Friends’ Forum
The Newsletter of Friends of Welwyn Hatfield Museums
No13 Summer 2006
In this issue: Editorials; Carol Rigby moves on; Living in three
centuries; Thomas Hardy - the famous Dorset novelist owes something to
Hatfield. Brevities; Fancy Mill Green at Sunrise? Unmentionable Hatfield?
WHT wins Community Newspaper of the Year award and Hazel Bell wins
top indexer award.
Friend’s events reports; Early days in Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield;
Wine grapes and wine making; Countryside matters-the work of the CPRE
Forthcoming events; From The Friends, Mill Green Museum and other
local historical events.
EDITORIALS.
Carol Rigby moves on
Happily it’s Farewell but not Completely Goodbye.
As announced in a stop press news item in our Spring issue Carol
Rigby, who has been Head of the Welwyn Hatfield Museum Service since
1999, is to be promoted to Head of Community Services based at the
Campus West Offices of Welwyn Hatfield District Council. Advertisements
for her replacement have been placed but her global responsibilities in the
new job will still include the Museum Services. Carol joined the Museum in
1990 as an administrator under the then Curator Sue Kirby. Her progress
through the service included retraining on a Management Services course.
Subsequently in June 1999, when Sue Kirby left, Carol took over. Among
many other things she played a major part in helping the formation of the
Museum Friends group in early 2003 and her encouragement over the
past three years has ensured the present success of our group.
We all wish Carol well in her new role and we are pleased it is a
case of a Farewell but not a complete goodbye.
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As we went to press we learned that John Beckerson has
been appointed to the position of Museum Services Manager from 5th
June. He is moving from the Museum of St Albans. More news will follow
in our next issue.
Living in three centuries…and three who did so.
In the Daily Telegraph obituaries on 8th February there was news
of someone who had lived in three centuries, this served as a reminder
that a Hatfield man had achieved the same rare longevity two centuries
ago, then, by coincidence, this in turn led to our noticing that a
“remarkable” Welwyn Garden City lady who died recently had also
experienced three centuries.
The Telegraph obituary was about ex Merchant Navy officer
Nicholas Swarbrick who died on February 2nd 2006 at the age of 107
having been born on November 14 1898. By contrast his poor mother had
a very short life – she died of consumption when he was four and, to add
further pathos, for the last two years of her short life she was unable to
hug him for fear of infection. At six he went to Winkley School in Preston
staffed by Jesuits, when he entered Father Ellison’s class at the age of
fourteen he was belted so hard he refused to return to school. He had
subsequently lived dangerously; when serving in the First World War in
1917 on a regular crossing of the Atlantic he said, “I am not sure how
many torpedoes missed us but ships were being sunk all around me”.
The Hatfield man
who achieved the same feat
did so in the seventeenth to
nineteenth centuries: John
Whitemore was born in
1698 and died aged 103 on
December 3rd 1801. A
picture in Hatfield House of
a review of troops by
George III in 1800 actually
shows John Whitemore
experiencing his third
century in a group at the
John Whitemore's grave in St.
front. His grave with a “bedEtheldreda’s churchyard.
head” style wooden board
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recording his longevity can be seen near to St Etheldreda’s church tower.
One however who had evidently lived in three centuries passed on
with no note of it in her obituary in the Welwyn Hatfield Times on February
15. This was Mrs Hilda Brind who died on 28 January 2006 in a Welwyn
Garden City nursing home aged 109. Hilda Brind left one son (former
Welwyn Hatfield Council leader Alan Brind), five grand children, five greatgrand children and two great-great grand children. Her husband Leonard
Charles, who was captured by the Germans while serving in the trenches
in World War 1, died in 1937. She worked in her youth as a children’s
nanny and, in the words of her grandson Jonathan, “she was a remarkable
old lady who had a fierce determination to lead a life filled with service to
her friends, her family and those around her who were less fortunate than
herself”.
Triple century survivors emerge only in the earlier years of
centuries – look out for further news in Friend’s Forum for the year 2,100!
Thomas Hardy: the famous Dorset novelist
owes something to Hatfield.
A soon to be published book draws attention to the links between
Thomas Hardy and Hatfield.
