CCOOPPAAGG CCHHRROONNIICCLLEE The magazine of the Chesham Over 50’s Positive Action Group Volume 15, Issue 3; September 2018

Hello Everyone, Hope you’ve all had a brilliant Summer and eaten lots of ice cream!? Earlier this year some of our members went on a trip to Frogmore Paper Mill, and found it most interesting and enjoyable. I even got a chance to make a piece of paper! We were then taken to see where the paper is made, and all the massive machines. I’m used to seeing enormous printing machines as my Father was a printer all his life and sometimes took me to work with him. I remember, most of all, the terrific noise all the time. Although the printing works that my Father worked in till his retirement was a relatively small place in Watford, you still needed ear protectors on. But the place in Frogmore is purely for making all different types of paper. Some of the paper

machines date back to 1895 and 1902. It’s well worth a visit. Well, here’s hoping we still have some Summer left to enjoy, so make the most of it! We should all be looking happy and healthy with all this sunshine!

Barbara

EDITORIAL Well I did not make it to Cornwall and was able to make it to Apsley Paper Mills and adding to the remarks of our Chairman this was the first paper mill in the country. I am still awaiting further topics to publish and would love to start A Letters to the Editor section – now it’s down to you!!! Ed..

FORTHCOMING MEETING TOPICS Sep 21st: Bucks Healthcare NHS Trust. Oct 19th: Fi Bingham on The History of Chesham. Nov16th: Margaret Drinkwater: Tales of the Crematorium and Dec 14th: Two entertainers and Buffet.

IN THIS ISSUE Pgs. 2/3 Spotlight Profile, 3/4 Uncle Phil’s Corner, 5 Monthly Meeting Reports, 5/6/7 A Magical Birthday Treat and 7/8 Coffee Time

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Spotlight Profile for Mora Walker

How long have you lived in Chesham?

Mid 1950s

What were your earliest/first impressions of the town?

A very lovely and quiet marketing town, very unspoilt

What kind of shop would you like to see in Chesham, that it doesn't already have?

A lingerie boutique

If you had £1 million to spend on any aspect of improving Chesham, what would you spend it on?

Employ a street cleaner to work every day cleaning up litter

What aspect of Chesham do you like the least?

Taxis and people parking in the Broadway

If you could demolish one building in Chesham, which would it be?

Have no dislike of any building

What is your favourite part of the world, and why?

The Lake District for the beauty, peace and tranquillity

What is your favourite biscuit/chocolate/crisp choice?

Plain digestives

What is your favourite place to eat out (doesn't have to be local)?

Used to be Guido’s (now sadly demolished)

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What is your favourite TV programme?

Rarely look at TV (a load of rubbish) sooner read a book

What item of technology confuses or frustrates you?

Have no time for technology (computers etc) I love writing letters to my friends, something I have always done – now it’s all emails!

If you had one celebrity to pick as a companion for a long car journey, who would it be?

