dr Who scriptwriterRobert Shearman, all brought to life by acompany of professional actors.As Julie and Ian bothwork in the arts they areparticularly pleased to bebringing this event to their own town.Julie is a writer and actor, whose work hasbeen performed on the stage and broadcaston BBC Radio 4. Her radio play AShoebox of Snow was nominated for aBBC Audio Drama Award earlier thisyear. Julie's first novel, Red Ink, isThe stories have been chosen from a newanthology, Overheard, being published bySalt Publishing to coincide with NationalShort Story Week.Appropriately, Berko Speakeasy will beheld in The Greene Room which, ofcourse, was named after local authorGraham Greene, who used to frequent theKings Arms. Berkhamsted residents JulieMayhew and Ian Skillicorn, who areorganising the event, promise an eveningof stories, entertainment and prizes. Inkeeping with the "speakeasy" name, therewill be specially created "bootleg"cocktails available from the bar.Ian says: "We've chosen a real variety ofstories. There will be some to make youlaugh, and others that will make you16

Storytelling Cabaretpublished next February. Ian is an audioproducer and digital publisher, who hasproduced audiobooks, story podcasts andliterary programmes, and recently startedan ebook imprint, which has published awell-received short story collection and abest-selling novel, The School Run. Hefounded National Short Story Week, herein Berkhamsted, in 2010.Julie adds: "We are really excited aboutbringing these great stories to a localaudience. If you think literary nights aretoo stuffy or serious, we'd urge you tocome along. It's going to be stylish,theatrical and a lot of fun."The Berkhamsted Speakeasy companyincludes local actor Mark Kane, AnnaSavva and Elizabeth Bower, best knownfor playing Dr Melody Bell in Doctors.The anthology Overheard will beavailable for purchase on the night,courtesy of Waterstone's. Salt Publishingdescribe Overheard as a unique anddiverse collection of stories: "Fromvillage storytellers to nineteenth-centuryserialisations, from pub anecdotes todramatic monologues, storytelling is anenduring art form. This collection of shortstories reconnects storytelling with its oraland performative roots."Berko Speakeasy is at The GreeneRoom, The Kings Arms, High Street,Berkhamsted on Wednesday 14thNovember (7pm for 7.30pm start).Tickets £8, available from The KingsArms, Waterstone's and by emailingtickets@shortstoryweek.org.ukYour Berkhamsted Needs You!The editorial team of Your Berkhamstedis actively seeking new contributors forthe magazine.Did you know that everyone who workson bringing Your Berkhamsted to youeach month is a volunteer? We wouldextend a warm welcome to anyone whowould like to join us, whether you wouldlike to contribute on a regular basis or justwrite a one-off article.FeaturesWe are always interested in discussingideas for features about Berkhamsted life.These could be about the town’s history,interesting modern day developments orlocal people of note (past or present).Local groupsBringing news from local groups to ourreaders is an important function of YourBerkhamsted. If you belong to a localgroup please let us know about your latestnews and events. Please consider sendingus an article about what your group does.Articles should be 500 to 900 words inlength.Arts and cultureWould you like to write a review of anarts event taking place in or nearby toBerkhamsted? Let us know!E-mail editor@yourberkhamsted.org.ukyB17

