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Editor: Glen Price 72 Meadow Road
Tel: 01923-352783 or 07787-155461
email: kraeditor@virginmedia.com
Working For The Community December 2012
We wish
all our
readers
A Merry Xmas
And
A Happy New
Year
Your
Residents
Association
Committee
Claytons
SPONSORS OF
ESTATE AGENTS
YOUR TER
ET
L
S
NEW
Issue 301
Issue 301
K.R.A. News
Always a welcome at
KINGSWOOD BAPTIST
CHURCH
In Committee: November 2012

205 NORTH APPROACH
Please join us in our worship
Every Sunday at 10.30am
Dec 2nd Christingle Service @ 10.30am
Dec 16th Candlelight Service @ 4.00pm
Dec 23rd Morning Worship @ 10.30am
Dec 30th Morning Worship @ 10.30am
Coffee Mornings
Thank you to all those who supported the last
coffee morning. £105 was raised for the
Watford Chaplaincy




Next coffee morning is Dec 27th 10.30 to
12noon
K.E.G. (Alternate Tuesday’s at 8pm)
Dec 4th - Christmas Social
Jan 8th - Islands of Britain (Paul Biggins)

Brownies - contact Tracey on 01923 490982
for details

The Toddler Group - Tuesday
Afternoons
Elizabeth 01923-463557
Minister in Training - Miss Jane Robson
01923-673441
Claytons


No resolution to the No 8 bus issue, we
have tried everything but Arriva will not
budge - to be reviewed at next meeting.
Service road at rear of One Stop Shop still
causing concerns. Meeting between all parties to be arranged to discuss finance for
repairs.
Membership at Oct 18th was 685
£100 donation requested, and approved for
craft fair in aid of the Peace Hospice
Purchase of some play equipment for Fern
Way playground, maybe with a plaque stating that it was donated by KRA - to be investigated.
The monthly allotment article will cease,
after 2 years. The final instalment will appear in the Dec issue. Glen thanked Sam &
Dave for their contributions over the past 2
years.
A request was made for a donation to the
Age UK (Watford Group). It was proposed
£100 and duly seconded and approved.
It was mentioned that a badger set is now
known to exist on the estate and they are
causing damage to gardens.
Still no news regarding any new owners for
the old Archers shop
ESTATE AGENTS
LOCAL INDEPENDENT AGENTS
SPECIALIZING IN SALES AND LETTINGS
Tel: (01923) 677755 4 Garston Parade, GARSTON, Watford, Herts., WD2 6LQ
Take Note - This is a very rare occurrence!
We have 2/3 places for our 2013 Spring trip to the George IV Hotel in Criccieth, N. Wales
next March 25th to 29th, right on the very edge of the Snowdonia National Park.
The cost is £169.00 per person for 4 nights half board and
includes return coach travel plus 2 excursions.
Contact Pat on 01923-674752 for full details
Local Planning Changes - Consultation Document
The government is planning to remove certain planning powers from councils, most significantly increasing the size of house extension that can be built without needing planning permission. The government
has now launched its consultation at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/extendingpdrconsultation
Please read the documents and if you have any concerns or questions then do please make your views
known on the forms which can also be found on the above website.
BROWNIES
I adore brownies it’s brilliant. I have been a Brownie for nearly two years. This week we learnt about Diwali and made diva lamps. Diwali is when Hindus celebrate the festival of light. We also listened to the
story about two people who got captured by a demon with ten heads and ten arms on each side! Next
week we are going to wear bright colours and eat Indian food! We coloured masks and we are going to
wear them next week when we learn Indian dancing! Which will be lots of fun with the other brownies!!!
We will get the world cultures badge when we complete the five tasks to get the badge.
Lily, Age 8 and 11 months
RE. NORMAN LAKER.
Norman used to be a hard worker for the KRA organising the spring holidays before Pat took over.
A few lines to let you know that Norman, who now has Parkinson's with Dementia, is in full time
care at River Court Residential & Nursing Home off Scammel Way (Explorer Drive), Holywell
(Chess House).
