Berkhamsted Living Autumn 2021

15/08/

BERKHAMSTED

ISSUE 80 AUTUMN 2021

Living

YOUR QUALITY LOCAL MAGAZINE

SERVING THE COMMUNITY AND SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESSES SINCE 2001

MAKING IT IN

THE MOVIES

Ever wondered why the

National Film Archive

ended up in Berkhamsted?

TAKE GOOD

CARE OF

YOURSELF

Get out and make new friends!

Find local groups to join inside

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5th – 14th November 2021

www.tringbookfestival.co.uk

A 4-Seconds and Our B okshop production.

Tring B ok Fest 2021.in d 1 15/08/

Welcome to the

Autumn issue!

The days may be getting a little shorter, but

autumn can be a great time for getting

out and about, with cooler, crisp days and

bright sunshine.

It’s the perfect time to work in the garden, tidying

up and improving your soil, which is why we

have a feature on compost - find out more about

no-peat solutions and how to make your own.

Autumn sees the children go back to school.

Easing back into a new term can be tricky after

the long summer, so our ideas for arts and

crafts may help them decompress and use

mindfulness to unwind.

We also look at how to choose a retirement

property, and find out how some local

organisations are helping people to tackle

loneliness and social isolation. With this in

mind, we’ve included a list of clubs and groups

who will welcome new members this autumn -

for kids as well as adults.

Once again, Ian Bateman has come up with

a puzzling crossword to get our brains ticking

CONTENTS

4 News and views from

Berkhamsted and

surrounding villages

12 Treat yourself to something

special from our local shops

16 Whip up this sunshine cake

for charity

20 Why crafts and mindfulness

go together

24 How to beat loneliness

and isolation

BERKHAMSTED

AUTUMN 2021

over. We hope you like it, do let us know! Just

ping Alison a message to info@livingmags.info

or call her on 01442 824300.

Finally, we hope that we’ll all be able to take part

in some of the autumn traditions that had to be

missed last year. Let’s hope children can enjoy Trick

or Treating safely, and that we can see the sky lit up

with Fireworks on November the Fifth - remember

to make sure your animals are safe indoors.

As always, the magazine includes local news,

events and features. We love to hear from local

people, groups, schools and organisations, so

please email Naomi at editorial@livingmags.info

with your news prior to our winter issue.

We hope this issue finds you safe and well and

wish you happy reading.

Alison and

Naomi

Owner & Editor

26 Find local clubs and

groups to join this

autumn

28 Compost: garden gold

30 £300+ craft kit bundles up

for grabs

32 What to look for in a

retirement home

34 The history of the BFI

National Archive in

Berkhamsted

CONTACT US

01442 824300

INFO@

LIVINGMAGS.INFO

42 The latest reads from

local authors

44 What’s On

46 Walk: Discover Pistone Hill

47 Give your brain a workout

with our cryptic crossword

48 Classifieds

50 Essential local services

The only local magazine offering shrink-wrapped guaranteed delivery to 11,312* addresses in the HP4 postcode area,

by Royal Mail every quarter. *Royal Mail postcode data . Published quarterly in March, June, September & November

The Team: Publisher: Alison Page / Editor: Naomi MacKay / Designer: Neil Randle

Registered Address: Jubilee Gardens, Tring, Herts HP23 4JG. Living Magazines are published by independent publisher Alison Page Marketing.

All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part is strictly prohibited without permission. The publisher will not be held responsible for

any errors or omissions. Opinions expressed by authors and advertisers in this publication are not specifically endorsed by Alison Page Marketing.

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LOCAL FOCUS

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Sending the write stuff

A

Berkhamsted not-for-profit organisation

has so far helped send a total of 1,038,617

pens and pencils to schools and

orphanages overseas.

Pens For Kids UK is a family-run not for profit

organisation that sends pens and pencils (old

and new) to schools and orphanages to anyone

that needs them, but predominantly in Africa.

Chris Sissons said: ‘This happened due to

the following three kind gestures from people:

donations of used stationery; donations of

new stationery, and cash donations to pay

for the shipping.’

He told Berkhamsted Living: ‘Pens For Kids

UK has been going for 11 years. I, a Berko local,

recently took over from the founder Malcolm

O’Brien. I stumbled across his plea online for

someone to take over earlier this year and the

rest is history!’

Now Chris runs the organisation with help

from his family: ‘I’m running the charity side

of things, while my mum Val is in charge of

packaging and delivery logistics, but my wife,

brother, sister, and nieces are all involved too.’

The organisation aims to send 100,000 pens

and pencils to various schools and orphanages

before the end of the year but can only do that

with more donations. ‘The need for learning

materials is still huge and magnified further by

the effects of Covid,’ added Chris.

Pens can be sent to: Pens For Kids UK, PO Box

864, Orpington. BR6 1JQ

Find out more at http://pensforkids.co.uk.

Book a spot for festival

Bibliophiles will be pleased to hear that

plans are under way for the BerkoFest

Book Festival.

You can look forward to both children’s

and adult authors appearing, with author’s

readings, panels and Q&A sessions, along with

book signings.

Hosted by Robin Ince and Nigel Barden, as we

went to press the following authors had been

confirmed:

Alexei Sayle: a regular on 1980s TV comedy

The Young Ones, Sayle has also penned five

novels, two short story collections, and five

novels. His autobiography is entitled Stalin Ate

My Homework.

Lisa Jewell is a New York Times and Sunday

Times number one bestselling author. She has

written 18 novels, including dark psychological

thrillers including The Girls, Then She Was

Gone and The Family Upstairs.

Other authors appearing include: former

England cricketer Mike Brearley, Nikesh

Shukla, AL Kennedy, AF Harrold, Christopher

Edge, John Higgs and Pragya Argawal.

Local authors to appear at BerkoFest Book

Festival include Berkhamsted Living former

Editor Clare Swatman (whose latest book is

reviewed in this issue), Stuart Turton, Jamie

Fewery, and Katy Regan.

So pop this date in the diary: Sunday 7

November, 10am to 6pm at Berkhamsted

Town Hall. Find further details at

www.berkofest.com.

4 / Berkhamsted Living FOR THE LATEST NEWS UPDATES AND MORE GO TO WWW.LIVINGMAGS.INFO/NEWS

LOCAL FOCUS


Discover Herts Art and be inspired

Herts Visual Arts

is bringing

artists, artisans

and art-lovers together

for inspiration,

discovery and a rich

opportunity - art

in the heart of our

communities across

Hertfordshire.

Running for more than

30 years, this year’s Herts

Open Studios runs from

18 September to 10 October. Visitors can enjoy

everything from classical to contemporary,

decorative to functional, figurative to abstract,

wall-hung to 3D art.

Artists are taking part in-person or online.

New web- and social media-based Virtual Open

Studios features allow Open Studios to be

enjoyed 24 hours a day, wherever you might be.

To find an Open Studio use the website at

www.hvaf.org.uk and online e-brochure

to plan your visits before you set out. On the

street, just look for yellow bunting, direction

arrows and banners outside venues.

Award winners

Congratulations to three local businesses

that have scooped prizes in the Herts

Muddy Stilettos Awards.

Bustle & Bow Bridal Studio picked up the

gong for best bridal store, while Potten End’s

Cedar Coffee Shop bagged the prize for best cafe.

Ashridge House was named best wedding venue.

Airport expansion plans continue

One of the things many of us noticed

during lockdown was the clear skies

and lack of noise from airplanes.

As travel has begun to open up again, Luton

London Airport (LLA) has moved on with

its planning application to Luton Borough

Council for expansion.

While the plan has reportedly been pushed

back four years and has had nearly a third

shaved off its £3bn price tag, it will still see

passenger numbers double - eventually hitting

32 million a year.

According to the Chiltern Countryside

Group: ‘If you registered comments and/or

objections before, we are assured these will

still stand when the application is considered

by Council.’

The group also claims that flights appear

to be operating at lower levels and using

older, noisier aircraft. They are calling for

residents to complain to the LLA about any

disturbances, in order to stop the situation

escalating.

Complaints can be made via the LLA website

or by emailing noise@ltn.aero.


Welcome to Habs

A world-class education,

closer than you think...

Introducing our

new creative

arts and sports

scholarships

4+, 5+, 7+, 11+, 13+ and 16+ applications

now open for September 2022 entry

Book an open event now:

www.habsboys.org.uk

LOCAL FOCUS


History opens up

Heritage Open Days

(HODs) start this

month! From family

activities to evening

experiences, this year’s

festival will have something for everyone - and

it’s all free! From Medieval cooking at Berkhamsted

Castle, to guided historical tours of the High

Street, and a visit to an Arts and Craft House

with a garden planted by Gertrude Jekyll,

there’s something for everyone. HODs run from

10-19 September. See our What’s On pages for

local events. Details of all UK events can be

found at www.heritageopendays.org.uk.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Lidl still in pipeline

Discount supermarket Lidl still has plans for

the old Roy Chapman site in London Road. A

spokesperson told Living: ‘We remain

committed to bringing a Lidl store to

Berkhamsted and are hoping to be able to

begin construction in the near future. We look

forward to updating the local community

further as soon as we are in a position to do so.’

Share your heritage

Dacorum Heritage Trust is hosting a Fireworks

and Festivals event in 2022, exhibiting the

memories of people who worked at Brocks

Fireworks, as well as gathering the heritage of

faith and community groups in the local area.

To take part contact 01442 879525 or

project@dacorumheritage.org.uk.

Top marks for Lockers Park

Lockers Park has been celebrating

academic success as the preparatory

school announced a 100% pass rate for its

Common Entrance examinations, with all 21 of

its Year 8 pupils securing places at their chosen

senior schools.

The academic accomplishments see pupils

moving on to the country’s leading senior

schools including Berkhamsted School,

Bedford School, Eton College, Rugby School

and St Albans, to name but a few. Lockers Park

prides

itself on

the breadth

of senior

schools it

sends pupils

to, carefully

finding the

right school

for each boy.

Florist with a flourish

Berkhamsted

High Street

is pioneering

the world’s first

‘florist’s table’, a

space to watch

floristry in action while sipping champagne

and enjoying nibbles.

Hanako (which should be open by the time

you read this), will be bringing flower-lovers the

opportunity to soak up a luxe floral atmosphere,

either creating bespoke bouquets with the floral

designers or relaxing at the champagne bar.

Guests will have the choice of handcrafted,

seasonal bouquets, blends of fresh and

preserved flora, as well as a wide selection of

gifts, including handmade chocolates.


A close shave for brave George

Stay alert

Berkhamsted

12-year-old

George White

has shaved his head

in support of the

Teenage Cancer

Trust.

George said: ‘I

decided to shave my

hair off to support

the Teenage Cancer

Trust because they

do a brilliant job

helping people of

my age with cancer.

I can only imagine

how hard it would

be to be told that you

have cancer and that,

apart from anything

else, the treatment

might make your

hair fall out as well.

I’ve had some funny

looks from people

in the street and a

few comments from

people at school, but

it’s been worth it.’

A

new OWL (Online Watch Link) mobile

app allows you to get notifications when

your local police officers issue a new

alert for your area.