3rd Mon Pastoral Network, 7:45pm, The Court House. Contact Philippa Seldon 871534TueChuckles Parent & Toddler Group, 10-11:30am. All Saints’ Church Hall.Song Time or short service as announced. Contact Jenny Wells, 870981Tue St Peter’s Choir, Children 5:15-6:15pm. St Peter’s. Adrian Davis 01296632263 or Jean Wild 8668591st Tue3rd Tue4th TueWedTuesday Club, 7:30pm A lively women’s group with guest speaker. The CourtHouse. Contact Barbara McKenna 871159Mothers’ Union, meet in members’ houses at 2.30pm. New members alwayswelcome. Contact Kathie Lally, 863526Mothers’ Union Prayer Group, 2:30pm. 17 Shaftesbury Court. Tell us ifanyone needs your prayers. Contact Jenny Wells 870981Julian Meeting, meets about twice a month. 11:30am. All welcome. At JennyWells, 57 Meadow Rd, 870981 or at Ruth Treves Brown, 1 Montague Rd,863268Thu Bellringing, 8pm, St Peters. Contact Helen Ruberry, 890949FriFri3rd Sat1st SunLittle Fishes Parent & Toddler Group 9:30-11:30am. The Court House.Weekly, with short service on 1st Friday in St Peter’s (10am). Tracy Robinson863559St Peter’s Choir, Children 7-8:30pm, Adults 7:30-8:30pm. St Peter’s. AdrianDavis 01296 632263 or Jean Wild 866859ABC Prayer Breakfast, 8am for breakfast & prayers. Various local churches.Sundays Together Lunch 12.30pm Court House. For anyone on their own on aSunday. Liz Jackson 864382St Peter'sRegular Church ActivitiesServicesRegular Sunday services8:00am Eucharist9:30am Sung Eucharist with crèche, Sunday school and Pathfinders6:00pm EvensongRegular weekday servicesMorning Prayer: Monday – Friday 7:30am, Saturday 9:30am.Eucharist: Monday 6:00pm; Tuesday 9:30am at All Saints’ Shrublands Road;Wednesday 8:00am; Thursday 12:30pm; Saturday 10:00amEvening Prayer: Monday 5:45pm, Tuesday – Thursday, Saturday 5:00pm18

October DiaryAll Saints’ ServicesOct 7 th – 10am: Harvest Festival - All Age Morning Worship with Holy Baptism,Revd Rachael Hawkins and Penny O’NeillOct 14 th – 10am: Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity, Holy Communion, Revd IainOgilvie and Tracy Robinson4pm: Memorial Service for the bereaved, Revd Rachael HawkinsOct 21 st – 10am: Twentieth Sunday after Trinity, Morning Worship, Revd RachaelHawkins and Ceri LindoOct 28 th – 10am: Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity, Holy Communion, Revd JohnKirkbySt Peter’sCowper Society present:Sat 13 th Oct, 7.30pm: Organ Recital – Sarah Soularue,Sun 14 th October: Choral evensongBaptisms12 th August Amber Beatrice Bowyer (St Peter’s)RegistersWeddings25 th August Richard Hugh John and Julie Nilsson (St Peter’s)25 th August Alan Patrick John Kelly and Virginia Anne Hodnett (St Peter’s)Funerals6 th August Michael Brian Stirrup (St Peter’s)8 th August Sydney Charles Smith (Chilterns Crematorium)20 th August James Lancelot Railton (St Peter’s)28 th August Irene Ellen Mansi (St Peter’s)Your Berkhamsted TeamEditor: Helen Dowley, editor@yourberkhamsted.org.ukAdvertising: John Gerry, 07774 850508, advertising@yourberkhamsted.org.ukCirculation: Joanne Lloyd-Evans, 865417, joanne.lloydevans@gmail.comFeatures: Julian Dawson, Dan Parry, Matt DawsonLayout: Sam LimbertKey Church ContactsParish Office, Hilary Armstrong and Kate Perera, Court House, 878227.Fr Michael Bowie, 864194 (day off Fri). Team Rector, St Peter’s.The Revd Rachael Hawkins, All Saints’.Further information available from our church websites:www.stpetersberkhamsted.org.uk and at www.allsaintsberkhamsted.org.uk19

