NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2007 Going West The 2nd August saw a spectacular pile-up in the Street. Fortunately no-one was hurt. A Volkswagen Passat, going West down the Street, rammed a small Peugeot, which rammed a large Peugeot, which rammed an Audi, which rammed a Renault van. The last two vehicles suffered only minor damage, but the first three were all seriously messed up. The four parked vehicles were shunted at least four feet from where they has been left (outside No.7). The precise cause of the accident is unknown, but was not because of any car coming in the opposite direction (round the blind corner), the usual cause of squealing tyres in the area. Energy saving The Association has received from the Council’s ‘Sustainability Officer’ a DVD, telling householders how they can ‘make simple changes to reduce the amount of energy they use, ‘saving money and the environment’. If you would like to view it, ring James Evans (Tel. 853064) Web-site and email The Association now has a Web-site. The address is www.fishpool-street.com Thanks to Committee member Simon Gleadall (No.70) for setting it up and for agreeing to be its ‘Editor’. Any comments, suggestions, questions to him please (telephone 812592), or e-mail him at simongleadall@hotmail.com If you would like to receive communications from the Association (such as the Newsletter) by e-mail, please let Simon have your e-mail address. Planning – No.87 The main recent issue has been an application to demolish the existing house and build a much larger one in its place. This was vigorously opposed by residents living nearby mainly on the grounds that it was too big, would ‘overpower’ neighbouring houses and be an intrusion, and that the proposed demolition of half the garage block (shared with No.89) would produce a messy result. There was also concern about potential loss of ‘greenery’. The Association wrote supporting their objections and the Council rejected the applications. There could be an appeal or a revised application could be made. We shall see. Filming in the Street As you will know, the Street is quite a popular venue for filming, but it can cause problems, if the film crew does not behave itself. The Association recently had to take a TV company to task because filming of a noisy (DeLorean) car had not only caused disturbance, but the crew had entered onto two private properties without consent, in one case with a ‘smoke machine’, filling the garden at the rear with noxious vapours. The TV Company admitted everything but sought to defend itself by saying it had Council and Police consents. It had to be pointed out to them that such consents could not possibly validly extend to entry onto private property without the consent of the owners and that, as their crew’s conduct amounted to trespass at Common law, contravention of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (respect for an individual’s home) and a breach Section 8 of the Code laid down by Ofcom (the body that regulates TV) which concerns privacy, they better take some realistic legal advice. The net result was an apology and a payment of £250.00 to the Association to mark the sincerity of their regret. 2 Verulamium Park Residents who use the Park may be pleased to know that the Council has received a grant of nearly £50,000 to enable preparation of a bid, to be made after consultation with the public, for Lottery Funding of an improvement plan for the park. There is a Civic Society meeting to consider this project at 8pm on 24th September at the Cross Street Centre, Dagnall Street. Police and Neighbourhood Watch P.C.Phil Snook has succeeded P.C.Jodie Dalzell as Verulam Ward Constable. Thanks to Jodie for her energetic approach to local problems and for keeping the Association well informed. Jill Brown remains the local Police Community Support Officer. As you should know, it is now possible for residents to sign up to the OWL system, so that they can receive Neighbourhood Watch (NW) alerts direct from the Police Station via e-mail or phone, thus relieving NW co-ordinators of the task of circulating them. If you don’t sign up, it will be assumed that you are not interested in receiving such alerts, something which you might possibly regret later. Such alerts mainly concern current crime in the area (e.g. distraction burglaries), descriptions of suspects, rogue traders operating locally, scams currently in vogue etc. In the wake of the Glasgow and London terrorist attempts, the Anti-terrorism Hotline was circulated, with an appeal for relevant information. It is 0800 789321. Signing-up to OWL also enables access to the OWL website, which is informative. In case you wondered, OWL stands for ONLINE WATCH LINK and it is run by Ken Lane, Watch Liaison Officer, Neighbourhood Watch. He is based at St.Albans Police Station and can be reached by telephone