Many will be aware that Friend’s member Hazel Bell is a
professional indexer of books and indeed a one time active member of the
Society of Indexers. Recently Hazel e-mailed me to say that she was
indexing a new book Thomas Hardy: the guarded life by Professor Ralph
Pite and had asked the author about a Hatfield link to Thomas Hardy
mentioned in the book. Professor Pite had referred her to a 1976 article by
M.Tomkins in Hertfordshire Countryside [1] that provides further
information on which the following is based.
Thomas Hardy, whose books include Far from the Madding Crowd
(1874), The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886) and Tess of the D’Urbovilles
(1891) is of course invariably associated with his native Dorset, it seems
however that a childhood visit to Hatfield also influenced the famous
novelist - read on…
Thomas Hardy was born in 1840, he wasn’t a strong boy and is
reputed to have learned to read almost before he could walk (modern
parents might see some advantages in this). He had become the first pupil
the local village school run by the squire’s wife, Mrs Martin. However the
squire’s wife was childless and it is thought that by 1848 Thomas’s mother
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Jemima had become concerned that Mrs Martin had become over
possessive towards Thomas. So, to break the relationship, Jemima
decided to take Thomas on a lengthy visit to her sister Martha Sharpe who
lived in Hatfield. They travelled to London by train but the journey to
Hatfield would have been by horse-drawn coach – the Great Northern
railway line was not yet complete. There the eight year old Thomas got to
know his aunt Martha and Uncle John Sharpe so well that later in life
Thomas was to base the character of Sergeant Troy in Far from the
Madding Crowd on that of his Uncle John, and Sergeant Troy’s wife
Bathsheba on that of his Aunt Martha.
Thomas stayed at his
Aunt Martha’s house
belonging to Lord Salisbury at
the top of Fore Street on the
South side, which has since
been demolished. However he
was sent to school at a house
almost opposite, which is still
there – no 16 Fore Street. The
private school was run by a
nonconformist clergyman
Thomas Ray, there were
eighteen boarders but the
young Thomas, living
opposite, became a dayboy.
On their return to Dorset two
months later Thomas was sent
to a different school at the cost
of some unhappiness both to
him and to his “secretly
mourned friend” - his old head
Mrs Martin.
16 Fore Street where Thomas
In June 1866 the by
Hardy was a dayboy
then 26 year old Thomas was
to revisit Hatfield. It was
evidently nostalgic occasion, he observed that “the once children are quite
old inhabitants” and that the “pied rabbits in the park”…were “descendants
of those I knew”. At the end of the day he sadly added that he “regretted
that the beautiful sunset did not occur in a place of no reminiscences, that
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I might have enjoyed it without their tinge”. Robert Gittings, author of the
Young Thomas Hardy was later to describe Thomas’s Hatfield as “the
great emotional adventure of his childhood” - clearly our famous novelist
did indeed owe more than a little to his childhood visit to Hatfield where he
was later to experience emotions that we can all understand – even if we
could not express them quite so eloquently.
[1] M. Tomkins. Thomas Hardy at Hatfield. Hertfordshire
Countryside. February 1976.
Brevities
Fancy Mill Green in the Early Hours? Museums across
Scotland stayed open as late as 4am to kick off a weekend-long cultural
extravaganza in April entitled Show Scotland. The theme was making a
noise with rock, folk and other music “to break the staid image of
museums”. Organisers intended the event to rival the Edinburgh Festival.
Show Scotland was modelled on successful events in New York and
Amsterdam (An idea here for Mill Green – Ed?).
Unmentionable Hatfield? In the December issue of Hatfield Local
History Society Newsletter Brian Lawrence, a regular contributor to
Friend’s Forum, wrote an open letter to Councillor Nick Atkinson of
Hatfield Town Council. In it he drew attention to a glossy brochure from
estate agents Frosts of St Albans advertising new accommodation at
Astwick Manor (the new apartment development stands at the Western
end of the old airfield site roughly where de Havilland’s Blue Streak rocket
launcher used to stand, now electronic gates admit you to a luxurious
oasis of 21st century living). The brochure, while mentioning the Manor’s
proximity to Welwyn Garden City and St Albans, omitted any mention of
Hatfield (even from the address despite its Hatfield post code). In an open
reply Councillor Atkinson stated that he had taken Frosts to task for undervaluing the town and had sent a video of Hatfield back to the Future to
show “the quality and history of Hatfield”. (Frosts certainly seem to have
peculiar priorities, in terms of immediate residential and commercial
potential Hatfield, with its business and residential developments
underway west of the A1(M) – next door to Astwick Manor - must currently
outrank Welwyn Garden City and St Albans – Ed.)
