September 2012
I have got a bit behind with my blog as of late. Quite often I’ll think of something or see something which would make a good post, only to forget it. Quite often these come to mind whilst driving so you can’t write them down. And as I write this I’m imediately reminded of something I have observed among the driving
July 2012
Reports of BT engineers installing large green cabinets in the village and surrounding areas turn out to be the advent of high speed broadband. Good news for all. Broadband speeds have been pretty poor around here and for me it can’t come fast enough. One evening the phone rings and it’s BT telling me the service is here and would I like to upgrade for the same price I am currently paying. Yes please! The results are noticeably better, not so much in how fast programs take to load but very much when you are downloading files. I’d transfer all my Sky Sports subs to BT Vision as well but for all its lightning speed broadband delivery, BT doesn’t yet offer HD.
July 2012
What a lousy month! It’s hard to know where to begin. Well I suppose the rather depressing new signboards on the Link Road roundabout are a good place. I know that sponsorship is a useful source of income for Dacorum Council but do we local residents really want to be reminded of funeral directors everytime we drive to work? I’m sure J. Worley Funeral Directors do a fine job but in a village where we only recently lost our chairman, the timing could have been better.
June 2012
It rained on every other parade but not on ours! Thanks to the Marchmont Arms, a terrific turnout of villagers, families and friends and the hard work of the social committee, the PERA Jubilee Party was a huge success.
May 2012
I thought there was something different about the Attic Cafe in Berkhamsted’s Home & Colonial store when I didn’t recognise any of the serving staff. The menu was also different, down from 4 pages to just 2, on a hard-to-read laminated sheet of A5.
More disappointment was to follow when I couldn’t find my favourite, croissant filled with smoked salmon and
March 2012
Will Dell has been building brick walls man and boy so he seemed an ideal choice to repair the wall which borders Piccotts End Road down to the Link Road roundabout. The brick and flint wall dates back around 200 years but has been allowed to fall into disrepair. Knowing that our cash-strapped local authority wouldn’t be interested in restoring it, I
February 2012
Very sad to learn of the death of PERA chairman Robin Corbett. As Lord Corbett of Castlevale and Hemel’s former MP he was one of politics’ most influential characters but to all of us in Piccotts End he was plain Robin, always friendly, helpful and concerned. When we first moved here nearly 10 years ago he was among the first to give us a warm
February 2012
St Mary’s Church in Hemel Hempstead Old Town was packed with family, friends, neighbours and political colleagues for the funeral of PERA chairman Lord Robin Corbett.
January 2012
It was good to see so many residents at the 12th night drinks party, especially as there was some confusion over the date. I have to take some of the blame here as my research convinced me it was January 5th. Afterall, if the first day of Christmas is December 25th then the 12th day is January 5th. Apparently it doesn’t work like that. 12th night is
December 2011
I’d love to know who’s responsible for turning the piece of land bordering Beechwood Lane (on the way to Markyate) into a tip. They should be put in the stocks and pelted with rotten tomatoes! This used to be a pretty lane with green verges and pristine hedges. But then the owner of the land on the south side allowed it be used as a site for storing