By downloading the OWL app and opening

it once, you will receive alerts based on your

current postcode location. You can choose to

enable alerts for local issues in your community

and other categories covering Business, Shop,

Dog, Canal, Horse and Rural.

Search the App Store or Google Play for ‘owl

crime alerts’.

George had the intention of raising £500

(which pays for 20 appointments with a

specialist nurse) through his JustGiving page

(https://justgiving.com/fundraising/georgebaldy-white).

To date he has raised over £2,000.

His dad James, who runs his James The

Gadget Man business from the town, told

Berkhamsted Living: ‘We are so proud of what

George has done. Like most families, we have

experienced the upset and upheaval that cancer

causes, but teenage cancer is so much more

relevant to him that the choice of charity made

sense. He’s a very brave and thoughtful lad

and I’m sure it won’t be the last thing he does

like this.’

Use us or lose us

The owner of a Berkhamsted art supply

store is calling for local shoppers to make

the most of the high street, as business

owners struggle to recover from the pandemic.

Jo Kidd, director of Berkhamsted Arts and

Crafts in Lower Kings Road, told Berkhamsted

Living that the knock-on effect of the pandemic,

which saw non-essential retailers closed, along

with issues with supply chains, has made it

especially hard for local shops.

Jo explained how often shoppers would come

in to find something they had ‘been looking

everywhere for’. ‘I’d love us to be the first point

of call, not a last resort.’ she said. ‘You may pay

a little more but you are also paying for the

knowledge of our expert staff. You will go away

with exactly what you need for your project, not

something that is too small, the wrong colour

or not suitable.’

Jo asked that local people support the local

shops: ‘It’s basically use us or lose us. We need

support now before it’s too late.’

Take a look at our Shop Local pages for some

local seasonal inspiration. Local retailers are

invited to participate in the Shop Local section

totally free of charge.

LOCAL

FOR THE LATEST NEWS UPDATES AND MORE GO TO WWW.LIVINGMAGS.INFO/NEWS

Autumn 2021 / 9

LOCAL FOCUS


A busy time for

Our Bookshop

After a very challenging year, Our

Bookshop in Tring has managed to go

from strength to strength thanks to

the huge amount of support they have received

from across the region. They have passed on

their thanks to all their customers.

Numerous initiatives have been very

successful, including the virtual events,

book launches and the YouTube Channel,

subscription service, the Bookshop and Book

Festival Membership, the Bookclub with

guest authors as well as the incredibly popular

‘minted’ book tokens.

Visit www.ourbookshoptring.co.uk for

more information on everything they are doing.

Tring Book Festival

Tring Book Festival

takes place later this

year - running from

Friday 5 November

until Sunday 14

November, predominantly in two venues - the

newly refurbished High Street Baptist Church

(next door to Our Bookshop) and the Court

Theatre on Station Road.

Just as in 2019, the festival will be kicking

off with the Political Panel Show. This year’s

panellists are Gagan Mohindra MP, Camilla

Tominey and Jess Phillips.

The final festival line-up will be announced

and tickets will be on general sale by the time

you read this. See the leaflet enclosed within

this magazine for more information.

For more details and to join the mailing list

visit www.tringbookfestival.co.uk.

Graham Green

Festival returns

The Graham

Greene

International

Festival is

emphatically back

again this year,

with a fascinating

programme compiled

by experienced

festival director

Mike Hill.

The 2021 Festival offers a range of lovingly

researched talks for the aficionado, along with

many opportunities for those less familiar with

his work to discover that haunting literary

mindscape, Greeneland.

Baroness Claire Fox of the Academy of Ideas

and playwright Nick Warburton will be

discussing what makes Greene ‘A Good Read’;

Professor Richard Greene will talk about his

recent new biography, Russian Roulette: The

Life and Times of Graham Greene; and the film

version of Greene’s classic whisky-priest novel

The Power and the Glory will be screened.

The international worldview of this

globetrotting son of Berkhamsted will be

emphasised through contributions about

a musical version of Our Man in Havana,

the reception of Greene’s novels in socialist

Romania, and the staging of his work in

Germany, while novelist and screenwriter

William Boyd will be discussing Greene’s

last published novel. There’s something for

everyone indeed!

The 22nd Graham Greene International

Festival runs from 30 September to 3 October.

Further information and tickets:

https://grahamgreenebt.org/festival


Walk for children Celebrate the

The annual

Berkhamsted Walk

returns on Sunday

19 September, with a 12-

mile route through some

lovely local countryside.

The Walk supports

The Children’s Society - a charity dedicated to

helping disadvantaged children, young people

and families through poverty and hard times

since 1881.

The charity has been hard hit by the pandemic

- funding has been decimated at a time when

children most need it, so they are asking local

people to join the walk and support their crucial

work. See www.berkhamstedwalk.com.

Learn more about The Children’s Society at

www.childrenssociety.org,uk.

Chilterns

The Celebration of Chilterns Food & Drink

is a foodie event offering a range of

family-friendly and community events

throughout the Chilterns.

Events include: outdoor cooking in the woods;

join Chiltern Rangers for a barbecue cook-up

using delicious local produce; and Food &

Drink walks sampling local specialities such as

Nettlebed cheeses, Buckmoorend burgers and

sparkling wine from the Radnage Valley.

You can also join local guides for a tour of

the Inns of Amersham past and present, or a

Bodgers pub tour.

The event runs from 24-31 October. See

www.chilternsaonb.org for more details.

LOCAL

X

FOR THE LATEST NEWS UPDATES AND MORE GO TO WWW.LIVINGMAGS.INFO/NEWS

Autumn 2021 / 11

SHOP LOCAL

Here’s our

selection of great

things to buy in

Berkhamsted,

Tring and the

villages

01 02 03

Whilst we have made every effort to ensure these details are correct, you must confirm directly with the retailer.

04

08

12

09

05

06 07

11

10

13

14

15

16

17

12 / Berkhamsted Living www.livingmags.info

Bailey’s

Bites

HOMEMADE DOG BISCUITS

Handmade

dog

treats

from all

natural

ingredients

Bailey & Sons - Berkhamsted

01 Kit Heath Stardust Earrings £38

02 9ct White Gold Hexagonal

Necklace £300

Berkhamsted Arts & Crafts - Berkhamsted

03 Tie dye kit £19.95

04 Happypotomus story and colouring

book £6.99

Fancy That - Tring

05 Groovy Girl £15

06 Foiled Resin necklaces £17.50 and

Matching earrings £10.50

07 Resin cast bronze dipped Cockerpoo

‘Jasper’ £45

www.baileysbites.com

Etsy: BaileysbitesGB

Facebook: Bailey’s Bites

Baileys Bites.indd 1 20/04/2021 10:58

Gems & Jules - Tring

08 Silver Chic Plum Dainty Layered

Necklace £135

09 Silver Eqyptian Earrings £79

10 Silver Paperclip Chain

Necklace £195

Mary Casserley - Tring

11 Berkhamsted School - Kings Campus

from Tompkins Meadow £3

12 Tring Reservoir Startops A4 prints £25

Number Twenty - Berkhamsted

13 Alura candle £20

Puddingstone Distillery - Wilstone Green

14 Ultrasonic Gin £35

Tring Brewery - Tring

15 KING hop scented candle £10

16 Dagmal Breakfast Stout £2.55

17 Raven King Hot Sauce £5.15

Come on over to the distillery on

Fridays and Saturdays to sample our gins.

Try our new Herts and Middlesex

Wildlife Trust collaboration –

Ultrasonic Gin with notes of apple & mint.

PUDDINGSTONE DISTILLERY

Wilstone, Tring, Herts HP23 4NT

puddingstonedistillery.com

Advertise in Tring and Berkhamsted Living Magazines and your business will be

delivered by the Royal Mail to almost 22,000 homes and businesses in the area.

We are the only magazine delivering to every postcode in HP4 and HP23. It couldn’t

be easier! Email advertising@livingmags.info or visit www.livingmags.info/advertise.

Autumn 2021 / 13

LOCAL FOCUS


A packed programme of events

Berkhamsted Arts Trust (originally known

as the Berkhamsted Arts Association) was

formed in 1961. It has published a diary

of events since 1985. That first year there were

just 12 entries, and it now carries 93 in the Covid

recovery 2021-2022 season – and has a print run

of 12,000. You’ll find a copy of the diary within

this magazine - and copies are also available in

local public libraries, Berkhamsted Civic Centre

and Berkhamsted Town Hall.

There are events from more than 20 local

organisations included in the diary each year,

and the 2021-2022 season includes events as

diverse as film nights at the Civic Centre, the St

Peters 800th Anniversary Orchestral Concert, a

talk on the families and estates of Berkhamsted

by the Berkhamsted Local History & Museum

Society and a production by the Berkhamsted

Youth Theatre. There are courses run by

Berkhamsted’s WEA, a wine-tasting evening

and chamber music evenings. You will certainly

never be bored!

Find out more in the enclosed leaflet and at

www. berkhamstedartstrust.org.uk

The sounds of Lofoten

Formed under the midnight sun in Lofoten

in 2006, the Engegård Quartet, one of

Norway’s most sought-after ensembles,

is showcased at Berkhamsted Music’s first

concert of the season on Saturday 9 October in

the Civic Centre Berkhamsted. [The quartet’s

bold, fresh interpretations of the classical

repertoire combined with a deep attachment

to their Scandinavian roots has attracted

international acclaim.]

They have performed

throughout Europe as well

as in South America with

concerts in Bogotá and Sao

Paolo. They also promote

classical music in Norway -

Arvid Engegård as founder of

the Lofoten Festival, and Juliet

Jopling as artistic director of

the Oslo Quartet Series.

Subsequent concerts of

the season running from

October to March feature

the Roscoe Piano Trio (Martin Roscoe, Fenella

Humphreys and Jessica Burroughs), the Magnard

Ensemble (wind quintet), the Quatuor Confluence

from Paris, and finally a return visit by the

Sacconi Quartet.

See the programmes in the enclosed

Berkhamsted Music leaflet, our What’s On

pages, and look for more details and regular

updates at www.berkhamstedmusic.co.uk


ADVERTISING FEATURE

The value

of advice

You work hard to support your family

and enjoy life – so why not seek

expert advice to ensure your wealth

is being managed effectively?

Life is busy – often complicated.

Families become fragmented;

demands on our time increase.

You’d think that advances

in technology, communications and

media would make life easier, but

that’s not always the case – it can just

increase the noise and confusion as

‘information overload’ leaves us unsure

about which way to turn.

We rely on experts to help us or point

us in the right direction: if our car

breaks down, we see a mechanic; if

we get toothache, we visit the dentist;

if our body hurts, we consult a doctor.

The same should also be true of our

finances. Why wouldn’t we seek the

advice of experts to ensure that it’s

being managed at the most effective

time and in the most effective way?

Our advice proposition centres around

you – a relationship-based, long-term

approach focusing on understanding

your motivations, needs and aspirations.

Only then can we recommend products

and investments that work in synergy

with each other and match your

attitude to risk.

But of course, ‘the value of advice’

can be subjective and mean different

things to different people. For some,

‘value’ can be found in the relinquishing

of the burden and worry; for others,

it’s knowing that their investments are

being professionally managed and

working towards achieving their goals.