WHT – Community Newspaper of the Year. Congratulations to
the Welwyn Hatfield Times and editor Terry Mitchinson (a member of our
Museum Friend’s committee) for becoming the paid-for Community
Newspaper of the Year in the recent Newspaper Society’s awards.
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Hazel Bell wins top indexing award: Our congratulations to
Hazel Bell, Friend’s member and contributor to Friend’s Forum who lives
on The Ryde at Hatfield, for winning the prestigious Wheatley Medal 2005.
The medal is awarded each year by the Society of Indexers to the creator
of the outstanding index published in the UK. The medal was presented to
Hazel for her index to T.E.Lawrence’s Seven Pillars of Wisdom republished in 2004 by J & N Wilson. The citation commended Hazel for
very great attention to detail, for her understanding of Arabic names and
for conveying the historical flavour of the book written in 1922. The famous
book has had a chequered history since its original publication, among
other issues T.E.Lawrence (otherwise Lawrence of Arabia) was reluctant
to take an income from his book on the Arab Revolt of 1916 which had
involved so much loss of life. Now ninety years on, it has evidently
acquired the index it always deserved from Hazel. (Her achievements
continue – she has just written and published book A Stage Mother’s
Story about the career of her son Aidan who has recently issued his first
solo CD on which he sings songs of his own compilation – the book, price
£9, includes an audio CD. Contact Hazel on 01707 265201).
FRIENDS’ EVENTS REPORTS.
Early Days in Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield.
Ken Wright’s February talk.
Reviewed by Brian Lawrence.
Another well-attended meeting took place in February when the
speaker, Ken Wright, visited the Museum and entertained his audience
with an excellent slide show to illustrate his personal recollections of the
changing face of Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield over past half century.
Ken joined the staff of the newly formed Development Corporation
soon after the two towns had been designated “New Towns”, following the
Second World War. His talents as a keen photographer were soon
recognised by his employers and, in addition to his other duties, he took
on the role of providing a photographic record of the development of the
“Twin Towns”. We were the beneficiaries of the meticulous record which
Ken has continued to build up over the decades with an array of highquality images which were as fresh as the day they were captured.
We were reminded of the extensive development of a wide range
of commercial and residential buildings, highlighting the names of
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businesses, so familiar to many of us a few years ago but no longer in
existence. We saw the construction of several buildings which echoed the
new lifestyle of the second half of the twentieth century, such as the new
St Albans Road now The Common, Hatfield in 1963 looking
towards the site for the swimming pool.
Woolco Store, now demolished and replaced. There were sighs of regret
when we were shown again some of the delightful old buildings in Old
Hatfield which were lost during that period of redevelopment.
Celebrities from the entertainment and sporting world who visited
the district were recalled as were the visits of government ministers and
royalty and we particularly enjoyed seeing the President of our Friends
Group, Dennis Lewis, as a sprightly young councillor, representing the
community on such occasions. Our enjoyment of this trip down memory
lane was enhanced by Ken’s own recollections when embarking on these
very varied assignments.
The cynics will often say that even nostalgia is not what it used to
be but I think it is true to add that on this occasion we all left the Museum
feeling refreshed, having been reminded of the tremendous changes that
have taken place around us, within our own lifetime.
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Wine Grapes and Wine making.
David Howgego’s March talk.
Reviewed by Bernard Williams.
David Howgego explained
that for many years he was a market
trader selling fruit and vegetables.
Three years ago, seeking an easier
life, David sold this business but
shortly before he did so he was
asked about supplying grapes for
making wine. He quickly found that
supplies were not easily available
through local market outlets so he to
met his client’s needs by ordering
grapes to be delivered by road from
Italy. During that Autumn season he arranged a succession of such
deliveries.