He is very comfortable and looked after well there. It is run by BUPA also, and he is fitting in so far
quite well considering he has been in hospitals since May. He was at Langley House Rehab Centre
for a while, but he didn't manage to walk since a fall he had earlier.
Any visitors would be welcome, as he is very sociable.
Kindest regards and thanks, Dorothy Laker.
ROS TAYLOR
It is with much sadness that we have to inform you that Ros Taylor, former teacher and head of
Kingsway Junior School died in her sleep on Oct 29th 2012 at Queens Court Hospice, Town Lane,
Southport, PR8 6RE. Ros worked at Kingsway School for 35 years and anyone who wishes to make a
donation should make it to the above address.
3
Check out the new KRA website at www.krawatford.org.uk
FOR SALE
Peugeot Lazer 15 mountain bike.
16 gears and mudguards.
No reasonable offer refused.
Might even consider an unreasonable
one from the right buyer.
Buyer to collect from 24 Moss Road.
Here are the answers to last
months SUDOKU puzzles
M
O
D
E
R
ALAN PIPER
GAS SERVICE ENGINEER
Boiler and Central Heating System Breakdowns
Gas Appliance Servicing and Repairs
Installation, Plumbing
Resident of Kingswood
A.C.O.P.S 1-16, City and Guilds
Tel: 661209 Mobile: 07703 470 234
25 YEAR’S BRITISH GAS EXPERIENCE
HAVE YOU MADE A WILL?
The Will Group established 20 years, offers clients a will
writing service at FIXED FEES.
Home visiting service daytimes and evenings.
Fixed fees: Single will £45
- £40 for KRA residents
Pair of wills £65 - £60 for KRA residents
01923 246957
www.willgroup.co.uk
A
STEVE JOHNSON
T
THE ROOFING SPECIALIST
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REROOFS: REPOINTING: LEADWORK:
FLAT ROOFS:
FASCIA AND GUTTERING
01923 466569
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A
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Need A Fully Qualified White
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Call Lee
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4
The K.R.A. does not endorse advertisements in this newsletter
Sam and Dave’s Allotment Patch
Welcome to December’s edition of the Allotment Patch. Usually this month means hard frosts and time to harvest winter cabbages, cauliflowers and Brussels sprouts.
Harvest:
In addition to the above, leeks should be about ready. Take what you need and leave the rest to stand until
required. Carrots should also come up for storage, in peat or sand or even a traditional clamp.
Lift celery, parsnips and swedes although parsnips and swedes are very hardy and may be left in the ground
until needed. You can always cover them with fleece or straw to help stop the ground from freezing.
It's worth checking any vegetables you have in store and remove anything that has started to rot before it
spreads. Potatoes especially need to be checked and watch out for slugs!
Other crops you may have for harvest include perpetual spinach, celeriac, chicory, endive, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, winter radish, spinach, turnips and Jerusalem artichokes.
Sowing, Planting and Cultivating:
You can still plant your garlic cloves now. They actually benefit from a period of cold which prompts growth
later but ensure any ground has good drainage as this will stop the rotting.
Onions sown just after Christmas will make excellent plants and bulbs, benefiting from the longer growing period. Sow them in seed boxes in the greenhouse, or you can use cold frames if they can be kept frost free. Remember that cold frames can heat up to unacceptable levels in a little winter sun so particular attention must
be given to ventilation.
Fruit:
You can plant bare rooted fruit trees and bushes in December and prune apple and pear trees. Cut down
canes of autumn-fruiting raspberries which have finished fruiting and burn to prevent fungal diseases spreading.
Now is a good time to plant rhubarb crowns which benefit from being left in the frost before planting.
Take hardwood cuttings of soft fruit. Gooseberries, red, white and blackcurrants, Worcester berries, jostaberries and vines can all be propagated by cuttings inserted in the open ground now. Choose sturdy well ripened
shoots of this year's growth cutting them just below a bud and trimming to just above a bud. For blackcurrants
take them about 200–250 mm long, 300–380 mm for the other fruits. Insert them into the soil to about half
their length. Grow all except blackcurrants on a short stem – so remove the buds from the lower part of the
cutting. All the buds should be left on blackcurrant cuttings.