on 796087 or by e-mail, kenlane@herts.pnn.police.uk All this is in addition to 999 for emergencies and 0845 33 00 222 for non-urgent calls to the Police. OWL is a speedy method of circulating information. Approximately 50 households in the Street have so far signed up to it. For more information, contact James Evans (tel. 853064) or Ken Lane as above. Tourism and St.Albans Dennis Owen, a retired architect, who lives at 13 Fishpool Street (house is pictured in the Association’s logo – top left of the front page) wants St.Albans to exploit the potential for tourism likely to arise when Eurostar starts arriving at St.Pancras, making onward travel to the City by Thameslink very easy. He says this will bring St.Albans within 3 hours of Paris and Brussels. He suggests that the Museum of St.Albans in Hatfield Road should be re-sited in a new building to be built South-East of the Verulamium Museum, thus attracting more visitors. The Museum of St.Albans, he says based on information on the Internet, only gets 25% of the visitors that go to the Verulamium Museum. The vacated site in Hatfield Road should be turned into a 60 bedroom hotel. In the hope of attracting support for his idea, he has written to Anne Main, MP for St.Albans, and among others, numerous Councillors and Council Officials. THE BLACK LION The recent licensing application by The Black Lion for extended hours, reported in the last Newsletter, prompted us to ask the well-known local historian Chris Saunders to tell us something of its very interesting past. He is currently working on its history for its current owner, Gail Payne, who is on the Committee of our sister organisation, The Society of St.Michael’s and Kingsbury. It is intended that details and illustrations of the building’s history will be displayed in the hotel as part of its refurbishment. We are grateful to Chris Saunders for an advance glimpse of what his researches are revealing. The late Alan Pickles referred to is a former owner of Bank House, as to which see ‘Fishpool Street Memories’ (elsewhere in this Newsletter)written by one of his daughters, Maggy Douglas. ‘The premises now known as The Black Lion Hotel was built as two houses c.1700-1720. Around this time both of these belonged to John Churchill, first Duke of Marlborough who may have been responsible for their construction. The first reference to the sign of The Black Lion comes from 1797 when an inquest was held there. In 1819 the ‘Black Lion Public House’ was being leased by the brewer Thomas Kinder ‘at the mere nominal rent of FIVE POUNDS PER ANNUM’, and in that year he bought it at auction from the Duke of Marlborough for £405. However Kinder had problems in obtaining a copy of the Abstract of Title and it was not until 1824 that the sale was completed. In 1868 the Kinder’s St.Albans Brewery in Chequer Street (where the Maltings is now) was sold to Adey & White but some of the houses forming the tied estate remained in the hands of the Kinder family and it was not until 1910 that ownership of The Black Lion passed to Adey & White. (Ownership then followed the course of the brewer to Greens of Luton, then Flowers and then Whitbreads). At some time between 1871-1881 the original two buildings, which had remained in separate 3 occupation were amalgamated: the new premises consisting of a public house and common lodging house. This remained the case until the premises were acquired from the brewery by Michael Newling Ward who converted the building to its present use as a hotel (1966-67). From 1926 the house was kept by Frank Myland who was followed in 1952 by his son Ray the final landlord/lodging housekeeper. Ray had little trouble with unruly customers being well known as an amateur wrestler. Although he failed to gain an Olympic medal he was British Champion (1947 Lightweight; 1951 Welterweight; 1952 Lightweight; 1954 Welterweight; 1958 Middleweight) and Commonwealth Games (1954 Welterweight Bronze Medal; 1958 Middleweight Bronze Medal). Frank Myland’s brother Lloyd also kept a pub/common lodging house, The Goat in Sopwell Lane. His son Gordon was recently Mayor of St.Albans. Due to the work of two former local historians, Dr.Elsie Toms and Mr.Alan Pickles it can be shown that there had been an earlier victualling house on the site of The Black Lion. This was an alehouse known as The Boar. First recorded in 1650 this name appears in deeds until the early years of the 18th century but there is no evidence that the use as a licensed premises was continuous.’ Chris Saunders THE BLUE ANCHOR The Association was represented at the hearing on 29th May of the Application by The Blue Anchor for extended hours. As usual the Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee (composed on this occasion of Councillor Flynn (Labour, London Colney), Councillor Swendell (Independent, Redbourn) and Councillor Shardlow (Liberal Democrat, Wheathampstead) granted the later hours applied for. The Council is not noted for any resistance to such requests, notwithstanding that part of the Council’s Licensing Policy states that it ‘has a duty to protect the amenity of its resident population’. The Association conceded that The Blue Anchor (owned by McMullens, the Hertford Brewers) was a well-run pub which of late had put much emphasis on serving good and rather up-market food. This seems to have had some effect, since the Committee imposed a number of conditions for which the Association argued at the hearing, namely: 1. No consumption of alcohol or other refreshments permitted after 2300 hours in the outside area. 2. Windows and doors to be closed by 2100 hours except for ingress and egress. 3. A telephone number to be made available to residents (It is 855038) 4. Suitable and conspicuous notices to be displayed at the exits reminding patrons it is a residential area and to leave quietly. 5. The licence-holder or anyone involved in the organisation of entertainments (including those controlling the volume of music) shall ensure that any noise emanating from the premises is such not to cause annoyance or disturbance to residents in the locality. Note particularly Condition 5. (A similar condition was imposed on the Fighting Cocks, but not, although requested by the Association, imposed on The Black Lion, when its application for later hours was heard (by a different committee) at an earlier hearing. The Association has not been made aware of any problems arising since The Blue Anchor’s application was granted. In general, if and when problems arise with any pubs in the area, it is best in the first instance to take the matter up with the pub itself. Failing a resolution of the problem, the Council (tel. 866100) has a Noise Nuisance department and a special line for alcohol-related Noise Nuisance – 819453 in Office hours, otherwise 811155 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 2000 to 0200 hours. 4 The Blue Anchor’s New Hours Films Indoor Sporting Events Facilities for Making Music 7am-midnight Sun-Thu, 7am-00.30am Fri & Sat, 10am-01.30am on Christmas Eve, New Years Eve non-standard timings*. Indoors, video entertainment on TV screens and amusement machines 7am-midnight Sun-Thu, 7am-00.30am Fri & Sat. Permit pub games that attract an audience whether by advertisement or spontaneously. 10am-01.30am New Years Eve, 10am-00.30am Christmas Eve. Indoors. The premises will provide no additional facilities, all musical equipment will be provided by the performers. Live Music Recorded Music Premises open to public* 10am-01.30am New Years Eve, 10am-00.30am Christmas Eve. Indoors, live acoustic and amplified voice on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve only. 10am-01.30am New Years Eve, 10am-00.30am Christmas Eve. Indoors. Recorded music, including jukebox with/without DJ on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve only. 7am-midnight Sun-Thu, 7am-00.30am Friday and Saturday. Late night refreshment Supply of alcohol *Non-standard timings 11pm-midnight Sun-Thu, 11pm-00.30am Fri&Sat. Indoors. Provision of hot drinks/snacks particularly during ‘wind down’ period. Non-standard timings. 11pm-5am New Years Eve, 11pm-01.30am Christmas Eve. 10am-11.30pm Sun-Thu, 10am-midnight Fri& Sat, for consumption both on and off premises/non-standard timings. 10am-01.00am Christmas eve. New Years Eve*. Christmas Eve – 10am to 01.30am; New Year’s Eve – In addition to normal permitted hours, the period between the end of such hours and the beginning of permitted hours on New Year’s Day. F.S.R.A. Summer Party Quiz 2007 - Answers 1. Name the Barclays Premiership football club founded by a woman in the late 19th century – Manchester City 2. ’Nymphs’ and ‘damsels’ are used for fishing for trout 3. A ‘mashamboy’ is a mask worn by Chiefs of Congolese tribe to frighten women into obedience 4. Lord Grimthorpe, restorer of the Abbey, also designed a famous clock. Which? Big Ben 5. Fill in the missing word: “It is useless for the sheep to pass resolutions in favour of vegetarianism whilst the wolf remains of a different opinion”. 6. The popular name for ‘Rhus toxidendron’ is: poison ivy 7. The famous English poet, visionary and artist who was born 250 years ago was William Blake 8. Nicola Sarkozy was elected President of France on 6th May 2007; what % of votes cast did he obtain? 53% 9. Who led a lobster on a blue ribbon in the Palais Royal? Gerard de Nerval ‘doesn’t bark and knows secret of the sea’ 10. In 1570, Sir Nicholas Bacon of Gorhambury obtained a wine charter for St.Albans School which was then located in: Lady Chapel of Abbey 11. The name of the restaurant chain ‘ Wagamama’ means Naughty Child 12. John Reid had a large number of ministerial jobs in the last ten years. How many? 9 13. Who was George Tankerfield? A Protestant, a baker, burnt at stake c1555 by Mary Tudor 14. Sir Harold Ridley (b.1906) pioneered the artificial intra-ocular lens in 1949, since then how many million peoples’ eyesight has been saved worldwide? 