Hospice NewsThe Bazaar Group of the Hospice of St FrancisElinor MumfordThe Hospice of St Francis came into beingfollowing a vigil of prayer at St Peter’sChurch, Berkhamsted in 1979.The group now called the Bazaar Group (orthe Craft Group) was one of the firstorganised fundraising groups instrumentalin raising money to purchase St FrancisHouse, previously lived in by nuns inShrublands Road in 1982.It was started by a group of ladies who ranjumble sales. In those days they met in eachother’s houses to do craft projects, rescuingzips, buttons and materials from jumblesale donations and turning them intosaleable items. A classic example ofrecycling!The group was fortunate to have a talentedquilter and an expert knitter of Aransweaters among its number. Soon they hadenough items to sell and started by having astall in the Court House. Having outgrownthat venue they moved many years later tothe Civic Centre.The group also rented two shops for sixmonths each, one where Oakley’s EstateAgents is now and the other is currently aladies’ fashion retailer in the High Street.There has always been a core group of tento twelve people over the years, nowheaded up by Jane Allard. I becameassociated with it in 2006, just before Iretired. Our boast is rarely do we have tobuy anything to make our handcraftedgoods. We are now given most of what weneed by kind people who think of us whenclearing out unwanted possessions.Sometimes we get off cuts from peoplewho make curtains professionally. Now wehave a large stash of materials and wool tochoose from. Many of us, like me, learnedto knit, sew and/or crochet at our mother’sknee and have turned our hobbies into cashfor charity. Wealso have jam,marmalade andchutney makerswhose wares are inconstant demand.The weather this year has not been kind tothe Hospice. The Summer Fete in AshridgeCollege grounds had to be cancelled and wewill not be holding the Christmas Fayre inthe Civic Centre this November either. Thiswill mean a loss to the Hospice of at least£20,000.You may be interested to know that recordskept from 1988 to 2011 indicate the BazaarGroup raised £110,708.58. We regularlymake £6000 a year.The fundraising staff have asked theHospice volunteers to think of ways offundraising to make up the shortfall so,since the Bazaar Group is set up to sell, anddue to Ashridge being cancelled we havecupboards stuffed with goodies, we areorganising extra selling events.With the kind permission of St Peter’sChurch we are running a Coffee Morningand Craft Stall in the Court House onSaturday 3 rd November from 9.30am to12.30pm. We will serve Spring GardenCoffee, (the Hospice’s own brand) andFairtrade tea with a selection of homemadecakes, scones and biscuits. Chris Took theHospice chef has kindly agreed to bake afew things for us, and his reputation islegendary! All profits from the sale ofrefreshments and craftwork will go toHospice funds.Don’t forget – Saturday 3 rd November9.30am to 12.30pm. Coffee, tea,refreshments and an early opportunity tobuy your Christmas presents. Do come andjoin us and support your local hospice.20

Hospice NewsThe Co-operative Bank pitches in at the Hospice ofSt FrancisGreen-fingered staff from The Co-operativeBank have transformed an area of thegardens at The Hospice of St Francis inBerkhamsted.Staff from The Co-operative Bank CorporateBanking Centre (CBC) on Victoria Street, StAlbans, spearheaded an initiative totransform an area of woodland into a tranquilspace for visitors and residents of thehospice.Since the St Albans centre opened a year agoon September 7th 2011, the team have takenpart in various community activities and inrecognition have been nominated for theCorporate Social Responsibility Award at theCommunity Business Awards organised bythe St Albans Chamber of Commerce.In all, 35 staff from The Co-operative Bank’sCBCs across the South East spent the dayworking in woodland behind the hospicedigging out weeds, realigning a path andbuilding a new compost bin.The Hospice of St Francis providesprofessional support and care for people witha life-limiting illness in Hertfordshireincluding St Albans. It is a thriving charitywith a dedicated base of volunteers who tendto the gardens every Tuesday.Senior Manager at the St Albans Centre,Richard Crook, said: “It’s been a hard day ofmanual labour to clear the area and create apleasant place people want to visit but it’samazing how much has been accomplishedin a day. At the start of the day the woodlandarea was dark, overgrown and under-usedbut now it’s a beautiful peaceful area for theresidents and visitors.“As part of The Co-operative, we'reencouraged to get involved in thecommunity and help deserving causes. Thehospice provides essential support and it’s aprivilege to help them.”Charlotte Minoprio, corporate fundraisingmanager at The Hospice of St Francis, said:“The woodland area is an area where peoplecan take time out and get some peace andquiet. We are very fortunate to have suchwonderful gardens and are delighted whencompanies such as the Co-operative Bank sogenerously give up their time to support us.This is the largest group of volunteers from acompany to help us which is why we wereable to undertake a big project. We arethrilled with the result and I know that thepatients and their families will trulyappreciate the wonderful view.The hospice supports adult patients and theirfamilies affected by any life-limitingcondition in the 12 beds at the hospice andthroughout the community in people’s homeand care accommodation. All care is providedfree of charge and in order to carry on theirwork the hospice needs to raise £3.7millionper year.The St Albans centre handles businessaccounts for clients throughout St Albans,Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Hatfieldand further afield. yBThe team at The Co-operative Bank’s StAlbans Corporate Banking Centre organisedthis initiative to transform the gardens at TheHospice of St Francis.(left to right) Chris Harris, Nicola Johnstone,Arthur Deacon (from the Hospice of St Francis),Dan Seeby and Richard Crook21