General Jobs in the Garden:
Digging can continue when weather allows. Particularly with clay soils, digging when the soil is wet and sticky
can do more harm than good.
As with October and November, as ground becomes vacant you can dig it over and spread manure over the
surface. Leave the soil roughly dug in large clumps and the worms will break these up as they get the manure.
The freezing and thawing of water in the soil will cause the soil to break up finely so becoming easier to handle in the spring.
Stake any young trees and tall brassicas to prevent wind rock damaging them by loosening the soil around
their roots.
Ensure compost bins are covered to prevent excess rain leaching the nutrients and to keep some of the heat
of decomposition in.
In the greenhouse:
Successional sowings of winter salads can continue. Ventilate on warmer days to prevent moulds getting established.
Sam and David Wood
5
As this will be our last “Allotment” article I would like to take this opportunity to thank
both Sam & Dave for all their articles these past 2 years. Judging by the very complimentary comments I have received from residents they will be sorely missed—THANK YOU
NEW Police Non-Emergency Number : 101
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6
The K.R.A. does not endorse advertisements in this newsletter
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Woodside Leisure Centre, Horseshoe Lane, Garston
Tel:07843-476802. E-Mail: info@fkbeauty.com
15% OFF for KRA members
R. W. Bean
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51, Kilby Close, Watford
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Tel: 01923-674499
Mobile: 07 831-835218
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7
Electrical Services
All works conform to
BS7671 regulations
The K.R.A. does not endorse advertisements in this newsletter
8
www.twitter.com/kranews
Friends of Woodside
It was bitterly cold due to a north wind when we last met up at the end of October, in fact earlier
that morning snow showers had occurred (yes in October!). Despite it being cold we had a
successful Fungus Safari in Albans Wood spotting fungi in various sizes, shapes and colours, and
when the sun shone through the trees the Autumn colours of the wood were shown in all their glory.
Identification of the various types of fungi we spotted is always difficult however we’re pretty sure
that we identified mycena, sulphur tuft, winter fungus, clitocybe and many others, and the fact that
we do complete this keep annual record, with photographs, of what we spot then it becomes an
important record of Albans Wood’s biodiversity.
About this time of the year we turn our attentions to the Christmas
season approaching and this report is no different, and having
focussed on Holly last year it’s now the turn of it’s companion in
“The Holly and The Ivy” Christmas carol.
Ivy (Hedera helix)
Altogether there’s about 12-15 members of the Ivy family, and
they are either a climbing or ground-creeping woody plant. They
can climb/cover over basically anything it wants to and can reach
30m in height. Native to Eurasia and North Africa it has been
transported to North America where it’s viewed as invasive like Japanese Knotweed. Like marmite
you either love or hate Ivy.
Why is Ivy associated with Christmas? – no real reason to be fair, of course it’s an evergreen plant,
like holly, so before Christianity pagans decorated their homes in mid-winter with evergreens to
celebrate the winter solstice, to ward off evil spirits, and to celebrate new growth (i.e. the
forthcoming Spring). Then in Roman times Ivy was linked with the Roman god of wine (Bacchus),
and the Romans also decorated their homes in mid-winter with evergreens including Ivy. In effect
Christians therefore adopted and adapted these pagan & Roman traditions by decorating their
homes in mid-winter, at Christmas time with these evergreens (e.g. Ivy, Holly, Mistletoe and of
course the Christmas Tree!).
However in Germany it is traditional that Ivy is only used outside, and it is said that if a piece is
tied to the outside of a Church that it would protect the church from lightning strikes.
Holly & Ivy are linked together like Man & Woman, with Holly being seen as the masculine
partner as it’s more rigid and prickly (too true), and Ivy being softer seen as the feminine side.
