W I N T E R 2 0 1 2 Bellingdon and Asheridge Newsletter

W I N T E R 2 0 1 2

Save the Date!

the

Bellingdon and Asheridge Newsletter

XmasFeasting XmasElvesareneededtohelpmakethemincepiesfortheXmasCaroleveningatHugeBarn.Areyouakeenbaker?Ifyoucanhelppleaseemailbellingdonm@hotmail.comAndmorefeastingonthe16thDecember,whentheBellingdonBelleshaveorganisedawonderfulexcuseforfurtherXmasrevelry.Don’tmissthisopportunitytoraiseatoastwithyourneighbours!

ShortMatBowlsinaleagueoftheirown

CongratulationstotheBellingdonShortMatBowlsClubwhohadaverysuccessfulSummerseason,winningtheSummerLeague.Theywerepresentedwiththewinner'sshieldatapresentationeveningatHaddenhamon21stSeptember.TheWinterLeagueseasonisnowunderwayandBellingdonhavetwoteamsinthesinglematleagueandoneinthetwomatleague.TheclubformedinJanuary2006andhasabout26members.ItplaysinthevillagehallonMondayeveningsandWednesdaymornings.Formoreinformationvisithttps://sites.google.com/site/bellingdonsmbc/bellingdonsmbc

Xmas Carols

24 December

Allarewelcometojoin

thesingingatHuge

FarmBarn.From4pm.

Bellingdon Belles

Sun 16 December XmasSocial.12‐3pm.

Stories from the Past 19 January 11am

RevYates’SoldOutTour

onthehistoryof

Bellingdoncomestothe

VillageHall

Back:Brice Barnwell, Mike King-Jones, Doug Owen, Jack Rutley, Robin Collingridge, Brian Latham. Front: Barbara Saunders, Hilary King-Jones, Eve Collingridge, Hazel Rutley, Irene Roberts, Val Latham, Jill Owen.

Friday 8 February BeetleDrive.From

7.30pm

2

WINTER2012BELLINGDON&ASHERIDGE

Chairman’sChat

WelcometotheWinterEditionofthenewsletterRenovationofthehallfacilitiesisoneofourkeyprioritiesoverthenextfewyears.Wehavestartedinternalrenovationofthemainhallbypaintingandthenewgreycolourgivesitafresh,new,modernfeel.Thelobbyandkitchenwillbedoneinduecoursesoifyouhaveafewsparehours,whynotvolunteertohelppaint?Anotherimprovementwearelookingat istheheatingsystem.Whilst it isfunctional, itcanbeverynoisyandthis isoneareawherewereceivethemostcomments.Oneoptionweareresearchingistohaveelectricconvectorheating.Theothertwoareaswearelookingatupgradingarethetoiletfacilities(toincludeadisabledtoilet)andinstallinganewkitchen.Thiswouldbringthehalluptodateforthe21stCentury.WewillneedtoraiseadditionalfundsfortheseimprovementsandwillalsobeapplyingforgrantfundingWecurrentlyhavetwoapplicationsinthepipelinewithSportEnglandandtheFootballFoundation.Ifthesearesuccessfulwewillbeabletoupgradethechangingfacilitiesandinstallseparatetoiletfacilitiesforthefieldusers.Asmostofyouareaware,ourmajorfundraisingactivityisthefete.Wehaveanarmyofvolunteertorunandorganisevariousactivities.Howeverthisyearweneedafetechairpersontooverseethegeneralarrangements.Thispersonisoutthere…is itYOU?.Pleasecontactfriends@bellingdon.comifyoufeelyoucantakeonthisfunyetvitalposition.FriendsofBAVH.Weknowmostofyouareverybusy,butcouldoccasionallyhavesomesparetime.Youmaynothavethetimetocommittobeingaregularcommitteememberbutmayhavetime,onceortwiceayear,orevenafewhourseverysooftentohelp out. Sowhy not become a “Friend of BAVH”? Wewould love your helpwith things like hall painting, general rubbishclearanceandothersmalltasksonan“asandwhen”basis.Pleaseregisteryouinterestatfriends@bellingdon.com.Finally,twosocialeventswe’dlovetoseeyouat.OnSunday16DecemberinthehallwearehavingaChristmassocialeventwithmulledwine&sausagebaps.Joinusfrom12.00‐3.00pm.Costs£5.TheChristmasCarolconcertwillbeheldonceagainatHugefarmwheretheTaylorfamilyhavekindlyinvitedalltotheirbarnforsingingandmincepiesandashortChristmasservice.Joinuson24Decat4pm.Onbehalf of the committee, I thank you for your continued support. Wewould like towish you all aMerryChristmas andHappyNewYear.

