July 2016
Dinner party talk used to be all about house prices. Not any more. If the chatter at the village garden party is anything to go by today we are more exercised by broadband speeds. At my end of the village we’re the first house to get the signal from BT Infinity via the big green box at the bottom of Fletcher Way. We have download speeds of more than 30
May 2016
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
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
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
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
June 2015
One of the most distinctive sights in Piccotts End is Blue Gate, the rather quaint and attractive entrance to the home of Keith & Jayne Barber. While on holiday in Sicily recently we took a trip to the island of Panarea en route to see Stromboli, one of the Med’s only active volcanoes. While strolling about the pretty back streets I was delighted to
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
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
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
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?