Hope that the above gives you something to think about when singing the traditional Christmas
carol of “The Holly & The Ivy”, and may we wish you all a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New
Year.
The next event by the Friends of Woodside:Saturday 29th December – “Christmas Clean-Up” – come and work off the Christmas pud by
coming out for an hour to clear litter from Woodside Playing fields – it would be great to see you meet at Woodside Playground/Woodside top car park at 10am
There's no charge/no membership, just turn up and enjoy the wood on your doorstep - for more
information about the "Friends" please contact Joyce on 01923 463042 or Ellie 01923 678685.
9
Check out the new KRA website at www.krawatford.org.uk
Jupiter the Planet
Before I continue with the story of Jupiter, there are a couple of naked eye objects that can be seen in
the mornings just before dawn. They are the 2 innermost planets, namely Mercury and Venus and
they can be seen together low in the eastern sky.
Jupiter itself can be seen in the evening sky in the constellation of Taurus the Bull, a ‘V’ shape
configuration of stars. Sat in the middle of the constellation is an unmissable bright object, Jupiter.
Also alongside Taurus are 2 open cluster of stars, namely the Pleiades and the Hyadies. Both these
clusters can be easily seen with a good pair of binoculars.
Jupiter is a storm ridden planet with continuous lightning strikes flying all over the planet. All we can
see of it is what is happening at the cloud tops. The atmosphere is made up of mainly of Hydrogen,
nearly 90%, with the next most common gas being helium, around 10%. The rest of the gases are
known as trace gasseswhich are made up of hydrogen based compounds such as methane, ammonia
and water. There are more trace gasses of ethane, acetylene and propane. These are all gasses that are
poisonous to us to breath.
The atmosphere is continually on the move with rising white clouds of ammonia being drawn
eastwards by the rotation of the planet. On reaching the top layer of the atmosphere, the ammonia
cools and sinks back down exposing red brown clouds. As Jupiter’s day is only just over 10 hours
long, and its size is 1300 times bigger than the Earth, the planet spins at a far faster speed than that of
Earth. Thus the atmospheric gasses are dragged at high speed around the planet with wind speeds of
250 mph being common.
Of course the most notable feature of Jupiter is the Great Red Spot. This is a massive storm, larger
than the Earth, first spotted some 350 years ago and has been raging ever since and does not look like
abating in the near future.
So Jupiter could appear this year as the Christmas Star.
Lastly, it leaves me to wish you all the seasons greetings for the festive period.
Pat.
Craft Fair in aid of the Peace Hospice
Our 5th Annual Craft and Gift Fair held at Greenwood Park Community Centre, Chiswell Green, on
Sunday 14th October 2012, supporting The Peace Hospice, raised £594.77p. We had more people
through the door than last year. The hire of the Community Centre had cost us £380.25p, St Stephen
Parish Council awarded us 50% discount this year.
I have applied to Santander for 'Matched Funds'. Together with £100 donated by KRA it will bring
the total to £1289.54p.
I have written to Cutting Crew, SK Beauty and Burston Garden Centre, thanking them for donating
vouchers for the tombola.
We had a great band of volunteers delivering flyers, displaying posters, having estate agent boards
in their garden and helping in lots of other ways to make a success of the occasion.
Thank you very much to Kingswood Residents Association for their support.
The Peace Hospice give a great service to families and friends through a most difficult time. They
rely on charitable donations for 75% of their income.
Respecting the value of life.
Thank you to all who visited.
Chrissie Singleton and Barbara Rabbitts.
10
NEW Police Non-Emergency Number : 101
Response to "Playing in the Streets"
I was just reading the piece written in last November's newsletter about the group of
children congregating on the corner of Greenwood Drive.
As a parent of a child who has been one of that group from time to time, and a resident for
22 Years, I would like to raise a few concerns of my own. Firstly I would agree with the
person about children running into the road after a ball without looking. I constantly remind
my son about playing football in the street and I believe that he doesn’t, but this does not in
any way condone the actions of others that do.