TheBellingdonBellesThankyouforyoursupportintheirfirstseason–theyhaveraised£1583,whichtheydonatedtotheVillageHalltohelpwiththeimprovementsandmaintenancerequired.Theyalsohaveplannedlotsoffuneveningeventsfornextyearsodoputthedatesinyourdiarynow.Allstartat7.30pm.Forfurtherinfocontactbookings@bellingdon.comorphone01494757028*BeetleDrive:Friday8thFebruary, *PopPickersParty:Saturday27April*Pie&MashSocialEvening:Friday20September *ReindeerRacing:Saturday7thDecember2013

Photo:DonBaker

3

WINTER2012BELLINGDON&ASHERIDGE

This is themostwonderful party food, or for any big occasionwhen you have time toprepare in advance, but just want to forget it on the day. Perfect for Christmas, andleftoversaregreatinahotrollorsalad.Thejuicesmakeawonderfulsouporgravybase.Iuse Jamie Oliver’s porchetta mix, to rub on the meat before cooking, and have thenadaptedallsortsofrecipestothisreallyeasyone.Fourofusmadeitforthevillagebarndance this year, and everybody agreed that it reallywas as easy and trouble free as Ipromised,andtherecipientswerealldelighted.

The “hardwork”bit: ‐ In a coffeemill or smallprocessor,whizzup:‐4 tablespoons fennel

seeds,3smalldriedchillis,2tbsrocksalt,4or5tornbayleaves,ideallyfresh,1lemon(zestonly).Rubasmuchofthismixasyouneedforyourjoint.IusedwholeshouldersofHazeldeneFarmBritishLoppork,butwealsorubthison chops! I keep leftovers ina jar formonths. Place thepork in thepanon topof somechoppedcarrot, celery, garlic,rosemary,onionand the lemonyouhave zested,with½bottlewhitewinepouredover it, thoughwaterwill do, as youwillproducealotofjuices.Coverwithfoil,andcookonmoderateheat(ortopovenofAga)for30minutes,thenturnovendowntolow(orbottomovenofAga)andleavefor12‐24hours.Weleftthewholeshoulderfor24hours,forasmallerjoint,leaveforless.Beawarethatitwillshrinkquiteabit.Toget fabulouscrackling Ialwayspeel theskinoffwhenpork is cooked,andput itonabaking tray inahotoven for10‐15minutestocrispup,butwatchit,itwillturnveryquickly!ForoureventIcollectedlotsofporkskinfromthefarmearlierintheweekandcookedthataheadoftime.itallwent!Idon’trubwithsaltoroil‐justmakesurethattheskinisdry.Theporkwillkeepwarmforages,especiallyifyouwrapitinablanketortowelontopofthefoil.Wehadtodothistogettothehall,andtheyallremainedlovelyandhot.Themeatwillprobablynotcarveintoneatslices,butaswewereputtingitintobunswithstuffingandapplesaucethatreallydidn’tmatter.Ibelievethetrendynameforthisis“pulledpork”!!!Eachwholeshoulderfedabout30peopleonebigbap.

LocalBusinessProfile:XmasTreeFarm

CurvaceousCook:SlowRoastPork

How time flieswhen you are having fun! Yes, it is that timeof yearagain.. the silly season is back upon us and that means time forpresents,wrapping,mulledwine,Santa,Christmastrees,mistletoeandsparklylights.Andasmanyofyoumayknow, in themidstofBellingdon isourveryownChristmasTreeFarm.Thebusinesswasbornin1992whenRobertMatthews bought part of Bellingdon Farm at auction when the lateJohnPage'sfamilysoldtheir134acresoffarmland.