However you define ‘value’, you can

rest assured that we’re here to support

and guide you on every step of your

financial journey. At St. James’s Place,

we focus on achieving and maintaining

a thorough understanding of your

financial needs and aspirations. We

believe passionately that the best

wealth management service is

provided through personalised, face-toface

advice.

Changes in legislation

and tax regimes, coupled

with increased choices in

financial products, all need

expert knowledge

We offer investments, with opportunities

to grow your wealth and protect it

against inflation, and a broad range of

funds to choose from to help you build

an appropriate portfolio. Regardless

of your life stage, it’s also important

to receive the right advice on your

pension requirements. We can help

you make the most of retirement

opportunities, whether you’re an

individual or a business.

We also specialise in providing effective

solutions to meet your insurance and

protection needs. Whether you require

life cover or advice on Inheritance Tax,

St. James’s Place will offer you the right

products and services to suit you and

your family.

Whether you are remortgaging,

downsizing, or a first-time buyer,

St. James’s Place can offer advice on a

wide range of mortgages. We also have

access to a range of banking solutions.

Your home may be repossessed if you

do not keep up repayments on your

mortgage.

The value of an investment with

St. James’s Place will be directly

linked to the performance of the funds

selected and the value may fall as well

as rise. You may get back less than the

amount invested.

The levels and bases of taxation, and

reliefs from taxation, can change at any

time and are generally dependent on

individual circumstances.

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RECIPE

RAIN OR SHINE

TROPICAL CARROT

CAKE

Ingredients

Cake:

• 300g light brown sugar

• 300g self-raising flour

• 3 medium free-range eggs

• 300g rapeseed oil

• 8g bicarbonate of soda

• 280g grated carrot

• 220g tin of pineapple

• 75g chopped walnuts

• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp ground ginger

• Zest and juice of 1 orange

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 tsp sea salt

• 75ml spiced rum

Icing

• 300g icing

sugar

• 50g butter

• 100g cream

cheese

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• ½ tsp sea salt

• Zest and juice

of 1 orange

To decorate:

• Dried mango

• Edible gold

powder

This September,

Macmillan Cancer

Support’s Coffee

Morning event is back, with

those attending set to raise

millions to ensure Macmillan

can continue to support the

growing number of people

living with cancer.

Sadly, there has never

been a more terrifying time

in recent history to receive

a diagnosis as people face

potential disruption or delays

to treatment, and people

impacted by cancer need

Macmillan’s support now

more than ever before.

Victoria from Little Tring

Cakes wants to inspire you

to get in the kitchen for

this worthy cause with this

scrumptious cake recipe.

It’s zesty and warming and

the rum gives it a great

‘holiday’ kick.

This year’s Macmillan

Coffee Morning will be on

Friday 24 September. Do

something amazing today -

sign up to host a Macmillan

Coffee Morning at

coffeeregister.macmillan.org.uk

Cake

1. Pre-heat the oven to 160C. Line 2 x 8in round cake tins with

a disc of greaseproof paper and brush with oil.

2. In a bowl, weigh out all the dry ingredients and orange zest.

3. In the measuring jug, weigh out the oil and add the eggs

to this. Meanwhile, grate the carrots and separate the

pineapple from the juice in the tin, put the juice to one side.

4. Add the oil and eggs to the dry ingredients in quarters,

mixing well between each interval.

5. Fold in the carrot, walnuts and pineapple to the mix.

6. Separate between the two tins and bake in the middle of the

oven for 35 minutes. Check that a skewer in the middle of

the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven.

7. In a small pan, juice the oranges and add the pineapple juice.

Bring to the boil and remove from the heat. Add the rum.

Evenly pour this over both cakes while the cakes and syrup

are still warm. Leave to cool in their tins while you make

the icing.

Icing

1. Whisk the butter and cream cheese together along with the

vanilla, salt, cinnamon and orange zest. Slowly add the icing

1 tbsp at a time.

2. Once the cakes are cool, tip out of their tins by placing a

plate on top of them and turning the tins upside down. Add

one-third of the icing to the middle of the cake and spread

evenly using a spoon. Place the other layer of the cake on top

of this.

3. Pour the remaining icing on top of the cake using the back of

a spoon to spread evenly and give a ‘paddled’ texture.

4. Tear up the dried mango and scatter evenly on top of the

cake. Sprinkle with gold glitter.

5. Keeps in an airtight container for up to three days.

Your apples...

your juice!

We press, pasteurise & bottle your apples

into delicious juice, which keeps for over a year

Alternatively, you can purchase our

apple juice for private consumption

or retail

Chiltern Ridge Apple Juice Ltd

Old Sax Lane

Chartridge

Bucks HP5 2TB

Tel: 01494 776309

chilternridge chilternridg

www.chilternridge.com

WILSTONE | TRING | HERTS | HP23 4NT

Produce available from

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M

Y

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Promotional Feature

FAMILY LAW MYTHS

Why write it down?

We know what we’ve agreed…

Here’s another in my series of family law myths – this time we debunk

myths for both unmarried, cohabiting, and married couples.

By Georgina Allen,

Solicitor at

Rayden Solicitors,

Berkhamsted

The Unmarried Couples Edition

When a couple buy a property together, often

their contributions are not equal. One could be

contributing more to the deposit, or one paying

more towards the mortgage. Often couples have

understandings along the lines of ‘if we break

up and sell the house, we get back what we each

put in’. Sometimes they don’t discuss it at all but

each understands something different about

what would happen if their relationship were

to end.

For many people, talking about money is

awkward, especially in the early stages of

a relationship, when you can’t imagine life

without each other. No one wants to be the

person saying ‘Darling, we really need to put this

in writing, you know, just in case’. But please do!

Think of it as a gift to your future selves, which

hopefully you will never use.

It is far safer for couples to record their

intentions in writing, in an express declaration

of trust. Your conveyancing solicitor can help

prepare this document before you proceed

with the purchase. If, for example, one of you

contributes 75% of the deposit, you may wish

to set out that that person owns 75% of the

property. But if the other person is going to

pay more or all of the mortgage then maybe

you want ownership to reflect that. Or maybe

you want an agreement that you each receive

the same percentage deposit you individually

contributed, but after that everything is 50/50.

These, and other agreements, can be included in

a declaration of trust.

Setting intentions out in an express

declaration of trust will show, beyond doubt,

what each of you thought you were doing

when the transaction took place. Without it

you may find yourself later arguing about past

conversations and recollections of respective

intentions, which is uncertain, and can be

expensive and time-consuming to resolve.

The Married Couples’ Edition

Clients often tell me they have agreed everything

with their spouses following separation, and

they just want the divorce dealt with and the

Decree Absolute will finalise everything… won’t it?

Yes, the Decree Absolute finalises the divorce

- you are no longer married. However, it does

not terminate all of the claims which spouses

have against each other. A divorced couple may

have agreed their financial arrangements but

sometimes circumstances change and one party

may want to re-visit arrangements and they can,

except in some limited circumstances such as

re-marriage.

In order to dismiss potential future claims

and make an agreement regarding financial

arrangements final and binding, the parties

should apply for a ‘consent order’. This document

can be drawn up by a solicitor and lodged with

the Court for approval by a Judge. Once approved

and sealed by the Court, it is binding (unless in

exceptional circumstances eg. fraud). It provides

peace of mind about future claims, and gives

the parties evidence of the agreement, if one

of them does not adhere to it. Punishments

for breaching a Court order include: warning

notices, enforcement orders, compensation and

contempt of court proceedings. Once again, if in

doubt, write it down.

Autumn 2021 / 19

MAKING FOR

MINDFULNESS

After the tough couple of years our

children have had, taking time out is

more important than ever. Arts and

crafts is the perfect way to do that

Children have been through some

thoroughly unsettling times over the

past couple of years. A global pandemic,

lockdowns, remote schooling, bubble closures

and isolation. So it’s no surprise that children’s

mental health is so high on the public agenda.

Engaging in arts and crafts can be a great

way to take the mind off stressful situations.

It promotes mindfulness, by allowing you to

take the time to focus just on the moment and

what you are doing. Did you know that when

we are being creative, a natural anti-depressant

(dopamine) is released by the brain?

While little ones enjoy arts and crafts on a

more regular basis at pre-school and during Key

Stage 1, as children (and teens) get older, there is

less chance to be creative at school, so it’s even

more important to allow creativity to happen

at home.

Katie Jones is the founder of Berkhamsted’s

The Canvas Crew, which runs art workshops,

clubs and parties for adults and children. She

says: ‘Drawing and painting – in fact any

creative activities – are brilliant for giving our

poor brains a break. If we don’t put pressure

on ourselves to create the ‘perfect picture’ it’s

a much-needed chance to play, explore and

express ourselves. I know from being contacted

by lots of parents that making art, over the

past year in particular, has made a huge

difference to many children’s confidence

and happiness.’

The Canvas Crew has been running parent

and child workshops, which brings us to an

important point. There’s no reason why you

can’t join in the fun too. Seeing you having

fun, being bold with your creations and

willing to try, even if you make mistakes,

will give them the confidence to be creative

and adventurous. Crafts to try

Win the ultimate

creative bundle!

We have two amazing

bundles of craft sets, each worth £150, from

the lovely people at John Adams up for grabs.

Head to our competition on page 30.


KIDS

Give it a go!

Jo Kidd, director of Berkhamsted Arts and

Crafts in Lower Kings Road, offers some

creative ideas for children and teens to try

this autumn

• To practise any art, no matter how well or

badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do

it! (Kurt Vonnegut)

• Our mental health is as important as our

physical health and there are all sorts of

things we can do to help keep our brains

happy and my favourite way is what most of

us do naturally anyway – doodling!

• Zen Doodling is the art of drawing structured

patterns and once you have seen some

examples it’s easy. You already have what you

need (any pen and paper) and anyone can do

it. It’s great for relieving stress and infusing

some much-needed creativity into a child’s

busy life.

Above: An example

of Zen Doodling seen

in The Happypotomus

and the Grumble Bee,

written by Lazarus Gubbins

(Jo Kidd’s husband).

Left: Using a tie dye kit

can produce some

amazing results.

• Colour is a power which directly influences

the soul (Kandinsky). There are so many ways

to be creative with colour, but when I think

about colour I think tie dye - it’s one way to

have fun and achieve awesome results that

can be worn.

For little ones:

Make monsters from junk: glue googly eyes,

tissue paper tongues and cardboard arms and

legs to old cereal boxes. Or make towers from

things in the recycling!

Have fun with paints: potato printing,

finger painting, hand prints - there’s lots of

fun ideas for making pictures with feet and

hand prints online.

Making pom poms: You just need two

cardboard circles and some leftover wool. Those

pom poms can become fat birds, Christmas

puddings, planets - use your imagination!

For older ones:

• Teach them (or find someone to show you

both!) how to knit or crochet.

• Learn macrame - this 70s knot-tying craft is

making a comeback.

• Make bracelets from paracord

Colouring for mindfulness: there are lots of

books or downloadable colouring sheets online.

For older kids and teens who are way past their

colouring in days, this can be a surprisingly

soothing activity.

Lino prints: For older kids and teens as you

need a sharp blade, but you can get surprisingly

impressive results.