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St Peter’s Church windowsHave you ever wondered what stories liebehind the stained glass windows of yourlocal church?In this interesting list of facts, Christopher Green invites us to take a touraround St Peter’s to find out moreThe stained glass at St Peter's providesexamples of work by several of the mostrenowned companies supplying stainedglass to churches in the Victorian era. Theonly pre-Reformation glass is in the formof fragments in the lancet windows in theold chancel, now the vestry. This includestwo royal coats of arms and the arms ofHenry Chichele, the Archbishop ofCanterbury between 1414 and 1443.Great West WindowThe great west window is another byHeaton, Butler and Bayne. It showsvarious saints and biblical scenes. It wasexhibited at the Paris Exhibition in 1867,before being put in place in St Peter's. Itwon a Bronze Medal.North AisleThe three windows in the North Aisle aredescribed in the brief notes provided inthe Church and there is a separatedescription of the etched glass in the mostwesterly window.North TranseptIn the North Transept/Lady Chapel thereare two plain glass and two stained glasswindows. The two stained glass windowsare both by the Whitefriars GlassCompany owned by the Powell family andnoted for the production of pressed glassfor use in church windows, with part ofthe decorative effect being achieved by apattern moulded in the glass. The northwindow in the North Transept is amemorial to members of the Dorrienfamily and was put in place in 1852. Thestained glass window in the east wall ofthe Lady Chapel was originally the eastwindow in the chancel and was moved toits present position when the present eastwindow, a memorial to the poet WilliamCowper, was introduced in 1872. TheCowper window is by the firm of Clayton& Bell, one of the most prolific andhighly esteemed producers of stainedglass in the second half of the 19 thcentury.Catherine ChapelThe windows in the Catherine Chapelwere put in place between 1890 and 1909,the period during which the chapel wasbeing restored. Before this the chapel hadhoused the organ and the vestry. The eastwindow which celebrates Holy Baptism,Holy Orders and Holy Eucharist is byanother very successful Victorian stainedglass firm of Heaton, Butler & Bayne.The more easterly of the two windows inthe south wall shows St Christopher and isby Curtis Ward & Hughes. The otherwindow in the south wall shows StFrancis and was donated by the SundaySchool teachers and children in 1901. It isalso by Heaton, Butler & Bayne.(continued on page 25)23