Subsequently David decided that to meet demands in succeeding
years he would set up a one-stop operation serving individual customers.
He found that demand tended to be centred on weekends. The
cornerstones of his business set up over the past four years are that he
does every thing himself and that customers come and make their own
personal choices from the imported grapes which is much more
satisfactory than placing orders for supplies which could disappoint on
arrival. David described some of the differences between Italian, Spanish
and Portuguese grapes. He also advised that home wine makers should
concentrate on wines for drinking rather than storage.
He urged the need for cleanliness otherwise the end product could
be vinegar not wine. Asked about organic grapes he was sceptical
questioning whether it was ever possible to be sure about the exact ways
grapes were grown. Asked about English grapes he succinctly
commented that “the problem was the weather”.
David was an articulate and amusing speaker who spoke without
visual aids. He liked the red wine (an Aussie Merlot) provided by our
events organiser Derek Fitzhugh for the meeting – a good speaker and a
fair dinkum wine one was a fair summary of the evening!
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Friend’s member John Murphy also comments…
Wednesday 15th March saw a visit by a thoroughly entertaining and
amusing speaker, David Howgego who gave a disappointingly low
audience a very riveting talk on how to make – and sell - wine.
He gave a very complete talk on how he started in the business
and then increased it to a thriving concern and the manner in which he
made and sold wine for consumption, rather then for supermarkets or
laying in wine racks!
Thank you very much David, and I can assure you that I for one
will never go near a supermarket wine counter unless it is to buy a bottle
for my worst enemy! John Murphy. (Jane Macquitty of the TIMES ONLINE
(www.timesonline.co.uk) in a piece entitled “Supermarket wine buyers
exasperate me” has issued a warning; “If you don’t already do your weekly
wine shop at a supermarket you soon will do. Scarily supermarket wine
sales continue to tighten their grip on the national throat and now account
for almost 80 per cent of the wines we buy”. – Ed).
Countryside matters – the work of the CPRE
Kevin Fitzgerald’s April talk
Reviewed by Anne Grimshaw
Celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, CPRE – now the
Campaign to Protect Rural England – has a champion in Kevin Fitzgerald,
its Hon. Director, who spoke to the Friends on 19 April about its work in
Hertfordshire.
CPRE acts as a brake and a voice of reason to curb the worst
excesses of ‘the planners’ and others. Realising that co-operation is better
than fighting; CPRE is now consulted and involved by local authorities,
water companies and utilities on countryside matters. As Kevin said, it
doesn’t always win, but its achievements are considerable and we would
all be a lot worse off without its efforts.
Hertfordshire cannot be seen in isolation but as part of the
government’s emphasis on regional strategies (of all kinds). Hertfordshire
has beautiful countryside that is continually under serious threat
particularly from housing demands and airport expansion. Green Belts
(established in the 1930s) are invariably elastic and no longer sacrosanct,
and satisfying the desire for cheap flights is, apparently, paramount and
regardless of local concerns.
CPRE fights such encroachments. Even if it cannot prevent the
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concrete carpet from being rolled out, it has, for example, managed to
reduce the number of houses to be built to the west of Stevenage, and the
recently opened Baldock bypass has incorporated CPRE’s insistence on
landscaping, planting and even badger tunnels.
CPRE is also concerned with less obvious countryside blight such
as light pollution and ‘food miles’ – the unnecessary movement of food. It
advocates urban regeneration, improved rural transport, organises the
Village of the Year, encourages the conversion of redundant farm
buildings and much more.
Kevin was at pains to point out that the CPRE is non-political and
does not advocate violent protest, preferring instead to win its case, not by
emotion, but by reasoned argument with facts and figures. It is not ‘anti
everything’ – just ‘anti’ massive projects that irreparably damage the
countryside forever when, with consideration, determination and the will,
better alternatives can be found.
See CPRE’s website: www.cpre.org.uk – and JOIN!
Some of Jane's corn dollies
made from organic hollow corn
grown in Suffolk.
Jane Woolman
demonstrating corn dolly
making at the Museum
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Forthcoming Welwyn Hatfield Museum Events
Now and Then, Saturday, 29 April – Sunday 9 July. Companion
Exhibitions at the Museum Mill Green and Campus West. See old
photographs of the district compared with the same view today. See how
(or how little) has changed.