Clay: Whether you use a basic air drying clay

or the colourful soft modelling dough (such as

FIMO) that has to be oven baked, you can make

all sorts - pots, pictures, jewellery, ornaments

and more. Tactile activities such as using

clay or modelling dough, can help children to

feel grounded and more connected with life,

especially in our ever-more digital world.

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LOCKERS PARK

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TAKE GOOD

CARE

OF YOURSELF

Many of us have experienced changes in our circumstances

over the past 18 months, so it’s important to look after

ourselves, to be aware of potential mental health issues, and

combat loneliness and isolation

No one can say the past 18 months or so

haven’t been unusual - and challenging

for many of us. A lot of people have

seen their circumstances change, whether it’s

through the loss of friends and family, changes

in finances or an upheaval with work.

As the summer starts to slip away, it might

be easy to stay at home, avoid interacting with

others and end up feeling quite isolated. So

while the weather is still good, and before the

evenings get dark, now is the time to think

about how you can stay connected with the

outside world.

The good news is that there are a number of

organisations in our area that aim to help local

folk do just that, plus plenty of clubs, societies

and groups that will always welcome new

members with open arms.

‘Tackling loneliness, isolation and social

inequality is the driving force behind our

small charity Open Door,’ says Sam Harris,

Communications Manager. ‘During lockdown,

Open Door fed more than 4,000 meals to our

elderly and vulnerable.’

The volunteer-run community and arts

space on Berkhamsted High Street has a

small donations cafe and an increasing range

of activities for social, physical and mental

wellbeing. Sam explains: ‘These include

creative arts with exhibitions by local artists

and the community, physical wellbeing

activities such as yoga and Qigong, and various

groups to help mental health and loneliness -

everything from Knit and Natter, Mums and

Tots, and baby signing, to our lovely Memory

Cafe for people with dementia and their carers.’

There’s also a Connections programme

aimed at men, which includes Zoom support

groups, Yoga classes and running groups.

Find out more about Open Door at www.

opendoorberkhamsted.co.uk.

The over 50s can also join the Repair Shed,


HEALTH AND BEAUTY

where they can tinker in a shed, make friends

and share their lives. The Repair Sheds are run

by Community Action Dacorum, whose Chief

Executive Simon Aulton says: ‘The Repair Shed

makes a positive difference to people suffering

from loneliness and isolation by allowing them

to talk shoulder to shoulder rather than eye

to eye.’ Berkhamsted folk can access the Shed

at Sunnyside Rural Trust in Northchurch.

Shedders (as they like to be known) fix things,

build new items out of wood and metal and

sell them to keep their shed running. A Sewing

Cafe has been established along similar lines,

in Markyate, with the possibility of more

locations to follow. If you would like to be

involved with a local shed or cafe email

tony@communityactiondacorum.org.uk

or call 01442 617630.

At the other end of the age scale, young people

aged 12-18 can head to Berkhamsted’s Swan

Youth Project, which aims to provide a safe

environment where they can go, find something

to do and someone to listen. Email manager@

swanyouthproject.co.uk for information.

Hector’s House is a Berkhamsted charity

that aims to promote mental health awareness

for young people. Find out more at https://

hectorshouse.org.uk.

Staying connected

The Community Action Dacorum team is

making a positive difference to lives in Dacorum

and across the whole of Hertfordshire with its

Staying Connected - Digital Inclusion program.

The programme, funded by Capt. Sir Tom

Moore and the NHS Charities Together fund,

sets out to repurpose old computers, tablets

and phones to give to those who don’t have

access to the internet. Digital Champions will

work alongside those who need a confidence

boost when it comes to using IT equipment and

guide them through the process from switching

on to using the software.

If you have equipment to donate or wish to

volunteer to be a part of the project, email

volunteering@communityactiondacorum.org.

uk or call 01442 214734.

“

The over 50s can also join

the Repair Shed, where

they can tinker in a shed,

make friends and share

their lives

“

Joining local clubs and organisations is a great way to meet new people.

Turn the page for a directory of just some of the opportunities in our local area.

Autumn 2021/ 25

COME JOIN US

Here’s a small selection of

groups that are welcoming

new members this autumn.

Arty Farty Workshops

Gill Masters runs Arty Farty workshops in

Potten End. On a Tuesday she will offer studio

space for like-minded artists to get together and

Inspire each other. On Wednesdays, she will

give lessons to anyone who wants to paint and,

once a month, she will invite other artists to

come along and give workshops on their styles

- anything from willow weaving to sculpture.

Contact 01442 251087 or

email gilnjim@hotmail.com.

Berkhamsted Cycling Club

Established only six years ago, Berkhamsted

Cycling Club has grown rapidly to more than

210 members. Friendly and inclusive - nobody

takes themselves too seriously. There is a group

to suit all abilities (every Saturday they have

five groups) and e-bikes are welcome. No one

gets left behind and meeting for coffee and cake

after their weekly club rides is the cornerstone

of the club. Contact secretary@berkocc.com.

www.berkocc.com.

Berkhamsted Film Society

A society with around 180 members. They meet

in the Civic Centre, Berkhamsted and screen

a season of about 17 films from September to

April, comprising a wide selection of Englishlanguage

and subtitled films across a range of

genres, from recent mainstream releases to art

house films. Most of the films are screened for

two nights running and they welcome nonmembers,

who can pay at the door.

Contact 07795 148 491.

www.berkhamstedfilmsociety.co.uk

Berkhamsted Local History

& Museum Society

The aim of the society is to encourage the study

and appreciation of local history, genealogy and

other subjects of historical interest. Members

enjoy free admission to Society meetings, seven

talks a year, the society newsletter invitations

to summer outings and other events, and a copy

of ‘The Chronicle’ (the Society’s publication

produced annually). Contact 01442 824362 or

email mary_casserley@yahoo.co.uk.

Berkhamsted Raiders

Raiders offers lots of opportunities for boys and

girls to get involved in youth football. Inclusive/

Disability Football sessions for children of all

ages provide the opportunity to play sport,

make friends, and have fun. They can accommodate

all abilities and challenges (both physical and

learning). Walking Football sessions are open

to anyone, male or female, over the age of 16, of

any ability, but particularly for the over 50s.

Contact admin@berkhamstedraiders.com

Berkhamsted Rotary

Refer over for details.

Contact Peter Brown 07836 688470.

www.berkorotary.org.

Berkhamsted Tangent

Tangent provides the opportunity for women

everywhere to be part of an organisation

which is built on its roots of friendship.

They empower women through friendship.

Lifelong friendships are made in their national

organisation. Contact 07760 164272.

Web: www.tangent-clubs.org

Cholesbury-cum-St Leonards

Local History Group

The group meets in the evening on the first

Friday of the month from October – May in St

Leonards Parish Hall, Jenkins Lane,

St Leonards, HP23 6NW. They have a

programme of interesting speakers on local

topics and sometimes from further afield.

www.cholesbury.com


Hector’s House

The Berkhamsted charity aims to prevent

suicide and mental health stigma through

education, awareness and support. Find

someone to talk to, plus help and advice at

www.hectorshouse.org.uk.

Open Door

Volunteer-run community and arts space

on Berkhamsted High Street with a range

of activities including creative arts with

exhibitions by local artists and the community,

yoga and Qigong, Knit and Natter, Mums and

Tots, baby signing, and a Memory Cafe for

people with dementia and their carers. There’s

also a Connections programme aimed at men.

www.opendoorberkhamsted.co.uk.

Repair Sheds and Sewing Cafes

Run by Community Action Dacorum, the over

50s can join the Repair Shed at Sunnyside Rural

Trust in Northchurch, where they can tinker in

a shed, make friends and share their lives.

A Sewing Cafe has been established along

similar lines, in Markyate, with the possibility

of more locations to follow.

Contact tony@communityactiondacorum.

org.uk or 01442 617630.

Swan Youth Project

The ethos of the Swan Youth Project is to

provide young people between the ages of 12

and 18 with a safe environment where they can

go, find something to do and someone to listen.

The after school drop-in time is from 3.30 - 6pm

Monday to Friday at the Swan Youth Project

Centre at 137-139 High Street Berkhamsted. If

you are interested and want to become a member,

email manager@swanyouthproject.co.uk

The Canvas Crew

The Canvas Crew runs art workshops, clubs

and parties for adults and children – in

Berkhamsted and online. They’re all about

being creative, building confidence and having

fun! www.thecanvascrew.co.uk.

To find out about other clubs locally visit

our website at www.livingmags.info to

view a digital copy of the Tring magazine.

80 years of service

Berkhamsted Rotary has 80 proud

years of service in our area. Its Rotary

Youth Services Team runs challenging

competitions including: Young Chef, Youth

Speaks, Technology Tournament, and Young

Photographer.

It also runs a Musical Instrument Library for

young people; a joint venture with Dacorum Music

School, and the new Young Musician competition,

along with the Dacorum Young Artist.

Other projects include Shoeboxes (Christmas

gifts for disadvantaged children and adults in

Eastern Europe); assistance to young people

(such as Swan Youth) and support for school

environmental projects.

If you’re interested in joining, visit

www.berkorotary.org.

GARDEN

GOLD!

Forget diamonds - the gardener’s best friend is compost, and

with peat-based compounds a no-no, what else can you use?

All of us are trying to be more organic

when it comes to gardening, and with

sales of peat-based compost set to

be banned from 2024, we might as well be

prepared. There really is no reason to wait.

Matt Felix, Sunnyside Rural Trust’s site

coordinator at Northchurch, says: ‘Here at

Sunnyside Rural Trust we attempt a process

of hot composting within six large bays.

Rapid decomposition takes place at high

temperatures, allowing us to use a mix of green

and animal (goats, pigs, sheep) waste, layering

the compost with equal amounts each week. At

the end of each month the compost gets turned

into the new bay, leaving the first bay empty for

the new waste. This method allows for faster

production (six months) of larger amounts of

compost to be used in the polytunnels all year

round, and is rich in nitrogen, potassium, and

phosphorus and should be weed-free, thanks to

the heat created.

‘We then celebrate the ‘No Dig Method’.

The principle of no-dig is to not disturb the

natural soil any more than the top 5cm, and

then apply compost as a mulch rather than

digging it in as would happen traditionally.

This benefits the plants significantly and our

weeds are kept under control, so no weed killer

needed either!

‘Growing no-dig works for veg plots and

flowerbeds alike, so if you are interested in

learning more, the current lead in UK no-dig

work is Charles Dowding [Monty Don calls him

the guru of no-dig gardening].’

What are the alternatives?

If you want to buy peat-free compost, you have

a few choices:

Wood fibre: This includes composted bark,

paper waste and sawdust. It offers a low pH and

good drainage.

Coir: This coconut fibre is a waste product and

is mostly imported from Sri Lanka. While it can

“ Keep an eye out for

free compost on

offer from Dacorum

Council

“


GARDENS

be good at retaining water, it is not so good at

retaining nutrients, so be careful to feed your

plants as necessary.

Green waste: Made by councils and some

private companies from the green waste

harvested from household waste collections.

Keep an eye out for free compost on offer from

Dacorum Council.

ferments. It’s a much quicker process - you can

see results in just 10 days.