Sir David Attenborough

Mora Walker

Uncle Phil’s Corner

Continued: Born in 40’s remembering the 50’s

In the last issue I ended my piece when the family moved to Burnt Oak, Edgware. I’m going back a bit to the time when we were evicted from our home in Kentish Town, and dad was living with his sister in Islington, mum, my brother and I were given refuge by a very kind neighbour Mrs Hardiman. During this time we only saw dad at weekends and although the street didn’t have that many houses in it there were plenty of children. I can remember one particular boy continuously wanting to know why we had no dad. I got fed up with this and I said something stupid like he was a space man, one of my cousins had the Eagle comic and I remembered Dan Dare being the main character. Dad did see us at weekends, sometimes we were taken to our Aunt’s house in Islington. Her family lived off Caledonian Road. My cousins, Freddie was a year older than me and John was 5 years older, at the end of their road was a bombed-out factory, although boarded up all the kids in the area managed to play in it, great fun, didn’t see the danger at the time! Their house was a large tenement. I can remember looking down to the street through the railings into what was called an area, there was a large basement, a little yard with an outdoor toilet with newspaper cut up for toilet paper. On occasions we were given baths here in a tin bath in front of a roaring fire, and I can remember these sticky ribbons hanging from the ceiling to kill the flies. I particularly remember arriving at their house with a terrific toothache. My aunt did no more than tied the tooth -not sure what with- the other end was tied to a door knob, dad held me and the door was slammed, the tooth was removed!!! The times dad visited us at Mrs Hardiman’s house we usually went out. We were very close to Parliament Hill Fields and Hampstead Heath, and sometimes went to the pictures. I can remember my first film, there was a cinema in Malden Road -now a petrol station- the film was ‘The Greatest show on earth.’ One particular scene that stayed with me was a car being on the railway line and a train speeding towards it! I had bad dreams about that scene. Sometimes we were taken into Camden Town. We walked there, my brother David being pushed in a pram and I dressed in a sailor’s top and a French beret which I hated. I can remember the horses pulling the barges along the Regent’s Canal, and the Charringtons coal yard, in their shop window was what looked to me to be a very large wonderful model of a steam train, I admired it every time we passed that shop window. When we reached Camden High street we were treated to a meal in one of the tea houses. In Malden Road which was just around the corner from where we lived was a row of shops and a bit further down Malden Road was Queens Crescent market where you could buy most things! When I was sent to buy groceries at the

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shops in Malden Road I was never given a list, I had to remember what they wanted and I usually bought the wrong thing or got the wrong amount, and later on when I was bit older mum was a Co-op member and I could never remember the number even if I repeated it in my mind all the way to the shop! All of dad’s sisters and brothers apart from the Islington family lived within a few minutes from us. Eventually they all moved, councils offered them houses in Borehamwood, South Oxhey outside Watford, and one Aunt bought a house in Queensbury. Even mum’s best friend who lived in the same street as us moved to a house in South Oxhey. We were the last to get a house and mum lived in that house in Burnt Oak for 50 years before she moved to South Oxhey to be near my brother’s family. Prised to Leave Chesham (but only for a long weekend) When Kate’s oldest brother was alive he made it his duty to invite the family to a reunion every other year, the last being in 2014. This year Alastair, now the eldest brother, had arranged for the family to meet at an Aunt’s house on the 12th August. She lives in a small village called Dumgoyne, Killearne, not far from Loch Lomond – which I have not so many fond memories of but that’s another story. Originally, we were to stay with relatives during our stay but that didn’t happen. Kirsteen, Kate’s youngest sister, who is the only family apart from us that live in the south was going to travel with us, but this also fell through as she had grandparent duties that weekend. Kate and I travelled up on the Friday and had booked 3 nights in the Holiday Inn Express, Riverside, Glasgow. Left early and arrived at 3.30pm with the help of my newly bought Sat Nav, lovely voice named Niamh. We had a free day on the Saturday and Kate wanted to visit places in Glasgow where she was a student in the early 1960’s. We travelled on the Glasgow underground called the Subway, a circular track inner and outer, got off at Hill Head, the university area of the city. Glasgow is not what I imagined, it was lovely in parts and very friendly. Never did find the apartment she lived in with two other girl students. The Sunday morning was dull and it was raining. We started off early in case we couldn’t find the village, Niamh would help but even she gave up. What I didn’t know was there was to be a European cycle race in Glasgow that day and everywhere we turned there were road closures and diversions and Niamh gave up. After about 45minutes Kate noticed a Police station she went in two policemen told her how we could get to the village. They came out and explained to me and set my Sat Nav to click in when we on the right track. ALWAYS ASK A POLICEMAN. Actually, we were the first family to arrive apart from Alastair the organiser, and Aunt Anne and her family, the owners of a big house and grounds. All went very well, plenty to eat, lots of family chat, and new members of the family to coo over. Kate’s cousin Mark does the family tree and he put it up on a door for any new additions to be added. There were gazebos, so we were out of the rain, and a treasure hunt for the children. Also, walks with the dogs, lots of dogs. We left at about 6pm and Niamh got us back to the Holiday Inn by 6.40. Home in Chesham 4pm Monday .

