Spring is here and estate agents are extolling the virtues of village life. The Herts Advertiser (head and shoulders above the dismal Gazette) even devoted a whole page to our very own Piccotts End. Reading the paean of praise I couldn’t help noticing that much of the information about village life was lifted directly from our web site! I shouldn’t be surprised because local journalism has been reduced to a couple of reporters who understandably don’t have the time for original research.
It’s a sad fact that the days of local papers are all but over. No one below the age of 40 reads newsprint, local or national, because it’s all available online. This is a phenomenon that takes some understanding. People of my generation, used to the old analogue world of doing everything by the clock, would get their morning paper in the morning, their evening paper in the evening and watch the Nine O’Clock News. The new digital generation can’t be doing with that. Everything is ‘me time’. It would be interesting to be around in 100 years’ time when the next big media revolution changes all that for something we can’t yet imagine.
On the surface daily life in Piccotts End seems to go on much the same as usual. Not much changes. But dig a little deeper and the village has had had more than its fair share of ups and downs this year. First of all I heard the sad news of the death of a former resident, Helen Shirley. Helen was an active member of PERA and lived at Wall Cottage with her husband Jonathan before moving to Berkhamsted where she ran a retro dress shop at Home & Colonial. In March came the news of the passing of two residents, Michael and Tate and Beryl Wyatt.
What with such a wet and cold spring it’s been a rather gloomy start to the year. But things are brightening up with the promise of warmer weather on the way and a new social event, the Sunday Brunch at the Marchmont on May 8th which saw the unveiling of some new Heritage Plaques which will be going up on notable buildings in the village.
It was a pleasure to meet some new village residents, Alastair and Kathryn Yexley, who have moved into Dolphin Cottage, at a reception hosted by Gladys Kulikovsky.