CompoSphere Rollable Tumblr: This round

bin can be pushed around to help the compost

mix together - and can also be rolled out of the

way when necessary.

Choosing a compost bin

There are all kinds of bins to choose from. And

if you have plenty of space in your garden, you

have lots of choice. However, if your garden

space is limited, here’s a few options...

Wormery: If you buy one, it will most likely

stand on legs and fit easily on a patio. Brandling

worms are kept inside and you get not only rich

compost but liquid fertiliser too.

Compost bags: Special compost bags are made

from a breathable fabric that allows the oxygen

to get in.

Bokashi bins: Rather than decomposing, the

material in these Japanese-developed bins

Recipe for homemade compost

Ingredients

You need a good mix of green and brown

components to make a balanced mix:

• Greens: fruit and veg peelings; grass cuttings;

coffee grounds; fresh manure; green plant

cuttings.

• Browns: leaves; hay; straw; shredded paper;

cardboard; chopped up woody prunings;

eggshells; teabags; sawdust.

• Never add: ·whole eggs; cooked meat/bones;

fatty food waste; dairy products; dog or cat

waste, or treated wood (such as fence panels).

Method

1. Find a space that is out of the way. You can

use a compost bin if you want. This is

advisable if the compost can be easily seen

from the rest of the garden, just because it

will look nicer

2. Add waste as and when you have it - try to

keep a good mix of green and brown or it will

be too wet/too dry.

3. Every so often, check the consistency. If it’s

too dry, you can water it with the hose. If it’s

too wet, fork in some more matter from the

‘brown’ list.

4. The compost will take at least six months to

become the brown, crumbly compost you

need. If it is not rotting, you may need to turn

it and fork it to add more oxygen.

5. Dig in to borders, or use as a mulch around

plants. Use a mix of compost and soil in

containers.

Autumn 2021/ 29

WOODLAND PLANTING

CONTEMPORARY COURTYARD WITH FIREPIT

CONTEMPORARY GARDEN BERKHAMSTED

NATURAL SWIMMING POOL

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Tierra Half page Spring 2021.indd 1 04/02/2021 12:21

WIN THE ULTIMATE CREATIVE

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To be in with a chance of winning, answer the following question at

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Which paper-folding art is associated with Japanese culture?

Terms and conditions apply, visit website for details. Closing date: September 30.

Congratulations to the winners of our Summer competition:

Fiona Parr, Petra Hora and Phil Read - who each win a bundle of outdoor explorer

toys from Learning Resources. The answer to the question, which Attenborough

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HOME

AT LAST

What to look for in your retirement home

By the time you’re thinking about retiring

you will probably have done quite a bit

of home hunting, but thinking about a

retirement home is a different matter.

So how to choose?

You could choose a retirement village or

development. Here, there will be other people

of retirement age, there may be a warden on

hand for emergencies, and the added bonus of

activities and facilities on site.

A retirement home or apartment might offer

you independent living, and lower running

costs, but with fewer added-on facilities.

Things to think about…

Facilities: If you retire in your late 60s you

could have at least another 20 years to enjoy.

Your mobility may become affected, so having

facilities and activities on tap is useful -

including beauty salons and hairdressers, cafes

and even gyms. There may be activities such as

yoga and wine tasting, and even an allotment

or gardens to tend.

Care on tap: Some offer a warden service,

others might have someone on call but off-site.

You may get round-the-clock care, while others

have a programme of variable care, which can

increase as and when you require it. You may

find developments with an element of nursing

care and even facilities for dementia sufferers.

Getting out and about: A lovely rural location

sounds idyllic, but if you can’t get yourself

out and about, you’ll be stuck there. Being

close to a nearby town for doctors or hospital


PROPERTY

Planning ahead

Robert Stringer, of Stringer Mann Chartered

Financial Planners in Berkhamsted, is a member

of the Society of Later Life Advisers (SOLLA).

He advises that you start considering your

retirement accommodation sooner rather than

later - it may even be something you look ahead

to when you are in your 20s and 30s.

But certainly, he says: ‘We often say to people in

their 50s and 60s, you need to keep enough

money for care. When you are selling your

home to buy a retirement home, you should

leave enough for service charges and care. Care

can cost as much as £1,000 a week, even if it is

in your own home. It’s always important to work

out what your next step will be. At 80 you may

still be quite active, travelling away on holiday

etc. By the age of 85 your needs may have

changed considerably.

‘People will often come to us too late - when a

parent has had a fall or has dementia - to try to

work out what the next step will be. Planning is

important - make sure you have Powers of

Attorney in place too.

appointments may become a more pressing

need as you age. Some developments offer a

shuttle service into town.

Service charges: Most of these developments

have a service charge, so do take that into

account when working out your finances.

This charge will cover maintenance, as well as

activities, on-site care, grounds maintenance

and so on. Be sure you are clear about exactly

what it includes.

Selling on: Should you need to go into a

nursing home, or when you die, it’s likely you

will want your family to sell your home and

divide the proceeds as you wish. Be aware that

there can be extra charges when this happens -

it is often called a deferred management charge.

Robert Stringer points out that ‘most of these

“

At 80 you may still

be quite active…

by the age of 85

your needs may

have changed

considerably

“

‘We also always advise that you ensure you are

getting the help you need. If you have a medical

need then care is free at the point of delivery -

so Continuing Healthcare Assessments are vital.

There are benefits such as attendance allowance

and registered nursing care contributions too.

‘The most important thing is to get expert

advice as early as possible.’

homes are leasehold, and when you sell there

can be a lot of paperwork - more than when

selling a normal property’. Talking of which, do

ensure you update your Will when you move

into your retirement home.

Autumn 2021 / 33

Love Life and Laughter

Making it in the movies

Ever wondered why the National Film Archive ended up in a Hertfordshire

market town? We take a look at its story - and what happens there now...

The BFI National Archive is one of the

largest film archives in the world.

Its history goes back to 1935. At its

inception, it was known as the National Film

Library, and had a tiny budget and a staff of

only two. It became the National Film Archive

in 1955, and, in 1992, to reflect the growing

amount of television-related material being

archived, the National Film and Television

Archive. It finally took on the moniker of BFI

National Archive in 2006.

When the collection began, it was housed at

the BFI’s London headquarters, but it became

clear that, as it grew, it would need new,

dedicated storage space. Films, of course, must

be kept away from moisture, heat and strong

light if they are to be preserved.

So in 1940, a state-of-the-art space was opened

in Aston Clinton. In 1968, the archive moved

once more, this time to new premises, which

became the home for acetate films.

Ten years later, a new site in Warwickshire

was established to house nitrate films.

However, according to Robin Baker, head

curator at the BFI National Archive, a ‘truly

transformative moment for BFI’ happened

when John Paul Getty Junior donated cash to

the organisation.

His generous donation led to the opening,

in 1987, of the new, purpose-built J. Paul Getty

Jr. Conservation Centre on a 9-acre site in

Berkhamsted. This cash injection also allowed

the BFI to move to new headquarters in

Stephen Street, central London.

While the Warwickshire site keeps safe

many rare films that are considered highly

precious - especially film negatives and highly

unstable nitrate film - the Berkhamsted

site houses rare films stills, costume and

production designs, a huge of collection of

films that are still shown in cinemas and

much more.

The archive is the ‘busiest in the world,’

says Robin, and is the holding place for film

stills, 35mm film, and a tape collection along

with many associated items related to British


filmmaking - so there’s scripts, business papers

and correspondence.

Among the cardboard filing boxes is a real

treasure for Star Wars fans - the continuity

supervisor’s shooting script for something

called ‘The Adventures of Luke Starkiller’ by

George Lucas. Continuity polaroids, which

offer candid photos of the cast/crew on set, and

scribbled annotations make this something

very special for film geeks.

You’ll find scripts and correspondence from

films by Alfred Hitchcock, Derek Jarman and

David Lean, along with 1.5 million film stills

and 20,000 film posters.

It is also the location for restoration work.

Robin says: ‘It’s been a great location for us and

a great local employer. [There are between 80

and 100 colleagues working at the conservation

centre.] Many of the people who work for us

come straight from school. They learn some

very rare skills and of course once they learn

those skills, many of them stay with us for a

long time.’

And it’s hardly surprising - some of the work

must be a film enthusiasts’ dream. ‘They might

be working on the original negatives that

went through Alfred Hitchcock’s camera. How

exciting is that?’ says Robin.

The skilled staff work on restoring films.

For instance The Epic of Everest, a 1924

documentary about the Mallory and Irvine

Mount Everest expedition, once restored, was

chosen to be shown at the We Are One: A Global

Film Festival, an international online film

festival organised during the pandemic. Not

everything is so old though - Monty Python

legend Terry Gilliam sat in on the restoration

work of his 1977 film Jabberwocky, to ensure

the 2017 version matched his Seventies ideal.

One of the major projects for the archive is

transferring video tape into a digital format,

explains Robin. ‘In the future there won’t be

any machines left to play video on, so there’s

a real urgency for this work.’ The archive

has ‘world-beating facilities for digitisation’,

LOCAL

HISTORY

allowing the material to be preserved

for future generations.

The largest part of the national

collection is TV. Although the BBC takes care

of its own content, the archive preserves the

output of ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5.

Of course an archive is never complete. Gems

still pop up from the past. The archive has a

list of coveted films, believed to be lost. On

this list was a 1923 movie entitled Love, Life

and Laughter, starring Betty Balfour, known

as the ‘British Mary Pickford’. However,

the Eye Filmmuseum in the Netherlands

actually found it had a copy, which has since

been acquired and restored by the BFI. The

BFI National Archive also found a tiny film

fragment, shot in Technicolor, of another iconic

1920s star - Louise Brookes - from her lost film,

American Venus (1926).

We gave Robin the hard task of picking

out just a few of the most interesting pieces

that are stored in the archive. He chose an

invitation to Peter Sellers’ first birthday

party, production designs from David Lean’s

Lawrence of Arabia, and Cecil Beaton’s

Academy Award for My Fair Lady.

He also describes a letter from US Director

William Wyler, explaining how he had seen

footage of an unknown actress and was

going to cast her in the lead in his next film.

The film? Roman Holiday. The actress?

Audrey Hepburn.

Visit the BFI National Archive

• The archive is usually open (pandemics aside) once a

year, to allow the public to get a glimpse of what

happens behind its doors, and what the collection

includes. Robin says it’s amazing how complex the

processes are, and how they mix the analogue world

with the latest extraordinary technology. Amazing

work going on right on our doorstep!

• This year’s open day is on 12 Sept, though booking

may have closed by the time you see this. See

www.heritageopendays.org.uk for details.

Autumn 2021 / 35

Your health

doesn’t have

to wait

At Spire Harpenden hospital you’ll see a leading specialist in a hospital where safety comes first.

As well as offering fast access to diagnosis and treatment, we screen our patients and colleagues for

COVID-19 symptoms and have extensive protection protocols in place. When you book an appointment

with us, you can be sure that you’ll receive expert care in a secure environment.

How we can help…

We offer hundreds of tests and

treatments, some of which

you can only have privately.

We offer rapid access to MRI

scans, X-rays and further

tests, if you need them.