St Peter’s Church WindowsWindow in the Southtranseptdepicting the Resurrectionof the Dead(continued frompage 23)South TranseptThe very finewindow in theSouth Transept,depicts theResurrection of theDead. This isanother window byClayton & Bell,put in in 1873when the firm wasapproaching its greatest renown. Amongits most famous windows is the westwindow in King's College, Cambridge. Itwas also responsible for the design of themosaics on the Albert Memorial inLondon. This window is a memorial toSophia Curtis and it is said that she isdepicted in the third light from the west.St John’s ChantryUntil Berkhamsted School had its ownchapel, the StJohn's Chantry,where the choirand organ arenowaccommodatedwas used by theschool as itschapel. Two ofthe stained glasswindows herecommemoratepeopleassociated withthe school. AllKempe window in the four windowsSouth aisle are by highlyregardedVictorian/Edwardian stained glass firms –from east to west the first two both byHeaton & Butler in 1869 and 1865, thenext by Curtis, Ward & Hughes (1901)and the most westerly by Clayton & Bell(1874). The most easterly windowcommemorates Caroline Bartrum, wife ofEdward Bartrum, Headmaster of theschool 1864-1889. She is depicted in thetop quatrefoil of the window with heryoung children.She representsCharity. Theother lights ofthe windowdepict Faith &Hope. The nextwindowcommemoratesJohn Crawford,Headmaster ofthe school 1850-1864. It showsthe Sower andthe GoodShepherd and inthe quatrefoilKing David. TheWestlake window inthe North aisletwo remaining windows both depict theAnnunciation and show a clear contrast ofstyles that reflects the 27 years thatseparate them.South AisleIn the south aisle there is only onewindow, dating from 1880 and by yetanother of the great Victorian masters ofstained glass, Charles Kempe. It shows StAugustine of Canterbury, the ArchangelMichael, and St Alban, the patron saint ofthe diocese. In the head of the window areshields bearing the arms of the Dorrienand Drake families. This is older glassthat has been re-used in the Kempewindow. yB25

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A practical answer to stressTrevor Allan DaviesStress ReliefBerkhamsted has been my home since2004, when I returned to the UK after 7years in Canada. Since then I’ve reestablishedmy career as an actor andmusician for BBC Radio, the ChichesterFestival, fringe and national touringproductions and the West End.For the past 21 years, though, there’s beenanother very important element in my life,which has been an enormous asset to mepersonally and professionally. That’s whatI’m writing about today. I hope that it willbe of use and interest to you.In our complicated world, tension andanxiety are commonplace. Health andfinancial worries, pressures at work andfamily problems are among a host ofcontributing factors. The physical effectsrange from unpleasant sensations tochronic ailments.Some (like back pain, migraine andarthritis) have reached epidemicproportions. We may sense some vaguerelationship between stress and theseailments, but often mistrust ourintuitions. Some drug treatments aim atthe emotional or mental aspect, others atthe physical, but many of us are unhappyabout dependence on either treatment inthe long term.Most know from painful experience thattheir ailments thrive on stress. If this is so,how do we halt the hopeless downwardspiral of stress and ill health?Well, from my own personal experience Ican say that if we learn how to take afresh look at ourselves, an objectivemethodical look, we can start to recognizethe harmful patterns of poor movement,balance and posture that result from stress.These patterns are at least as harmful tohealth as a junk food diet. And like dietthey can be changed.For well over a hundred years the work ofFM Alexander has been studied andpracticed all over the world. It’s been amajor part of training at our mostprestigious academies of performing artsand is practiced by many sportspeople.Any activity where balance andcoordination are critical will benefit.Golfers and equestrians take note!The Technique can be practiced byvirtually anyone, at any age or level offitness and including those withdisabilities. The teacher uses verbalinstruction, gentle physical guidance,example and their own trained awarenessof harmful movement, posture, andcoordination patterns to show you how tohelp yourself. Many come to theAlexander Technique with intractablehealth problems. My pupils’ doctors areusually surprised at the dramaticimprovements in their patients. Theseinclude improvements with arthritis,chronic back pain, headache, fibromyalgiaand ME, speech impediments, addictionsand Parkinson’s disease. It can also bevital in recovery from accidents orsurgery.Feel free to telephone me at the numberbelow for more information. Trevor AllanDavies has been a student of theAlexander Technique since 1984 and acertified teacher since 1991. He is theauthor of “An Examined Life”, andteaches internationally, both privately andfor corporations and institutions. He canbe reached at 01442 862843.Further information is also available at yB27

