Daffodils in December, June in January

January 2016
The last few months have raced by, leaving my blog far behind. So what’s been hot and what’s been not in Piccotts End this autumn and winter? The weather for a start. I’ve never seen daffodils in December so perhaps their appearance in borders and grassy banks is one of those ‘once in a lifetime’ occurrences. But they said that about the

Piccotts End Farm

Mary calls time on 43 years in her historic farmhouse

August 2015
Alongside the medieval cottages Piccotts End Farm is the oldest habitation in the village, dating back to the 16th century. With its hand-painted warning ‘Caution. Ducks crossing’ at the entrance, it has a touch of the quaint to go with its character. Now, after more than 40 years the farmhouse is on the market. I called by to ask the owner, Mrs Mary Wiedman, about her time there. ‘We moved from Chorleywood in 1972,’ she told me. ‘We had a mock Tudor house there and I always wanted live

Stone me! Apricots in Piccotts End!

June 2015
An article in the papers last week said it was a bumper year for English apricots – and the proof is here in Hertfordshire – in Piccotts End! I planted my apricot tree (bought from Ayletts in St Albans) 5 years ago and every year until now it has yielded nothing. One of the problems is that it flowers very early, in March, and the buds are killed by frost. This

Winter? What winter!

March 2015
Back in the winter of 1963 I remember it being so cold for so long that the headmaster of Berkhamsted School made a dramatic announcement. We could all wear an extra layer of clothes to keep warm! My choice was a bright red knitted jumper which did the job but drew a few unkind comments from my more conservatively dressed classmates. 50 years

Last Christmas I gave you my Shard, but the very next day you gave it way!

December 2014
Last Christmas I gave my son and his wife a voucher for lunch and a trip to the top of the Shard. There is always a sense of anticipation when opening a present and their faces lit up with delight at seeing the contents. It was more than halfway through the year and I asked if they’d enjoyed the experience. There was a pause. ‘Well actually dad, we forgot to go and the voucher has expired.’ This set me thinking about Christmas presents. It’s all about the day. An inexpensive present is as warmly

Move the posts and give the developers an open goal

November 2014
Hot topic in the village this month is the now looming prospect of 350 homes and a traveller site parked on our back lawn. We are lucky in having someone with the eagle eye of a lawyer in Michael Nidd to fight our corner.  PERA’s secretary has gone to great lengths to challenge the legitimacy of the proposal to build on Marchmont Fields. How can

Tea’s off and on at the Attic!

October 2014
Horror of horrors! Going into Home & Colonial in Berkhamsted recently we were told that our favourite Sunday lunch haunt, the Attic Cafe, had closed. Apparently the owner, James Hannaway of Rex fame, had come in a few days earlier and laid off the staff, just like that. What to do? Where would we go for our smoked salmon and scrambled egg?

Have a brake, have a Malteser!

September 2014
Driving back from Kent recently I stopped at a garage to buy a sandwich and a packet of Maltesers for my lunch. Now I know it’s very bad form to eat at the wheel but many of us do it. Having munched the egg and cress on the M23 I was looking forward to the Maltesers as I hit the M25. Then, disaster. I managed to spill the whole packet into the seat well of the car. Worse still, as I accelerated they all rolled to the back of the rear

Behind the wheel of the electric revolution

August 2014
Petrol is passé, electric is classé. That’s my slogan after driving the car I predict will change our lives. The American engineer behind the new Tesla electric car is Elon Musk, a man they say will soon be as well known as Bill Gates and Sir Richard Branson. The Tesla looks like any other coupé. It’s wide, spacious and will seat 5 people.