You can have your surgery or

treatment with a specialist

when it’s right for you.

Book to see an expert

Search ‘Spire Harpenden Hospital’

Call 01582 953 883

Interest free finance – 0% representative APR available

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Finance Ltd is the lender. All named parties are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct

Authority. Spire Healthcare’s registered address is 3 Dorset Rise, London, EC4Y 8EN.

TRING

PILATES

STUDIO

Fully equipped Pilates Studio

based in the centre of Tring.

Highly qualified instructors have first-hand

experience of how Pilates can help with:

• Posture correction

• Dance

• Pain management

• Rehabilitation

• Pre and Post-natal

• Extreme Sports

• Increased

functionality

• General Fitness

The Instructor to client ratio is 1:3

1:1 sessions available

Mat classes.

01442 890214

studio@tringpilates.co.uk

www.tringpilates.co.uk

Tring Pilates Studio

66-68 Akeman Street

Tring HP23 6AF

Home Counties Loft Ladders,

Quality You Can Trust!

These days most

homeowners suffer

from a lack of storage

space. So many

precious items that

need to be kept – but

where to store it all?

That’s where Home

Counties Loft Ladders

come in.

The company,

based locally, offers

homeowners the

opportunity to

maximise their storage

space with a loft ladder,

50sqft of boarding and

a light - all fully fitted

in less than a day from

just £355! But it’s not

just the affordability

of the package that

makes Home Counties

Loft Ladders stand

out, as manager Jamie

Oakley explains: ‘Our

watchwords are Quality,

Integrity and Value.

Quality in the materials

that we use for all our

installations and the

fact that all our loft

packages are fitted by

time served tradesmen,

so our customers are

assured of the best job.

Integrity in that we

will turn up at the

time we say and

make sure the house

is spotless when we

leave, and value in

that we offer our

services at a price

people can afford.

Our business relies

on referrals and we

get a huge amount

of our calls from

people who have

been referred to

us by our existing

customers - that simply

wouldn’t happen if we

didn’t adhere to our

overriding principles.

At the end of the day

the old adage that

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Following

COVID-19

Secure

Guidelines

The Berkhamsted Walk 2021

Sunday September 19th, 2021

Please join us

to raise much needed

funds for children facing

poverty, neglect and

abuse – with nowhere

else to turn.

130 - living magazine.pdf 1 13/01/2020 07:44

On behalf of

A 12-mile

route taking in the

beautiful Berkhamsted

countryside - walk as little

or as much as you choose

of this gorgeous

circular trail

For more details and to register please visit

www.berkhamstedwalk.com

Berkhamsted Walk 2021.indd 1 22/07/2021 09:00

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A S H R I D G E H O U S E

A F T E R N O O N T E A

5, 12 & 26

September

just launched!

Indulge in a quintessential afternoon tea at Ashridge House! Tickets include

admission to our beautiful private gardens and gift vouchers are also available.

Make a reservation at www.ashridgehouse.org.uk or scan the QR code below.

Scan here to make

a reservation

www.ashridgehouse.org.uk

@ashridgehouse

Ashridge House I Ashridge I Berkhamsted I Hertfordshire I HP4 1NS

BOOKS

The

latest

books from

our local

and regional

authors

The latest reads from our bevy of local authors!

Finding Linda

By JH Harris. From Ypdbooks.com, bookshops and Amazon. Out now.

This novel introduces young WPC Janice Morton, who is juggling her workload with a

desire to uncover the truth about her childhood playmate’s disappearance 10 years earlier.

Visit our website to learn more at www.livingmags.info/type/books. This is a first-class

read and we were hooked from page one. We can’t wait for the next book when Janice

Morton returns as a Sergeant.

Julie Harris lives in Tring with her husband, working part time at Brian Clark Opticians.

Julie belongs to the Tring Writers’ Circle and meets with the members every fortnight.

Dear Grace

By Clare Swatman. From Our Bookshop, Tring, other bookshops and Amazon.

Out now.

Anna is a carer and used to helping older people - but when she meets 94-year-old Grace,

she discovers that her charge has plans to help her too. As they share stories of their

heartbreak - Anna’s from a recent divorce, and Grace from events during World War II -

they discover that they have a lot in common, despite the age gap between them. Can they

both make peace with the past?

Set in and around Lowestoft in Suffolk, where Clare has many happy memories from

spending time with her grandparents, this heartwarming story will grab you from the start, as you warm to

the two central characters. You might need some tissues at the ready too!

Clare Swatman was a journalist for national women’s magazines including Bella, Best and Take a Break

– and of course is the former Editor of Tring Living and Berkhamsted Living Magazines! She lives in

Berkhamsted with her husband and two boys. She has written two former novels - Before You Go and The

Mother’s Secret - and is currently working on her fourth.

Doing One’s Duty

By Mike Walsham. From bookshops and Amazon. Out now.

Following on from his first book Monique, this is a thrilling tale about the Intelligence

Service during World War II. This historical novel follows the exploits of Andrew, who was

recruited into the British Secret Intelligence Service in 1939 for his linguistic talents. His

missions include joining one of the ‘small ships’ in the evacuation of British Expeditionary

Force soldiers out of Dunkirk, and persuading the King of Norway to accept exile in

London rather than fight against the Nazis. A fascinating story, which entwines real

characters and events into a fictional tale, it is a great read, especially for anyone interested in the history of

the Second World War.

Mike lives in Ringshall, Little Gaddesden. His first book, Monique, was published in 2020.

Local authors! Let us know about your book releases. Email editorial@livingmags.info


Self Contained –

Scenes from a

Single Life

By Emma John. From

bookshops and Amazon.

Out now.

Self Contained is about living

singly, and was written during

the pandemic in a lovely

thatched cottage on the canalside in Marsworth,

near Tring – a village which Emma says has been

an absolute refuge for her, with its reservoirs,

fields, footpaths and the kind neighbourly

community.

Those who have spent any time being single,

whether during a pandemic or not will laugh

wryly throughout. From the very first page, this

book wraps you in a snuggly blanket – the

writing style has a warmth and familiarity about

it which is oddly comforting. Make yourself a

cuppa, sit back, relax and enjoy.

Emma is a journalist and author. She was

the first woman in the UK to win a Sports

Journalism Award.

Progress of a

Modern Pilgrim:

My Life as an

Ambassador of

Faith and Film

By David Sullivan.

From www.

progressofamodernpilgrim.

com, bookshops and

Amazon. Out now.

David has lived in Berkhamsted for 24 years. His

autobiography follows humanitarian work in

North Korea, work in China, acting work on

major feature films and TV programmes and a

summer in 1969 with the Yanomami South

American Native Indian tribe. This is a

fascinating insight into one man’s extraordinary

life. David’s tales are like a window into another

world. You can find out more and purchase your

copy at www.progressofamodernpilgrim.com.

Autumn 2021 / 43

WHAT’S ON

WWW.LIVINGMAGS.INFO/EVENTS

Please check with the organisers in advance to confirm

whether their event will be going ahead. If you would

like to include your event in future magazines complete

the form at: www.livingmags.info/submit-event.

MONDAY 6 SEP

Film: Berkhamsted Film

Society

Berkhamsted Civic Centre,

Also Tue 7, Mon 20, Tue 21 Sep.

8pm. Non-members £5 at door.

For details of film please visit

the website.www.

berkhamstedfilmsociety.co.uk

TUESDAY 7 SEP

Travel: Military Veterans

day to National Memorial

Arboretum

Hemel Hempstead Rotary

Club, in partnership with

Berkhamsted Rotary Club, are

arranging a day trip to the

National Memorial Arboretum

for military veterans.

www.facebook.com/

RotaryHemelHempstead

Gardens: Ashridge House

Garden Tour Available to book

every Tuesday at 10am & 1pm.

A fascinating tour of the

spectacular Grade II* gardens

designed by Humphry Repton

in 1813. www.ashridgehouse.

org.uk

WEDNESDAY 8 SEP

Sport: Ashridge Golf Day

Ashridge Golf Club, A fantastic

18 holes on this prestigious

course followed by a delicious

three-course meal and live

auction in support of the

Hospice of St Francis.

stfrancis.org.uk/golf

THURSDAY 9 SEP

Walks: Nature Connection

Wellbeing Course

Gadebridge Park. 10.30am-

12.30pm. Free six-week course

for adults 18+ in Dacorum.

Living with anxiety and

low-level mental health

conditions. Application by

referral from GP, medical or

health professional or support

worker. www.dacorum.gov.

uk/natureconnection

FRIDAY 10 SEP

Fairs / Festivals: Berkhamsted

Foundling Hospital

Online event available all

week. Two former foundlings

talk about what life was like

for the children from 1935-1955.

berkhamsted-history.org.uk

SATURDAY 11 SEP

Fundraisers: Hospice of St

Francis Car Boot Sale

Dudswell Field, Tring Road,

HP4 3TA. £10 car, £13 van (£5

discount for pre-booking).

Buyers £2. Seller set-up from

7am, buyer entrance from

8.30am. www.stfrancis.org.uk/

carbootsales

Markets & Sales: Tring

Farmers Market

Market Place, Brook Street,

Tring, 9am-12.30pm. 2nd and

4th Saturday of each month.

www.tringfarmersmarket.

co.uk

Fairs / Festivals: The Battle of

Berkhamsted Common - the

Power of the People

Meet at car park on B4506

- turning to Aldbury, 10am. A

guided tour showing extent of

area proposed for enclosure by

Lord Brownlow and its

background history. *


Fairs / Festivals: Lost

Wharves of Berkhamsted

Meet at Old Mill House Hotel

London Road HP4 2BN. 10am.

Also 15 Sep. Guided tour of

yesterday’s canal, highlighting

the former industrial activity

and the importance of canals in

the growth and development of

the town.* berkhamstedhistory.org.uk

Music: Nikki Iles Trio

Civic Centre, Berkhamsted,

8.30pm. Berkhamsted Jazz first

concert of 2021/22 Season.

bjazz.org

SUNDAY 12 SEP

Fairs / Festivals: BFI Film &

Television Archive Open Day

BFI National Archive,

Berkhamsted, 10.30am-4pm.

See the specialist skills,

technology and vaults

preserving the film and TV

heritage of the nation.

Pre-booking essential.

www.heritageopendays.org.uk/

visiting/event/bfi-filmtelevision-archive

Fairs / Festivals: Producing

Watercress in Berkhamsted

Meet at St Johns Wells Lane

HP4 1JQ, 10.30am. Also 16 Sep.

Learn what life was like for the

watercress families.*


Fairs / Festivals: St Peter’s

Church and Court House

3pm.

