Herbert & Phyllis Tong

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The following tribute to Herbert Tong was written by Ted Janes the editor, and published in Hallmark in 1981 :-

The recent death of Mr Tong at the age of 76 is a great loss to the village, many people will miss his help and his cheerful disposition.

He came to live in Lacey Green in 1950, and was quickly accepted as a villager by his work for the Village Hall and Sports Club.

He served 40 years in Local Government, starting his career at Shoreham-on-Sea, then Epsom, but for most of his working life in Buckinghamshire, retiring in 1968, as Planning Officer for the Wycombe District area. He had played a large art in the post-war development of this area, a great champion of the 'green belt'. In these days when it is fashionable to 'knock' the 'planners', it is interesting to know the other side of the story.

In the many years that we worked together as Chairman and Secretary of the Village Hall committee, he often confided to me his unhappiness, indeed heartache, that he suffered over planning matters from an irate public, when he was only doing his job to the best of his ability.

As secretary of the Village Hall, he was responsible for the first improvement in 1959. He, like many people had a great affection for the old village hall, and when it became obvious that the hall was too small and out-dated, he produced a detailed drawing for enlarging and improving it. But the general mood at that time was for a new village hall. Mr Tong did not agree with this and he faded out of the hall activity. It is ironic that what the village finally got was not a new hall but an extended and modernised hall, at a much inflated cost and less pleasing to the eye than Mr Tong's suggestion in the late 60's

He was a very good artist, and several Hallmark cover drawings were by him. After retirement he spent many happy hours wood carving, his work can be seen on the jubilee seats outside the village hall, on the church gates at Radnage and in High Wycombe Parish church, also several surrounding villages' churches.

We send our sympathy to his wife, Stephen and Sally.

Hallmark December 1991. notice. It is with sadness and regret we have to record the death of Mrs Phyllis Tong on 24th Ocober 1991, wife of the late Herbert Tong, secretary of the Village Hall for many years.