Hallmark

click 1986 Hallmark 100th Edition for details of that.

VOL 1 January/February 1970

Editor- M.E. Knott, Birchanger, Lacey Green;

Sub-Editor – E.E. Flintham, Ardengrove, Lacey Green;

Advertisements – E.W. Janes, 10 Greenlands, Lacey Green.  

Circulation 400 copies.

AIMS and OBJECTS. During the last few years many newcomers have moved into the district and the Village Hall Committee have felt for some time the need for a reliable method whereby the old and the new could come together to their mutual advantage.

Basically our aims are to keep people informed to what is happening in our community by means of a regular news letter; to publicise existing activities and organise new ones where there is a specific need; to provide a means whereby facilities are improved for the benefit of all concerned; and last but not least to serve our community in such a way so that that wish may enjoy each other’s company for leisure time activities.

With these objects in view all organisations in the village have been invited to submit regularly, reports on their activities.   These together with various articles, which it is hoped will be of interest, will be published every two months as “HALLMARK”, a magazine of our village for our village, and distributed free of charge to every household in Lacey Green and Loosley Row.

The support of everyone in supplying items of local news is hoped for, and any information, verbal or written, will be gratefully received.

The Editers have been M E Knott February 1970 (1st 6 editions) James Mowatt February 1971.(James & Stella Mowatt). Ted Janes (Ted & Jean Janes). Peter Trotter (Peter & Lilian Trotter). Norman Tyler 2004-2009 (Norman & Bette Tyler). Mike Piercy 2009 onwards (Mike and Candy Piercy)

Hallmark April 1984. Extract from the Editorial by Ted Janes :- "What a lot of celebrations we are having lately: Last year the Diamond Jubilee of the Village Hall, and this year The Womens Institute celebrate their 60th year and the Parish Council their 50th year.

Hallmark May 1986 Editorial by Ted Janes. Chernobyl. It is very disconcerting to bring the result of an international disaster into our homes, onto the dinner table, yet that is what Chernobyl has done.

The pride of the countryman has always been the harvesting of his garden, to pick the spring – greens knowing the nourishing value to his family has always been a pleasure, until Chernobyl. Now with radio active dust raining down on our gardens, we ask did the 1986 Spring Greens do us any good?

The Ups and Downs. Our pages constantly reflect the ups and downs, the comings and the goings of the fortunes of village organisations, we receive encouragement and disappointments with every issue.

It's good to see that the St John's School Association are going great guns and making a lot of money (£400 since our last edition) so badly needed with education in the neglected state it is today.

That The Twinning Association has reached its 5th birthday is perhaps one of the more remarkable achievements, it was after all a bold decision to twin because both Lacey Green and Hambye are quite small communities for such a venture, it could so easily have folded. The Community Choir may very well fold after about the same life span of great enjoyment and steady progress by the members. The choir was started by Will Macburnie, it was very much. his ‘baby’ and now that he is moving to take up a headship position in the West Country we can understand the choirs! feeling that no-one could quite take his place.

Many will want to join us in saying thank you to Will, not only from the choirs the from the school and other organisations his energetic enthusiasm has benefitted. We wish him and his wife Sarah all the very best for the future. The Sports Club, and in particular the tennis section, is proving so popular with the extra court. This is great. That the field is to be used for a Sports Family Day is encouraging because a lovely open space ought to be used to the full.

But, that the Baptist Sunday School are in trouble through lack of numbers, only makes us pine for times of older generations, when 95% of children were made to ‘go to Sunday School, perhaps for the wrong reason, that parents could get some Sunday peace and quiet. But certainly Sunday School days put children very much on the right path of life, something that seems lacking today, Then, it is another more modern age, but that may be too simple an answer.

Hallmark 1990. Villager of The 80s Decade

It came to us in the dying minutes of 1989, watching the television awards for the best of the decade for this, that and the other personality; we thought what about a Villager of the Decade award.

Going back through ten years of Hallmarks we found no shortage of nominees with many names recurring over and over again. So here, in no order of merit, is our list of nominations. Peter Trotter: without doubt the twinning with Hambye would not have taken place without him, he was also to the fore in getting the Residents Association started, not to mention his innovation to solve the Village Hall flat roof problem. Harold Seymore: for his untiring work for the 8lst Over 60 Club, plus his self-imposed honorary position of unofficial warden of the old peoples estate at Eastlands. Julia Beaumont: for her musical contribution to the village, first for re-forming St. John's choir and then Lacey Green Productions. Other names in Lacey Green Productions spring to mind, two particularly who have fought ill-health but never given up their dedication to the society, namely Linda Longhurst and Nell Panter.

We found no shortage of ladies; the two 'Connies' Connie Baker and Connie Roe for winning the W.I. monthly competition more times than anyone else; Kathleen Turner for service to the W.I. both locally and countywide; Mary Lawrence, surely one of the most efficient and well-liked post mistresses in the county (her counter is never closed!)

Some of the Magazine staff came into the reckoning; Joan West for making sure we all knew more about the countryside, the late Miles Marshall for his excellent researched articles on village history, Councillor Dennis Claydon for his cover drawings and to Jean and Ted Janes for hand-collating and stapling 33,000 Hallmarks.

Not so many men featured throughout the decade, but some made a mark we felt deserved consideration; George Munro with his work for Neighbourhood Watch and the Residents Association; Derek Woodbridge, the village shopkeeper, never did we think anyone could replace Bert! There was Dick Williams, the only licensee to stay the course, and Brian Lunn, our own treasurer and auditor for nearly all the village organisations, Marcia Prince (now sadly left us) the Turkey Supper and Strawberry Tea supremo, and the dark horses to watch out for in the year 2000 award, Pat Smart and Jane Tyrer.