Butternut squash and feta warm saladRecipeJoanne Lloyd-EvansButternut squashcomes into seasonduring autumn and isa delicious way to getsome variety in yourvegetable intake.This is a verynutritious salad, as italso contains redonions, spinach andwalnuts, so itcontains a wide rangeof different vitaminsand minerals. Thisquantity serves two hungry adults as amain meal or 4-6 people as anaccompaniment.Ingredients1 medium butternut squash, peeled andcut into chunks2 red onions, cut into eighths1 large sprig of rosemary, chopped2 tbsp olive oil1 tbsp balsamic vinegar50g walnuts1 tbsp honey100g baby spinach leaves100g feta cheese, chopped into smallcubes1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Put thebutternut squash, red onions, choppedrosemary, olive oil and balsamic vinegarinto a roasting tin and toss well to coatthe vegetables. Season with salt andpepper if desired. Roast for 50-60minutes until the butternut squash istender but not mushy. You want thechunks to hold their shape, rather thancollapse into mash.2. Meanwhile, coat the walnuts in thehoney and grill or cook them in the ovenuntil they have started to caramelise. Thiswill probably take 5-10 minutes, but keepan eye on them as they can catch andburn quickly. When they’ve cooled down,break them up into small pieces if theyhave become stuck together.3. When the butternut squash is ready,toss through the spinach leaves, fetacheese and walnuts. The heat from theoven will help wilt the spinach andslightly melt the cheese. Add morebalsamic vinegar or seasoning if desiredand then serve.yB28

Oxfam’s 70th BirthdayAudrey HopeLife in Greece may be difficult today butthere is no comparison with conditions in theenemy-occupied country in 1942. In Oxford,in October 1942 a group of Quakers andacademics heard of the plight of the starvingpopulation and resolved to help. Thus Oxfamwas born as the Oxford Committee forFamine Relief. A plea to lift the allied navalblockade to enable food aid to reach thestricken country fell on deaf ears but fundswere raised which were eventuallychannelled through the Red Cross. And atradition was born which continues to thisday.Later this month Oxfam will receive theFreedom of the City of Oxford in recognitionof its work and long association with the city.In the aftermath of war the plight of millionsof displaced people across Europe led thecharity to set up collecting points for clothingto relieve the desperate needs of the homelessand dispossessed. Sometimes gifts weregiven which were not suitable for sendingoverseas but could be sold to defrayexpenses. Over time this grew into the chainof shops familiar on many High Streetstoday. Among the donations sold by Oxfam’sfirst shop manager, the legendary Joe Mitty,were a houseboat and a donkey.Oxfam’s work in Berkhamsted was againstarted by Quakers. I do not know the date itbegan but there was a well-establishedweekly clothing collection in 1962. Thesacks were transported into London on top ofthe cement lorries from Pitstone.A number of individuals ran pledged giftgroups whose members donated the price ofa loaf of bread to the charity each month andin the mid-60s a lady called Margaret Holeinvited the organizers to a film evening andthe Berkhamsted Oxfam Group was founded.Events such as Hunger Lunches andChristmas Card sales followed and in theearly 1970s a temporary shop raised fundsOxfam’s 70th Birthdayfor three weeks before Christmas. This wasfollowed by a six-month shop in rent-freepremises and a permanent one opened inLower Kings Road in 1979, moving to thepresent premises in 1989.Soon after it opened the appalling story of theKilling Fields of Cambodia came to theworld’s notice and the first Blue Peter Bringand Buy sale gave a huge boost to theexpanding network of shops. Oxfam was thefirst charity to bring relief supplies to thedesperate population.Although Oxfam’s name is frequentlyassociated with famine relief such as theEthiopia famine of 1984, highlighted byMichael Buerk, the charity has always soughtto find longer-term solutions by enablingpeople to support themselves rather thandepending on handouts.Over the years Oxfam has developedparticular expertise in water and sanitationand is the leading charity in this vital field.Clean water is one of the most urgent needsin a disaster situation. It is all too easy to bein a position where there is “water, watereverywhere but not a drop to drink” or atleast fit to drink.Oxfam was born as a campaigningorganisation and continues to campaigntoday. Based on its experience in the field,Oxfam supported initiatives such as MakePoverty History which persuaded the G8 toincrease aid and cancel debt.Oxfam would like nothing better than to workitself out of existence but in the face ofrapidly rising world food prices that isunlikely in the foreseeable future, making itswork more necessary than ever.In another 70 years who knows? But for nowOxfam will continue its life-saving work. yB29