With regards to the comments about having ample green space to play in, I would like to ask
the question, where? The park down the alleyway leading from Fern Way is a disgrace. It is
consistently being used as a toilet by some people, and there has been instances of some
doing drugs. The alleyway is always full of litter especially discarded beer cans, and it is not a
very welcoming place for children of any age. I have heard many a parent saying that they
would not dream of taking their children there. With the state of the country and more
specifically the area we live, I certainly do not allow my son to go down there as you never
know what you will find. Outside of this area, green spaces would certainly in my opinion be
very scarce on the ground, especially for the children of an age that would like a bit more
independence from their parents. Until such time as something is done to create a more
conducive place for the children to play, I do not think that you will stop these youngsters
from having a bit of fun in the streets, whilst not causing trouble.
If people know that they are around and reduce their speed along the strip from the shops
to Fern Way, along with other roads on the estate, then whilst it may not stop an accident
happening it would certainly help. I have seen many a time where drivers fail to stop at give
way points along Greenwood Drive and just drive straight across the road without looking.
My son was knocked from his bike last Year by a British Gas van that seemed to use the
roads in the area as a raceway, so this makes me fully aware of the speeds and lack of
driving etiquette shown by some people. Speed humps maybe an answer, but maybe some
signs saying beware children at play may help. After all aren’t adults supposed to be the
responsible ones??
Kind regards,
Anonymous
11
www.twitter.com/kranews
HATFIELD HOUSE ...'BATTLE OF THE PROMS NITE' - July 20th
We are looking at the possibility of getting hold of tickets for HATFIELD HOUSE ...'BATTLE OF THE
PROMS NITE' to be held on July 20th 2013.
You are allowed to take gazebo's and chairs, hampers, champagne etc(but no bbq's !) There will be
bars and food stalls there as well. There will be an orchestra playing classical favourites, gun salutes,
spitfire going overhead and much more!
This is an outside event and the night will go ahead whatever the weather!
If you are interested in going to this event could you please drop the following ticket request into us
along with a £10 deposit (per ticket) to confirm your interest.
If we can get enough interest we can purchase the tickets early and get the best deal.
The price is £27.00 per person for members and £32.00 for non-members.
This price includes Return coach from Kingswood shops plus entrance to the park.
Please reply to Karen at 1 Briar Road as soon as possible but no later than DEC 31st 2012
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------RE; HATFIELD HOUSE BATTLE OF THE PROMS
YES - WE WOULD LIKE TO RESERVE ......TICKETS. I HAVE ENCLOSED £...... (£10 per ticket) AS DEPOSIT.
NAME.....................................ADDRESS.................................................
CHEQUE PAYABLE TO ; KRA
Deposits will be refunded if there is insufficient interest shown in the event.
SENIOR CITIZENS POST XMAS LUNCH - SATURDAY 9th FEBRUARY 2013
===========================================================================
ONLY £8.00 PER PERSON (MEMBERS ONLY) that includes 2 course lunch and coach.
You will be picked up from Kingswood shops at approx 11.45am. and return at approx 4.30pm
If you would like to join us please complete the return slip below and forward to either Fran at 63
Fern Way or Karen at 1 Briar Road no later than 19th January 2013.
==================================================================================
SENIOR CITIZENS POST XMAS LUNCH - SATURDAY 9th FEBRUARY 2013
NAME................................................... PHONE NUMBER...............................
ADDRESS.....................................................................................
Tickets required (KRA members only)......... Amount enclosed £.............. (cheques payable to KRA)
No. of meals required
roast turkey................or roast beef...................or vegetarian...........
No of desserts required
sherry trifle.................or Christmas pudding & Custard .....................
Type of wine required
white wine.............or red wine................
Will you be using your own transport? YES / NO Please enclose your payment with this reply slip
Any contributions to the raffle would be most welcome - please contact Fran or Karen as above
Sponsored by
KINGSWOOD
CARS
01923 662233
12
See page 6
for our
full
advert
The views shared in this newsletter are not the views of the KRA as an organisation