200 million 30 million 15 million 15. How many Queens of England and Queen Consorts have been called Mary? Mary I, Tudor 1553/8; Mary II as of William and Mary; Mary of Teck, wife of George V. 16. Before 1885 in Russia vodka was sold only in ‘buckets’ with a capacity of 12.3 litres. True or false? 17. In the 19th century St.Albans was notorious for political corruption, votes being bought and sold. What is the name of the Alley where much of this business was done? Sovereign Way 18. ’Gastroarchaeology’ is the study of eating and cooking habits of the past 19. Who mused by the tomb of the Venerable Bede’s in Durham and thought it that of a woman? General Haig, Field Marshal 20. Which bird is reputed to scream when it sees its feet? Peacock 21. What is ‘Theakston’s Old Peculiar’? A beer, brewed at Masham, North Yorkshire 22. Colour changes, linking tails and synchronised swimming are courtship signs of Hippos sea horses haddock 5 23. The expression ‘nul points’ comes from Eurovision Song Contest 24. How many eggs get eaten in the UK per week, in millions? c240 million 25. ’Vehicles travelling at 70mph use up to ……% more fuel to cover the same distance as those travelling at 60mph’ (Driving test handbook). 10% 30% 45% 26. Slugs and snails using each others’ slimy trails save 66% less energy than otherwise. True or False? 27. Who was the politician husband of Nadezhda Krupskaya? Lenin 28. Spiders building webs in space shuttles have adapted them to compensate for zero gravity. Is this true? Yes 29. In 1945, the then Dean of St.Albans, became the focus of a national controversy. Why? He refused to hold a celebration of the end of the war with Japan because he disapproved of the Atomic Bomb. 30. An English Architect 1856-1915 first proposed ‘daylight saving time’ – BST. Which monarch introduced it first? Kaiser William II Germany Ruth Pickles Fishpool Street Memories The late Alan Pickles Cine films of the 1950’s show the street devoid of cars. Perhaps my father had the first one. Memories of the time include him saying that he came across a tramp, a little the worse for wear, lying asleep in the gutter. Dad offered him his arm and escorted him to The Black Lion, at that time a common lodging house. At the ford in St.Michael’s Street steam engines took on water and there were horses and pigs behind the dairies in Branch Road. A rag and bone man used to bring his horse and cart down the road, shouting “Any old iron”. In those days, people would leave their front doors unlocked and to protect the paintwork in summer, a curtain would be hung over it. There were still shops in the street but the people who had some money had gone to the better parts of St.Albans and left their poor grannies behind. With my arrival, the fifth child, 120 became too small. Next door, Bank House was in a ramshackle state. It had been tenanted or empty for years and electricity and plumbing were required besides new roofs and ceilings Dad bought it at auction and my sister remembers him carrying a fully grown apple tree over his shoulder from the old to the new house. My earliest memory is of walking along hand in hand with him to inspect the building work. After the years of neglect, the earth at the top of the garden had slipped to the bottom. Somehow it was all moved back and retaining walls, some 12ft high were built to keep it there. And so we moved ‘next door’. As children, our favourite game was to get up through the attic to the roof and dangle an (old) penny on clear fishing line over the parapet. As somebody went by below, we would jangle the penny on the pavement so that they would think they had dropped it, turn to pick it up and see the coin fly upwards out of reach. 6 An old photograph of Bank House Mr. Muir (who lived at number 37) helped my father with the garden, Mrs. Westell (no.64) helped with the ironing, and our greatest love, Mrs.Dupres (who lived in the right hand half of No.150) helped with us. It wasn’t all one way. At a later stage, Mother became a Social Services Home Help and cleaned for an old lady at No.152. Mother was about to pour her bucket of dirty water from cleaning the floor down the kitchen sink, which at that time was probably the only sink in the very small, unrenovated cottage. “Don’t do that,” cried out the old lady, “that’s where I wash my face and hands”. More recently Dad was glad of help with lawn mowing from Donato (No.154) and Mum was delighted that Vic (No.98) would look after a plot and share a love of gardening. Mum used to put spare fruit and vegetables on the doorstep for people to help themselves, and was so chuffed to see a thank-you note left in the tray one day, ‘I have taken