EducationEvery year, the debate regarding the change inassorted education courses and qualificationsraises its ugly head. Anyone would think it's thefirst time it has happened….Norman CuttingMany, many years ago, I was studyingfor a qualification known as the OrdinaryNational Diploma /Certificate (OND/ONC). Naturally I started by taking theS1, S2 and S3 years. After I passed the S2year, someone, somewhere decided thatthe whole thing should be revised,modernised and become OND1 ('equal' toS2) and OND2 ('equal' to the S3). Notonly that, but Dacorum College decidedthat not all parts of the final year would bedone on that site and I ended up trying toleave Hemel at 6pm and get to the GeorgeStephenson College in Watford by 7pmfor the 'missing' part. In order to actuallymake the time, I foolishly decided tomove to Watford as they did the whole lotin one place.What I did not realise was that eachcollege organised their own syllabus, thatwas until on the first morning of the firstday when the tutor stood up in front of theclass and said “for the newcomers, I willquickly remind everyone what we coveredlast year”. There were a number of us whowere in the same boat and we just alllooked at each other as we realised thatwas not what WE did last year! Now youknow why I am so stupid and not able tokeep up with the world as it whizzes past.where they are, going through a systemthat actually worked (or they would not bewhere they are today), but honestlybelieve that it was not any good, so theymust change it – or maybe just trying tojustify their existence!Almost on an associated note, have younoticed how the number of strange“studies have found...” items you get onTV and in the press? Well, for those ofyou who are as thick as myself, it'sbecause the clever people who get touniversity have to carry out a piece ofresearch which has not been done before.After umpteen years, they really have toscrape the bottom of the barrel to findsomething original to publish, so now youknow why, for example, ants are havinglittle blobs of paint put on their littlebodies to find out what they get up too.I can only think that the education'advisors' must have had a similarexperience as they seem to have got30

Harvest TimeThe Last WordWhen it’s harvest time golden wheat will grow.In the dawn at sunrise harvesters will harvest all the golden wheat.They grow apples and beans, even sweetcorn.So, if you are a farmer you can grow things too.And at the end it’s time to say thank you, for our food today.Thank you God for a wonderful harvest.Catrin Williams, aged 8Victoria First SchoolWe would love to include more short stories and poetry as a regular feature in themagazine from both children and adults alike, so if anybody out there feels inspired towrite then please get in touch: editor @yourberkhamsted.org.uk.Children’s Short Story Competition Look out in November’s magazine for details onhow children can enter our short story competition!!Write the last wordThe last word is available for readers to send in approx. 500 or 900 - 1000 words on atopic of their choice, and one that may stimulate debate in further issues. All opinions arethe author's own.Copy Dates: 5 October 2012 2 November 2012 7 December 2012Published by Great Berkhamsted Parochial Church Council. Registered charity no 1130108Printing by Connekt Colour, Northbridge Road, Berkhamsted HP4 1EH31

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