Itwasjust4weeksafterBlackWednesdayandinthemiddleoftherecessionwhenRobertboughtLot10(32acres).Henowwisheshehadboughtmore,buthewasonly28atthetimeandembarkingonanexcitingcareerchange‐movingfromaCityjobtofarminginthecountry.Heexpanded thebusiness a year laterwhenhebought the field that is nowChristmasTree Farm inCheshamwhenEllaDarvilleadvertiseditforsaleintheBucksExaminerandthenboughtanotherfieldinHawridgefromtheHadden‐Patonsin1995. ChristmasTreeFarmnowgrowsall their treeson land that theyhavebought in theCheshamarea ‐107acresonvariousplots.Theysellaround10000treesayearinChesham,AylesburyandSurrey.Sobuylocal–getyourChristmasTreewhentheretailoutletopensinCheshamonFriday23rdNovember.Youwillfindhugeceiling‐scrapingtrees(thelargesttreestakeover12yearstoreachtheirgrandheights)tomistletoe,wreathsandotherfunChristmasitems.MERRYCHRISTMAS!!

Didyounotice,duringthesummer,a lowflyingLancasterBomberthatslowlycircledBellingdonanumberoftimes?It was in May ‐ a day of commemoration, when a plaque was laid on apuddingstoneinthefieldsbetweenBellingdonandAsheridgeasamemorialtothesixlivesthatwerelosthereonthenightof6thMarch1945.ThecrewofaLancaster bomber, returning home from a mission in Germany, and 10minutes away from landing, crashed in these fields when a fire started onboard.ThecrewincludedyoungairmenfromtheRAFandtheRAAF.Ifyouwouldliketofindoutmore,thereisa17minutevideooftheceremonythatwasheldinMayandthewreathlayingat:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_yEUszkei0

How much do you know about Bellingdon’s history? Have you heard that there used to beZebrasinBellingdon?Doyouknowwhy?Oneofourresidents,KatharineDallas,hasrecentlystartedtheherculeaneffortofunearthingfascinating snippets of history from centuries gone past to try to weave together a morecohesivepictureofBellingdon’shistory.Herresearchhasproventhatthereisverylittleactualpublishedinformationandshehaspursuedmanychannelstofindoutmoreaboutthepastofourvillage,itshomesandinhabitants.Rev Dr.Tim Yates,Minister at St John’s Bellingdon and President of the Chess Valley Archaeology andHistoricalSocietyisalsoextremelyknowledgeableaboutthehistoryofourvillageandwillberepeatinghistalkonBellingdon’spast,whichwassoldoutinNovemberattheCheshamMuseum.ComealongtothisfreetalkonJanuary19that11a.m.attheBellingdon&AsheridgeVillageHall‐everyoneisinvited.Katharinewillbringsomeofherresearchtothistalkforyourinterest.Shehasphotos,wills,deeds,censusdata,oldmapsetcandhasinvitedotherresidentstobringalonganyotheritemsofinterestwhichtheywouldbepreparedtodisplayontheday.TopicsincludetheVillageHallandallit’sactivities;thePubs(TheBullandGoldenPerch)andStJohn’sChurch.Alsoofinterestare theolderhomes (likeSunCottageandPeppetts)and theFarms (Bank,Bellingdon,BellingdonEnd,Bloomfield, Johnson’s,MountNugent,PeppettsandSavecroft)whichhavehundredsofyearsofhistory.Doyouownoneofthese?Doyouknowwhothehousebuilderwasandthedateyourhousewasbuilt?Doyouhaveaplaqueonyourhousewithadateonit?Itwould also be fascinating to knowmore about the peoplewho lived andworkedhere – the landowners, the tenants, theoccupationsofvillagers,theirbirths,marriagesanddeaths.Whatsportsdidtheyplayhere?Werethereanymajorteams?AndwhathappenedinBellingdonduringthewars?Doyouhaveanystoriestoshare?Ifyouareinterestedinhearingmoreaboutthehistoryofthevillage,makesureyoucomealongtothemeetinginJanuary.Also,if you are interested in helping Katharine with this project, and/or have stories to share, please get in touch with her at: ‐kdundridge@peppetts.co.uk.

TalesfromthePast

BELLINGDON&ASHERIDGE WINTER2012

ThisnewsletterisproducedonbehalfoftheTrusteesoftheBellingdonandAsheridgeVillageHall(BAVH).RegCharityNo.1087494.SponsoredbyOrbitpressLimitedinCheshamwww.orbitpress.co.uk01494778053

LancasterBombers

ZebrasinBellingdon?

Hallbookings:www.bellingdon.comPleasesendyourcomments,submissionsandideasforfuturearticles

totheEditoratnewsletter@bellingdon.com.

AVERYHAPPYXMASAND2013TOYOU!

Photo:JoanneRichardson