Kate on the Victoria Bridge Glasgow Sunset over the River Clyde

Uncle Phil

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COPAG monthly meeting reports COPAG meeting held in June 2018

At this meeting Richard Dunn told us about the history of The Blues. Richard told us that his first recollection of the Blues was when he was 8 years old, and it was Leadbelly singing Take This Hammer, 1954. This was a simple 12 bar blues. The first song we heard was Good Morning Blues by Leadbelly. A notable lady was Bessie Smith in the 30s. Another version of the blues is the 8 bar. Throughout his talk Richard played several versions of the blues on his CD player, and showed clips of Blues singers on the screen. To name some – Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Sonny Boy Williamson and Muddy Waters. Other types of blues

Jazz 12 bar blues Country and Chicago blues city blues rock ‘n’ roll blues

This was quite a comprehensive talk by Richard explaining the history of The Blues and once again he was quite insistent that not all blues have to be sad.

COPAG meeting held in July 2018 We had a talk from Marianne Thunert who had written a book: A Self Made Woman. A few highlights from Marianne’s talk:

born in Berlin, West Germany. grew up with 3 siblings and uncaring parents. became a messenger girl for Osram Bulbs for 6 months. met Scottish husband in a Berlin pub he was a soldier, and went to Northern Ireland 3 times, and Bahrain

Divorced from husband. Left with 2 children. Children grew up and were very successful. She worked in care homes and was very successful, also ran a Red Cross shop which had the

highest takings. With all the heartache Marianne endured throughout her life, she worked hard and made a success of her life.

Marianne now lives at Cromwell house in Chesham.

COPAG meeting held in August 2018 We were entertained at this meeting by Richard Dunn (harmonica, vocals and bongos) and his quartet including Lou playing saxophone, John, rhythm guitar and Dave, bass guitar. The band gave us quite a varied programme with some numbers for us to sing along to and one number for us with shakers. Lou handed out the words for the songs we were going to sing.

Chris Boulter

A MAGICAL BIRTHDAY TREAT.

I was given my instructions, orders really, as one does not argue with two thirty year old granddaughters. “Be ready to be picked up at five thirty on the 25th, wear your normal clothes. We are taking you for a birthday treat that Grandma wouldn’t enjoy.” This was a month or so before we were due to celebrate my ninetieth birthday. All a bit mysterious and ask as I might nothing more was said about the destination. So I made sure that “Grandma” had her evening meal a little earlier that day and I was ready to be picked up. Dead on time, unusual for him, my son arrived to pick me up explaining that he was driving as the girls were still on their way home from work. By the time we reached his house the girls had arrived and they piled into the back of the

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car. Off we went through Ashley Green and onto the A41 heading east, past the turning for Hemel Hempstead, eliminating several possibilities, and on towards Watford. Could Watford be playing at home tonight? But before we entered Watford we turned northwards and soon there was a clue. A sign showing that a left turn would take one towards Warner Brothers Studio. Before I could really think what this might mean we were pulling up in the car park outside a large building the front of which bore the words “The Making of Harry Potter.” When the Harry Potter books first appeared I read them with the girls and recently, following a chance purchase in the Scannappeal bookshop, had reread the full set as my younger granddaughter still owned all the books. The big benefit of reading the books rather than watching the films is that, if duty calls, you can come back later and pick up just where you left off so I had not watched any of the films. The girls booked us in and then, after a short introductory talk, the group of which we were a part were ushered into a small cinema to watch a short film featuring Daniel Radcliffe who spoke of how he and many others of the cast had literally grown up at the studio during the ten years of filming the Harry Potter series. Then on through the immense double doors and into the Great Hall of Hogwarts Castle. Those of you who came with St. Mary’s Fellowship to Christchurch College, Oxford, will recall that the Great Hall there, in which we had our tea, was the basis for the Hogwarts version. No stained glass windows with scenes from Alice in Wonderland but the same grand dimensions.