We could list many, many more, but it would make no difference because out in front by a long shot was the man who has been the back-up to three Village Hall caretakers throughout the decade, a man who has mended every pane of broken glass, every hole in the walls, every fuse, repainted every dirty mark, cut the grass and the hedge, in fact maintained the Village Hall with loving care, saving us thousands of pounds.

The Hallmark Award for the Villager of the 80’s Decade goes to Norman Russell.

It was on March 5th 1934, at a meeting in the Lacey Green Village Hall, by a show of hands, the first Parish Council was elected. It was a rebellious act, because as part of Princes Risborough parish we saw no reason why we should have to help pay for Risborough's new sewage scheme. So under the Bucks Review Order 1934, we became a Parish in our own right - ironically the Wycombe District Council decided the whole district should contribute to this Risborough sdewage, and so we still helped pay for it, and some would say, ever since we have been paying towards services we don't receive!

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Hallmark 1968 by Rosemary Oliver (click Rosemary Mortham for more about Rosemary)

It was back last summer at the Church's 150th Anniversary celebration exhibition that the idea of a cover artist first came to the editor, after seeing so many local artists' exhibits.

A little sadly out goes our familiar green cover, symbolising the 'Green' after six years, but in comes a great chance for the many local artists to ‘have a go’ at designing a cover for each issue. For production purpose the sketch must be black and white (not grey), not necessarily of anything local, although it would be nice, to include the only word 'Hallmark' somewhere, and the measurements not more than 82 inches in length by 7 inches in width.

Our first cover artist needs no introduction to many people, having lived in the village all his life, the son of the local builders J.W.Saunders, Mr. Maurice Saunders, (click Mosh & Trudy Saunders) Maurice is not only a very good artist, but also an accomplished musician, able to play many instruments. Some will have heard him perform in the village with his 'Harmony Five'. He is not known so much these days in village activities, giving all his enthusiastic Spare time and energy to the High Wycombe Branch of Multiple Sclerosis. But Maurice was a one-time Chairman of the Village Hall Committee, and will be remembered for inspiring and organising the Village 'Bard' competition 1968, and it was in this competition that Rosemary Oliver wrote so beautifully of the Stocken Farm Chestnut Tree that Maurice has used for the cover sketch.

Rosemary's poem click Rosemary

Triumphal arch that spans the road, and reaches to the sky, what secrets could you now unfold to him who passes by?

How changed the village, since the days when you were small and young, you dream of what the future holds, of all that is to come.

And he who stands beneath your boughs and looks across the years, shall see the village, sometimes glad and sometimes bathed in tears.

Shall see the thrifty cottager, a hundred years ago, ride forth on sturdy horse and cart, to plough and reap and sow.

And by the cottage door, his wife sits patient at her lace, while round her feet small children run, all growing up space.

Alas, those children soon will leave, to fight across the sea, and many never will return beneath the Chestnut tree.

You stand firm and immovable, with splendid supple grace, your friendly branches cover us as in a warm embrace.

Oh may your mighty head not bow before the future's tracks, oh may you never humbled be by cruel Suburbia's axe.

Hallmark February 1983. The Editors Notebook.

Welcome. It has become our custom in the first issue of a new year, to say ‘welcome’ to all new residents, and in particular this year to a new vicar, Father Raymond Maynard. We hope all of you will find the magazine interesting and informative and that it will spur you on to actively engage in village life, surely one of the great joys of living.

The Bunker

If this Christmas many of us have given more thought to the Bradenham star (bunker contractors light) than the Bethlehem Star perhaps we might be forgiven. Certainly the rumpus caused by the bunker has set the village alight ‘in more ways than one.

The Peace Council pickets with their gipsy like caravan and posters strung out along the road, has annoyed many people. Others have admiration for their ideals and guts, these are people with the same convictions as the Greenham Common ladies. Cranks many people would call them, though to be fair their credibility is rising.

In a democracy, harnessed public opinion can exert tremendous pressure; opinion polls here and throughout Europe and America show the rise in influence of these Peace Groups. We would certainly be happier if repressive Governments in the eastern bloc allowed their Peace Groups the same freedom to influence. We aim not to take sides, but to produce a village magazine without mention of the bunker and all the nuclear controversy that surrounds it, would be to bury our heads in the sand, (or should it be chalk).

We only echo what seems to us the most-sane statement made recently, by one of the northern bishops, who said in essence that the two sides should respect each other's views, because everyone desperately wants peace, but disagree in the means of obtaining and keeping it.

The Green Belt

The harness of public opinion was shown very positively during 1982, when the Parish Council appealed to residents to support the County Council in it's County Structure Plan proposed to put Lacey Green and Loosley Row completely in the Green Belt, having the effect of allowing in-filling development and replacement of existing housing stock, but prohibiting any large-scale development. Out of 695 objections and representations sent to the Secretary of State for the. Environment from all of Buckinghamshire, 170 came from Lacey Green and Loosley Row. 40% of all households - quite a remarkable public participation.

Between February 8th and 18th a public examination into certain aspects of the County Structure Plan is taking place at Aylesbury. Lacey Green Parish Council have been invited to take part, much to the annoyance of many other Parish Councils, Resident Associations and Action Groups who didn't ‘shout’ as loud or as often as we did.

The Parish Council's case will be presented by Councillors Bradley and Janes

with local resident: Dr. Clive Wall.

Election Time

Its so easy for us to take for granted democracy, with all our electoral system of choice, that is denied to peoples of large areas of the world. And yet. we do, at election times, particularly local elections - 70% of us never bother to vote. Local government, with all its many, many faults, is still the best system in the world and very necessary, and for no other reason than they spend a large slice of our hard-earned income, we ought to show an interest.

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2009. A New Editor This edition marks the change--over from Norman Tyler to Mike Piercy as Editor.