some apples to make a pie for my little girl’. As I said, my parents loved living in Fishpool Street. They saw it change from near-slum, almost demolished by the Council, to being referred to by the local press as ‘Little Chelsea’. My father was a founder member of the Fishpool Street Action Group, and my mother frequently consulted a 1970’s copy of Kelly’s, a directory listing who lived in each house, or more recently referred to Madeleine (No.124) to identify neighbours whose name she could not remember. My parents liked having their neighbours on hand, not separated by long front gardens. Although a move was sometimes mooted in later years, my mother declared she couldn’t live anywhere else. And with the help of her neighbours, that is what she did. Maggy Douglas(nee Pickles) Footnote Maggy Douglas recalls how Fishpool Street began to be transformed (after the Second World War ended in 1945) from more or less a slum area into what Estate Agents began to call ‘St.Alban’s Little Chelsea’. Wendy Watson-Simpson (No.8), sister of Betty Davies (our President at No.59), has kindly let us see a newspaper cutting from 1969, which seems to give the first use of the description. It was attributed to Councillor Bertie Brett, a former Mayor of St.Albans, who then lived at Bell Meadow (No.137). With few exceptions the price of houses in the street was very low by today’s standards. Even St.Michael’s Manor, so the paper reported, had been sold at auction in 1950 for as little as £4000. Many of the smaller houses were rented and some for very small amounts (8s4d per week – about 40 pence in today’s money) was quoted. However, when rent-control was abolished, prices began to take off. But even in 1969, when the article was published, astonishment was being expressed that houses in the street were then fetching as much as £8000 to £20,000. But, it said, ‘because of the impossibility of mortgages on property of this vintage, the Street is only attracting those with instant cash’. But at least one Estate Agent got it right. Mr. Eric Gillett, who had practised in the City since 1937, said that the process of upgrading the houses in the Street would go on and it would become ‘an extra rare and interesting place’. Betty Bryden-Smith 7 Frank Hugh Lawrence (1928-2007) as recalled by local milkman, Mick Tutton* Frank Lawrence – and in his younger days His boyhood memories of Fishpool Street would have you laughing and gasping with amazement in equal measure; his knowledge of people and places in Fishpool Street during his many years was immense Frank was based in Singapore and Germany during his National Service, once again being able to relate both funny and sad stories during his time with RAF maintenance. He gained several driving qualifications, and back home took up driving jobs with the London Brick Company and St.Albans Police with a job at Odhams Press sandwiched in between. He was the longest serving member of the British Legion Club where he delighted in winding up his football mad friends. He could also let you know in no uncertain terms if he was displeased but his caring demeanour was evident to me on several occasions. I think it is a shame more people didn’t get the chance to know such a nice person. Thanks for everything Frank. *Mick Tutton has had to drive his electric milk float over from Welwyn Garden City, since the Express Dairy depot in Branch Road closed. He has been awarded the MBE for community service. Modestly, he says MBE stands for ‘Milk, Bacon & Eggs’. Lady Pamela Cheadle Pam was the perfect foil for Sir Eric’s ebullient character and even after his death remained an inveterate world traveller, until she herself died at the age of 90. A funeral service was held at St.Michael’s Church on 14th May, the service being conducted by The Right Reverend John Taylor KCVO, a former Bishop of St.Albans, who also gave the Address. Our Postman Andrew Andrew is now completely recovered from his leg injury and working again.He is marrying in November at St.Michael’s Manor Hotel, now licensed for weddings. Congratulations and best wishes Andrew. Calling all flat roofers Just over two years ago I laid out 250 or so tiny sedum plugs on a shallow prepared bed over the old felt ‘flat’ roof over my kitchen extension. It has thrived, and as well as being virtually labour-free and weather shrugging is amazingly colourful and attractive, flowering as it does in golds, pinks, purples and whites from early summer well into the autumn. Both ready sown ‘mats’ and individual plugs are available from such sites as www.greenroof.co.uk and I would encourage anyone with a so-called flat roof or even an accessible moderately sloping one to explore this richly rewarding (if small) contribution to the environment. Maybe its little carbon sink will go some way to offset all that damaging flying and driving! Bernard Stay (No.16) 8