Visit the Tudor Court House, a

building much altered over the

years.* berkhamsted-history.

org.uk

MONDAY 13 SEP

Fairs / Festivals: Amersfort

Amersfort Hall, Potten End,

HP4 2QF, 10am and 2.30pm. A

fine Arts and Craft house, with

a garden designed by Ernest

Willmott and planted by

Gertude Jekyll. Guided tour of

the gardens.*


Walks: A Walk Back in Time

White Hill HP4 1LJ, 2pm. Also 16

Sep. Guided Tour of

Berkhamsted’s Historic Centre

which points out significant

buildings and events of the

town.* berkhamsted-history.

org.uk

WEDNESDAY 15 SEP

Business: BDCC Champagne

Networking Breakfast

Berkhamsted Cricket Club,

7.15-9.30am. £15 members, £20

non-members. www.

berkhamsted-chamber.co.uk

THURSDAY 16 SEP

Fairs / Festivals:

Berkhamsted’s West End

Poverty and Industry

Meet at Sacred Heart Church

Park St HP4 1HX, 6pm. Also

10.30am 18 Sep. Learn about the

less well known history of

Berkhamsted.*


Walks: Wild Gin Tasting

Tring Reservoirs, 7-10pm. An

evening visit to Wilstone

Reservoir Nature Reserve,

learning about the amazing

nocturnal bat, followed by gin

tasting at Puddingstone

Distillery. www.

hertswildlifetrust.org.uk

FRIDAY 17 SEP

Fairs / Festivals: A Walk in

the Past - Berkhamsted Place,

successor to the Castle

Meet at top of Castle Hill, 10am.

Also 2pm 18 Sep. Experience

something of the grandeur and

ambiance of what remains of

this Royal Mansion House. *


SATURDAY 18 SEP

Fairs / Festivals: Climate

Action Berkhamsted

To 26 Sep. Take part in the Great

Big Green Week, a UK wide

celebration of action on climate

change. www.berkhamstedchamber.co.uk/event/

climate-action-berkhamsted

Fairs / Festivals: Chilterns

Heritage Festival

To 3 Oct. A series of exciting

events across the region,

designed to celebrate the

diverse heritage of the

Chilterns.

chilternsociety.org.uk/

heritage-festival/

Markets & Sales:

Berkhamsted Farmers

Market

High Street, Berkhamsted,

10am-2pm. www.facebook.com/

berkofm

SUNDAY 19 SEP

Sport: MKFM Tour de Vale

Bike Ride

Transform lives by taking part

in Buckinghamshire’s biggest

charity bike ride.

www.tourdevale.com

Walks: The Berkhamsted

Walk

A 12-mile walk designed to raise

money for The Children’s

Society. www.

berkhamstedwalk.com

Travel: Winchester Cathedral

Flower Show

Masons mini bus and coach

hire. £35pp. A stunning array of

flower arrangements inspired

by the magnificent Winchester

Bible. www.masonscoachhire.

co.uk

Fairs / Festivals: Visit to

working watercress beds

HP1 2BS, 11am. A rare

opportunity to see a working

watercress bed from start to

finish, a familiar site in

Victorian England.*


WEDNESDAY 22 SEP

Business: Tring Together

Netwalking

9am. For those who find

breakfast meetings too early

and evenings too difficult to

get to, join BusinessMart

(Tring’s biggest business

networking group) and walk

around Tring Park whilst you

network. Dogs welcome.

Register via email.

www.tringtogether.org.uk

Arts & Crafts: Berkhamsted

Live Goes Green

Berkhamsted celebration of

Great Big Green Week

showcasing music from indie/

folk band The Devines plus

‘Climate Justice/Eco

Testimonies’ by John Bell,

Raeeka Yassale & Sue Hampton.

www.

berkhamstedtowncouncil.gov.

uk/great-big-green-week

SATURDAY 25 SEP

Fairs / Festivals: Herts Bigger

Weekend

Hertfordshire’s biggest

celebration of the year gives you

the opportunity to enjoy all that

our county has to offer.

www.hertsbigweekend.co.uk

Exhibitions: Tring And

District Model Railway Club

Exhibition

Pitstone Memorial Hall LU7

9EY. 10.15am-4.30pm. There will

be layouts in various scales

from the small N gauge up to

the large G scale suitable for use

in gardens. www.

tringandaylesburymrc.co.uk

Music: Nine Below Zero

Blues Bar, Tring. 8pm.

www.bluesbartring.co.uk

FRIDAY 1 OCT

Exhibitions: The Virtual Art

Shop

To 31 Oct. Free online art

exhibition showcasing

paintings, prints, jewellery and

glassware from local artists.

Sales from the site raise money

for the Chilterns MS Centre.

www.virtualartshop.co.uk

Talks: Corsets and codpieces

- a study of tudor underwear

By video conference, 7.15pm.

Speaker Dr Nic Fulcher.

www.cholesbury.com

Music: Head Hunters Blues

Band



SATURDAY 2 OCT

Markets & Sales:

Berkhamsted Book Fair

Court House, Berkhamsted,

10am-4pm. 01442 862011

Music: Slim Chance

Blues Bar Tring, 8pm.


Music: Matt Skelton’s

Blackhawk Band


8.30pm. bjazz.org

MONDAY 4 OCT

Film: Berkhamsted Film

Society


Also Tue 5, Mon 18, Tue 19, Mon

25, Tue 26. 8pm. Non-members

£5 at door. For details of film

please visit the website. www.


SATURDAY 9 OCT

Arts & Crafts: Festival of Arts

and Crafts

St Mary’s Church, Ivinghoe.

Also Sun 10. To celebrate the

church’s 800th anniversary.

Live music and refreshments.

www.facebook.com/stmary.

holycross.allsaints


Farmers Market





co.uk

Music: Engegard Quartet


7.30pm, £16. www.

berkhamstedmusic.co.uk

THURSDAY 14 OCT

Music: Alex Hamilton Band



SUNDAY 17 OCT

Markets & Sales:

Berkhamsted Farmers

Market


10am-2pm. www.facebook.

com/berkofm

THURSDAY 21 OCT

Music: East West Maxwell

Street



SATURDAY 23 OCT

Music:

OMG A Night at the

Musicals

Starring the Tring Together

Big Band. 7pm at Nora Grace

Hall. There will be hot food

and snacks. Pre-booking is

essential.

trish@tringtogether.org.uk

SATURDAY 30 OCT

Music: Georgia Mancio Trio


8pm. bjazz.org

MONDAY 1 NOV

Film:

Berkhamsted Film Society


Also Tue 2, Mon 15, Tue 16.

8pm. Non-members £5 at door.

For details of film please visit

the website. www.


WEDNESDAY 3 NOV

Travel:

Blackpool Illuminations

Masons mini bus and coach

hire. From £166pp. To 5 Nov.

www.masonscoachhire.co.uk

FRIDAY 5 NOV

Talks: West Wycombe Park

and the Dashwoods

By video conference, 7.15pm.

Speaker Peter Hague.

www.cholesbury.com

Fairs / Festivals:

Tring Book Festival

From 5 to 14 November taking

place at the Court Theatre and

High Street Baptist Church.

Visit the website for details.

www.tringbookfestival.co.uk

SATURDAY 6 NOV

Fairs / Festivals:

Berkhamsted Town

Fireworks

A charitable event taking

place at Berkhamsted Cricket

Club. www.berkorotary.org

Fairs / Festivals: Tring

Festival of Fire

A charity event taking place

at Tring Park Cricket Club,

and raising money to support

sport in the local community.

www.tringfireworks.co.uk

SUNDAY 7 NOV

Fairs / Festivals:

Berkhamsted Book Festival

Berkhamsted Town Hall,

10am-6pm. There will be

children’s and adult authors

and a mixture of author’s

readings, panels and Q&A

sessions.

www.berkofest.com

THURSDAY 11 NOV

Music:

The Hitman Blues Band



SATURDAY

VISUAL IDENTITY

13 NOV

GUIDE

Fairs / Festivals: Christmas

PART 3: EXAMPLES

at Waddesdon

Waddesdon Manor. Wed-Sun

12noon-7.30pm to 3 Jan.

waddesdon.org.uk


Farmers Market 1





co.uk

Music: Roscoe Piano Trio

Berkhamsted V. 1.00 Civic Centre,

7.30pm, £16. www.

berkhamstedmusic.co.uk

WEDNESDAY 17 NOV

3

Business: BDCC

Champagne Networking

Breakfast

Berkhamsted Cricket Club,

7.15-9.30am. £15 members;

£20 non-members.

www.berkhamsted-chamber.

co.uk

SATURDAY 20 NOV 5

Music: Richard Pite Band


8pm. Tribute to Keith

Nicholls. bjazz.org

SUNDAY 21 NOV

Markets & Sales:

Berkhamsted Farmers

Market


10am-2pm.www.facebook.

2

Full Logo

Join us for the

22nd Graham Greene

International Festival

Berkhamsted

30th Sept – 3rd Oct ’21

1. Preferred application of logo (green/charcoal-on-white);

this application may be used on all on-screen and printed

media. This GG monogram reduces Graham Greene’s

initals into a single icon, a visual summary of the wider

branding. The ‘Graham Greene’ lettering is a modified

version of the classic typeface Georgia Bold, and

the tagline is the modern version of Neue Haas Grotesk.

1

Talks on:

What makes Greene

‘A Good Read’

...

The Captain and the

Enemy (William Boyd)

... ICONGRAPHY

The new biography

by Richard Greene

...

A musical version of

Our Man in Havana

Screenings of:

The Stranger’s Hand

starring Trevor Howard

...

The Power and the Glory

starring

Laurence Olivier

Festival

venues:

Berkhamsted Town Hall

...

Berkhamsted

2.

Alternative application of the Full Logo (white on green);

this application may be used for stand-out print media,

such as cover pages or business cards. Due to its

heavy colour use, this version is only to be printed

by professional printers (not in-house).

01234 Civic 123 Centre 123

www.grahamgreenebt.org

...

Deans’ Hall

name.example@grahamgreeneb

and the Old Hall

Berkhamsted School

6 www.grahamgreenebt.org

01234 123 123

* All Heritage Open Days events are free of charge. Booking is essential.

WALKS AROUND TOWN

PITSTONE HILL

This walk is about 3.5 miles long. An easy stretch for a Sunday afternoon.

1. Starting from Pitstone Memorial Hall car

park go across the recreation ground to the

roundabout and turn right up Marsworth

Road towards the village. After about 200

yards take the smaller gate on your right into

the permissive footpath surrounding the

allotments. Do not enter the allotment site.

2. Follow this path round until you come to a

farm track. Turn left and follow the track

straight up until you reach the road by the

Silver Birch. Beware that this path can be

muddy in parts in the winter.

3. Cross the road taking great care. Cross the

narrow field on the permissive footpath. Go

through the hole in the hedge and turn left

onto Footpath 7. (see website)

4. Continue on this footpath over a stile, across

the field entrance and round to your right,

parallel with Stocks Road and continue up

the hill.

5. When you reach the top of this path go

through the gate and turn right. Follow the

wide path till you reach the well-trodden

path coming down from the top of the hill

(Piccadilly). Turn right here and climb up to

the highest point. On your way note the

overgrown copse on your right. This is the

AA wood planted in the 1950s by members of

the AA with neither permission nor plan for

maintenance. Also note a dug-out pocket

beside the path to your right. This is the

Pitstone Home Guard gun emplacement

from World War II!

6. Admire the view from the highest point

including All Saints, Leighton Buzzard to

your right and the County Council building

in Aylesbury to your left.

7. When you reach a post with a blue arrow bear

right and follow the path downwards until

you reach the gate into Aldbury Nowers. Do

not go through the gate.