Hands on Toys. Saturday 15 July – Sunday 10 September, Mill Green.
Come and play with old and new toys and games and see old favourites.
Digswell Arts Trust. Saturday 16 September – Sunday 12 November,
Mill Green. See the story of the Trust, now 50 years old, using images,
photographs, flyers and posters
Resources Room, Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City and Surrounding
Area. A comprehensive store of archive photographs, local history files,
family tree resources and research library. A free drop-in service at Mill
Green every Thursday 10-12 with skilled assistance
National Mills Day Bread-making Competition. Sunday 14th
May. Win a dinner for two at Bush Hall Hotel – bring along a loaf you
have made and the chefs from Bush Hall will judge the winning entry. In
Mill Green’s Use your Loaf competition children can bring along a loaf or
bread roll in any shape or form you like. Winner gets a £40 voucher for
Pizza Hut.
Other Local Historical Events.
Planes, Train and Automobiles; transport in Letchworth
Garden City. 12 June – 29 July. First Garden City Heritage Museum,
296 Norton Way South, Letchworth, Herts SG6 1SU. Tel: 01462 482710.
Fax 01462 486056.
Trevor Chamberlain; a celebration of 60 years of
painting. Hertford Museum at 18 Bull Plain, Hertford (T 01992 582686),
Tuesday-Saturday 10-5pm till 26 August. Admission Free.
Travelling People. Wardown Park Museum, Luton LU2 7HA. (T
01582 546722) Tuesday – Sunday 10 -5pm. Till 27 August.
Flying Legends Air Show. 9 & 10 July. Imperial War Museum,
Duxford, Cambridge CB2 4QR (T 01223 835000)
Battle of Britain Anniversary Air Show. 10 & 11 September
Imperial War Museum, Duxford (see details above).
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FORTHCOMING FRIEND’S EVENTS.
Talks are held in the seminar room at Mill Green and include wine or
soft drinks.
Tickets in advance are advised. Prices: Friends’
Members £2.00, Non-members £4.00 (likely to attend other meetings?
It pays to become a member at £5 annually). This programme
includes no afternoon events. If this poses any worries the Friends
will try to arrange a lift for any members affected.
Wednesday 21 June 2006, 7.30 for 8pm. Paul Bainbridge.
From clay to wax.
Since 1990 our speaker has been employed by Madam Tussauds
as one of their select team of freelance portrait sculptors. His subjects
include US President George Bush, singer Gloria Estefan, Astronomer
Patrick Moore and Sean Connery. His presentation covers his work as a
student and teacher and is accompanied by anecdotes and descriptions of
producing wax portraits. He was an arts teacher in Herts for 25 years.
Monday 26th June 2006 and Wednesday 5th July 2006
2.30 p.m.
“Friends” Visits to Hertfordshire Archives & Local Studies at
County Hall, Hertford.
Wednesday 19th July 2006, 7.30 for 8pm. Michael Clark.
The Cuffley story
Michael Clark will cover the development and growth of Cuffley.
Wednesday 20th September 2005 at 6.30pm. Annual
General Meeting of the ‘Friends’ at Mill Green Museum.
Wednesday, 20th September 2006, 7.30 for 8pm.
Phillips. St Bartholomews Hospital, London.
Len
The speaker which explain the changes which have and are taking
place in this the oldest hospital in London founded in 1123 by the monk
Rahere. . A topical subject of the present day.
Wednesday 18th October, 7.30 for 8.00. David Keen. The
RAF Museum at Hendon.
Editor; Bernard Williams. Layout & illustrations; John Deans, c/o Mill Green
Museum, Hatfield, Herts AL9 5PD. Phone: 01707 271362; Fax: 01707 272511. E-mail:
[email protected]
Published by The Friends of Welwyn Hatfield Museums.
President: Dr Dennis Lewis. Committee; Chair, John Deans; Vice-chair, Derek Fitzhugh;
Membership, Brian Lawrence; Treasurer; Christine Wilding; Editor as above; Secretary,
John Cast; Publicity Terry Mitchinson; Ex-officio; Carol Rigby, Museum Director & Caroline
Rawle, Curator.
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