After a further short talk during which we were urged to take as many photos as we liked we were left to take the tour at our own pace. Having built my own ideas of what parts of Hogwarts looked like from the descriptions in the books, I was in for a number of surprises. Greatest of these was the Gryffindor boys dormitory. I had always thought of it as a long room with beds along one side. Not so, it proved to be a relatively small circular room. Obvious when you think about it as the room was in one of the towers of the castle but I had used my own experience in forming my picture. Many other places, such as Haggrid’s hut, the dungeon in which potions classes were held and Diagon Alley were much as I had imagined. I passed up the chance to sit astride a broomstick against a green background, and then appear in a video flying round the towers of the castle but did sample the butter beer that features in school outings to the village of Hogsmeade. Too sweet for my

palate. I’ll stick with Carlsberg.

When making the earlier films some scenes were shot on location. A street in Bracknell providing the exterior for the house in which Harry was brought up by his aunt and uncle, and Black Park, near Wexham, standing in for the Forbidden Forest. For later films the house was built on the studio back lot and the forest within the studio itself. On the back lot, as well as No 4 Privet Drive, were the triple decker Knight bus, the flying Ford Anglia that featured in the “Philosopher’s Stone”, Haggrid’s motor bike and the Hogwarts bridge.

We were able to walk through the forest set which was most

realistic down to there being a yielding and somewhat uneven surface, like leaves and small fallen branches, under foot. I was glad to have my granddaughter’s arm to steady me as we walked through. In the early days many scenes were filmed on location at King’s Cross station in London

with an actual train at the platform. The train was used for those scenes filmed from above showing the “Hogwarts Express” on its way to the castle. Now there is a platform built within the studio with track and train, hence the photograph of self and son by the “Hogwarts Castle” locomotive and that of me and my luggage on our way to

Platform 93/4, Rather surprising were those things that one doesn’t always associate with film- making. There was a team dedicated to producing all the paperwork that was needed for the films. Copies of the Daily Prophet and the rival publication The Quibbler, the Marauder’s Map which showed who was where within the castle, Wanted Posters featuring the Death Eaters, and many magical product labels. The make-up team too must have been working overtime to create all the elves, goblins and others needed for the films.

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The thing that held my attention more than anything was the fabulous animals created for the series. These

included Aragog, the giant spider (18 feet from toe to toe), which we had encountered in the Forbidden Forest, and the hippogriffs that featured in several of the films. The latter were displayed in film sets with a film screen showing a short talk by Warwick Davis, in which he spoke of the way in which the animal was controlled. As he spoke the animal responded to the movement of the controls on the film and made the appropriate action. As the animal moved in response to the operator’s hand on the controls not only could you see the movement, such as lifting the head, but you could also see the skin covering what in a real animal would be the muscles involved, ripple as the movement was made. Most realistic.

All too soon it was time to leave and as we returned to the car the fact that we had

walked the best part of two miles, as measured by my granddaughter’s pedometer, caught up with me and I was glad to sit for a while. Supper at MacDonald’s on the way home brought a great evening to a happy conclusion. The last photograph shows the pair that organised the trip about to make off with Haggrid’s motor bike

Dusty

COFFEE TIME

ANSWERS TO “COLLECTIVE NOUNS” QUIZ.(Last Issue)

1. An assemblage of Clergy 8. A host of Angels 15. A pride of Lions 2. A bench of Magistrates 9. A murmuration of Starlings 16. A school of Porpoises 3. A bevy of Girls 10. A muster of Soldiers 17. A swarm of Bees 4 A board of Directors 11. A nosegay of Flowers 18. A tribe of Indians 5. A colony of Gulls 12. A pack of Hounds 19. A troupe of Acrobats 6. A covey of Grouse 13. A paddling of Ducks 20. A yoke of Oxen 7. A gaggle of Geese 14. A posse of Police

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