8. Turn down the hill, which is quite steep at

this point. Go straight on through the gate

onto the footpath going down the side of the

quarry. After you have been through the

metal barrier at the bottom turn right to

walk on a footpath parallel with the road.

9. At the end cross onto the road near the

roundabout. Take care here and make your

way across the roundabout and along

Westfield Road.

10. Follow the Footpath sign across the quarry

to Church Road. At the end of Church Road

turn left and follow Vicarage Road back to

the Memorial Hall.

With thanks to Pitstone Parish Council.

FULL DETAILS OF THE WALK CAN BE FOUND AT WWW.LIVINGMAGS.CO.UK/TYPE/WALKS.


LOCAL PLACES

CROSSWORD

SOLUTIONS TO

‘SCHOOL’ CLUES

ARE HALF OF A

PHRASE, WITH

SCHOOL BEING

THE OTHER HALF

As a new term starts this month, our crossword from Ian Bateman

has a back-to-school theme. Will you come top of the class?

Across

9 Headless spring is less

than a pound (5)

10 Support a really

extreme school (9)

11 Decimalisation of 9 to

ruin school (7)

12 Force to go through

school (7)

13 Held breath and played

innings - with less

time in the middle (5)

15 Spies in America or

China, oddly (3)

16 School winter runner (3)

17 Persuasive with this

gift (3)

19 Head pours me

cocktail (7)

20 Attorney by the end of

primary school! (3)

23 An attempt previously

(3)

24 School is even about

final grades (3)

25 Cobblers make these

spirits heard (5)

27 School health check (7)

29 A reeve is confused by

black widow (7)

32 There’s only one

Valerie! (9)

33 Even holier behind

church school (5)

Down

1 Very ends of finishing

school (4)

2 Loud worker next to

trendy school (6)

3 School period (4)

4 Employer to manipulate

rule (4)

5 Winter olympians

mistakenly race ski set

(3,7)

6 Slight roll over (4)

7 Grouse or badger I’m

stewing (4,4)

8 Nasty disorder leads to

unknown arrangement

of words (6)

13 School secured scuba

gear (3)

14 School record goes to

Oscar (5)

15 Brown landscape designer

has aptitude (10)

16 Small weeds at school

(5)

18 Hog damage to motor

school... (8)

21 ...Surely the old sow

started? (3)

22 Champagne cocktail

makes imam so drunk

(6)

26 Request to guide gull

(4,2)

28 Apprentice adopted by

lower sect... (4)

29 ...School bishop as well (4)

30 Spacecraft loses alien

jewel (4)

31 Noble appreciation for

music lost (4)

Crossword Answers - Across: 9 Ounce, 10 Secondary, 11 Grammar, 12 Subject, 13 Bated, 15 CIA, 16 Ski, 17 Gab, 19 Supremo, 20 Day, 23 Ago,

24 Bus, 25 Soles, 27 Medical, 29 Bereave, 32 Singleton, 33 Choir. Down: 1 Song, 2 Infant, 3 Term, 4 User, 5 Ice skaters, 6 Snub, 7 Game bird,

8 Syntax, 13 Bag, 14 Disco, 15 Capability, 16 Shoes, 18 Boarding, 21 Yes, 22 Mimosa, 26 Lead on, 28 Cult, 29 Band, 30 Rock, 31 Earl.

LOCAL SERVICES

CALOR GAS & FUEL

LANDSCAPING

CARPET & UPHOLSTERY CLEANING

GARDENING SERVICES

We stock a full range of

Logs, Coal,

Calor gas, &

Charcoal

P E Mead & Sons Farm Shop

Wilstone, Near Tring HP23 4NT

01442 828478

Opening Times

Mon-Sat: 9am - 5:30pm

Sunday: 9:30am - 4:30pm

www.pemeadandsons.co.uk

GARDENING SERVICES

LOCKSMITH

l Tree Care l Fencing

4.9 out of 5

HANDYMAN

For all carpentry and landscaping!

A friendly, reliable service from a local

tradesman! Hourly rate for a small job /

daily rate for larger jobs!

Call Ash Sutherland now on:

01296 662138 or 07547 483495

e: info@ahtk.co.uk www.ahtk.co.uk

I genuinely do read and enjoy Tring Living and I think

it’s definitely the best way to reach our target market in

the local area.

Beth Roberts, Little Kits, Tring

Contact Robert on:

07585 007109

Advertising and leaflet inserts in both the Tring and

Berkhamsted Living magazines has consistently been one,

if not the best routes to new markets we’ve found. Working

with Alison and her team is something we’re looking

forward to doing over the months and years to come.

Tom Beeston, Chiltern Society

BOOKING &

NEWS

DEADLINE

ADVERT

ARTWORK

DEADLINE

WINTER 2021 07-10-21 20-10-21

SPRING 2022 25-01-22 02-02-22

Contact: advertising@livingmags.info or telephone 01442

OVEN CLEANING

TV AERIALS

Living

TRING

ISSUE 56 SUMMER 2021



ANIMAL

MAGIC

ANIMAL

MAGIC

Great local family

days out

TLC FOR

HERITAGE

HOMES

We explain

why and how to

look after your

heritage home

WIN!

Great local

family days out

TLC FOR

HERITAGE

HOMES

We explain

why and how to

look after your

heritage home

Living

ISSUE 79 SUMMER 2021

BERKHAMSTED



£300+ toys

up for grabs

WIN!

£300+ toys

up for grabs

BERKHAMSTED’S QUALITY QUARTERLY MAGAZINE. DELIVERED BY

TO 1,300 HOMES IN BERKHAMSTED & SU ROUNDING VILLAGES

TRING’S QUALITY QUARTERLY MAGAZINE. DELIVERED BY

TO 10,642 HOMES IN TRING & SURROUNDING VI LAGES

l Bird spikes

PAINTING & DECORATING

PETS

824300

Michael Casingena

Painter &

Decorator

All types of

decorative work

undertaken.

Excellent rates

and references.

25 yrs in the trade.

Call Mike on...

01442 822684

07534 109823

michaelcasingena@hotmail.co.uk

PLUMBING/HEATING

192819

JB Services

Plumbing and Heating

Small, professional, local

business carrying out all

aspects of central heating,

gas & plumbing work

including bathrooms

and emergencies.

07790 515 605

jonbasson66@yahoo.co.uk

www.jbplumbandheat.co.uk

Ashley Green, Chesham, Bucks HP5 3PL

INSERT

DELIVERY

DEADLINE

PROPERTY

Apartment

to Let

2 bed apartment

with secure parking

for 2 cars near to

town centre in

Berkhamsted to let

furnished or

unfurnished.

Call James on

07710 673235

DISTRIBUTION

FROM

03-11-21 22 November 2021

16-02-21 07 March 2022

Advertise in Tring

and Berkhamsted

Living Magazines and

your business will be

delivered by the Royal

Mail to almost 22,000

homes and businesses

in the area.

We are the only

magazine delivering

to every postcode

in HP4 and HP23. It

couldn’t be easier!

Email advertising@

livingmags.info or visit

www.livingmags.info/

advertise.

Our Kit Heath Bee

pendant flourished in

the Spring magazine,

thank you so much

for featuring it for us.

Charlotte Hewitt,

Bailey & Sons,

Berkhamsted

HELPING HAND

It is really important,

especially in these

difficult times, that

the businesses

who advertise

in our magazine

understand where

their enquiries come

from. If you contact

someone or make

an enquiry, please

help us both by

mentioning Living

Magazines. It’s just

a little thing, but a

really important one.

We need you to

help us continue

to make Tring and

Berkhamsted Living

magazines the great

local resources

they are now. If

you contact an

advertiser, please

help us by letting

them know that you

saw their advert/

details in this

magazine. Thank

you.

LOCAL ESSENTIALS

Need a number in a hurry?

Keep this page handy

Visit our website for more essential

services and telephone numbers

including opticians, dental surgeries and

vets for Berkhamsted www.livingmags.

info/berkhamsted-essential-services

Defibrillator machines in the town

centre can be found by The Civic Centre, 161

High Street, Berkhamsted HP4 3HD. For a full

list of defibrillators in the east of England, visit

our website using the above link.

HEALTH

Hemel Hempstead Hospital & Urgent Care

Centre (Open 24/7)

Hillfield Road, Hemel Hempstead HP2 4AD.

01442 213141

Late Night Pharmacy

Open until 10.30pm 7 days a week

172 Tring Road, Bedgrove, Aylesbury HP20 1JR.

01296 432 696

ADDITIONAL USEFUL NUMBERS

Police Emergency 999

Police Non-Emergency 101

NHS Medical Advice Line 111

Samaritans Call free from any phone on 116 123

Child Line For free and confidential help for

young people: 0800 1111

TRANSPORT

Bus

0300 123 4050 or visit www.intalink.org.uk

30/31 to Hemel Hempstead via Ashridge, the

Gaddesdens and Potten End (not Sun)

354 to Northchurch (not Sun)

354 to Chesham (not Sun)

500/501 to Aylesbury via Tring

500/501 to Watford via Hemel Hempstead

502/532 to Northchurch via Sportspace (not Sun)

502/532 to Hemel Hempstead via Potten End

Community Action

This service provides older or disabled people

who have difficulties in using public transport

safe, reliable and accessible transport to a local

supermarket. 01442 253935 or visit www.

communityactiondacorum.org/door-to-store.

Every 1st and 3rd Wednesday morning of each

month to Waitrose, Berkhamsted.

Train

London Northwestern Railway

0333 3110039 or visit

www.londonnorthwesternrailway.co.uk to

download the operator’s app

To London Euston via Hemel Hempstead and

Watford Junction

To Northampton via Leighton Buzzard and

Milton Keynes

Southern Railway

0345 1272920 or 0208 1850778 from a mobile, or

visit www.southernrailway.com

To Milton Keynes via Leighton Buzzard

To South Croydon via Watford, Olympia and

Clapham Junction

50 / Berkhamsted Living

OPERATING AS NORMAL WITH

COVID-19 SAFETY MEASURES IN PLACE

Getting you there

ON TIME

Berkhamsted . Bovingdon . Wigginton . Aldbury

Tring . Potten End & all surrounding areas

SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITY

All Journeys Carried Out Including: Appointments, Parcel

Deliveries, Shopping Trips, Business Travel And Events.

AIRPORT TRANSFER SPECIALISTS .

MEET & GREET AS STANDARD

DOWNLOAD OUR APP

Fixed prices . Any distance . Anytime . Anywhere

Chip & Pin available in all vehicles

Call us: 01442 872872

info@kingsace247.co.uk . www.kingsace247.co.uk

Offering the latest in digital technology,

Bow House Dental is a state-of-the-art practice providing:

Smile Makeovers Dental Implants Invisalign ® Clear Braces

Composite Bonding Cosmetic Dentistry Tooth Whitening

White Filings Facial Aesthetics Hygiene Services General Dentistry

BERKHAMSTED

128 High Street | Berkhamsted

Hertfordshire | HP4 3AT

01442 878 424

TRING

75 Western Road | Tring

Hertfordshire | HP23 4BH

01442 890 384

info@bowhousedental.co.uk | www.bowhousedental.co.uk

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bowhousedental

Berkhamsted Living Autumn 2021

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