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Victorian blackout
Traders’ rage as power cut blights event
POWER cuts, which forced shops in Tring to stay closed during the town’s lucrative Victorian Fiesta, have left traders furious.
Many High Street shops missed out during the town’s busiest night after a power cut, which lasted more than 11 hours, plunged shops into darkness.
Martin Cheshire, who helps organise the fiesta through Tring Chamber of Commerce, was forced to shut his printing shop, Almars.
He said: “Our big problem, which was a killer, was the electricity went down. We couldn’t open because we had no power.
“We would usually take a fair amount of money during the fiesta, but we took less than 10 per cent of what we usually take because we had to rely on a table outside with a few bits on it.”
Mr Cheshire said they took about £100 in sales on Friday, whereas they would usually rake in around £600. He is so angry that his solicitor is to write to electricity supplier, EDF Energy to ask for compensation.
Staff from Fancy That kept their store open for the special evening by lighting the shop with candles and gas lamps but many visitors did not realise they were open.
Owner John Edwards said: “Many people thought we just hadn’t bothered and weren’t open.
“Traders were furious that the most important night of the year was ruined by the power cuts. It wasn’t just about the trade on the evening, people thought we couldn’t be bothered.”
Chairman of Tring Chamber of Commerce and owner of Benellie, Melanie Matthews said: “Everywhere, not just Tring, retail has been suffering and for something like this to happen on the potentially best day of the year, when there is such a captive audience, is just a nightmare.”
She managed to keep her shop open for the evening by borrowing electricity from an unaffected neighbouring shop and using a generator.
Marjorie Barnes, a spokesman for EDF Energy said that power was interrupted to 24 customers in the High Street at 2.07pm on Friday. Road closures for the festive celebrations meant that workmen could not carry out repairs until the High Street was reopened after the fiesta.
Ms Barnes said: “Once the road was opened, EDF Energy carried out tests at the sub-station and restored power at 1.20am.
“Regrettably, a further interruption occurred at 2.21am affecting a further 26 customers. These customers were not affected by the earlier interruption.”
House of Cards staff closed their shop and disappointed went home disappointed early on Friday night. Shop manager Lisa Gilbert said: “We had an awful day. We open for the fiesta every year. We make punch and give out mince pies, it is a really big night, but we couldn’t do any of those things and went home at about 7pm.”
Staff at Italian restaurant, Forno Vivo had to work twice as hard to work out customer bills, because the power cut meant tills were not working. General manager Raffaele Mercurio said: “In the good Victorian spirit we were able to carry on trading. It was a bit difficult, but we survived.”
Corbetts Book Shop was forced to close for the celebrations. Kaye Frost from the book store said: “We couldn’t open and it was terrible. It is usually one of our busiest days of the year for sales. It was a disaster for us.”
The power cuts were caused by two blown fuses on cables at a sub-station supplying electricity to the High Street and surrounding roads. The fuses have now been replaced by workmen and EDF Energy is investigating the cause.
Earlier this year a massive £22,000 was ploughed into Tring’s electricity service in a bid to combat blackouts that had plagued parts of the town.
The decision followed an investigation by EDF Energy after more than 1,000 homes were left without electricity on three separate occasions within a month. The work involved replacing a transformer with new equipment at a sub-station in Tring.
This sub-station was
unrelated to the power cuts on Friday.
Finding new homes for rubbish
RUBBISH treatment centres could be springing up across Dacorum in an overhaul of waste services.
Almost a dozen sites have been identified in the borough where recycling and other processes including landfill could take place.
It is too early to say exactly what work would be carried out at the sites, but current waste operations involve noisy machinery and many lorry journeys.
A countywide study is currently under way to identify places where waste could be treated, including landfill sites.
Industrial buildings at Icknield Way in Tring, off Belswains Lane in Nash Mills and Buncefield in Hemel Hempstead are mentioned as possible 'waste treatment facilities'.
Quarries at Bovingdon Brickworks, Bovingdon airfield and Pitstone have been earmarked in a report.
New regulations mean the county will have to dispose of waste within its own boundaries instead of exporting it.
In a statement Herts County Council says: “Even though the county council continues to extend its recycling targets, to find other ways of reducing the waste we produce and explore new technologies for dealing with waste, there will always be some residual waste that has to be disposed of.”
A county council spokesman said: “The list is not fixed in any way.
“No decisions have been made about any of the sites.”
After a consultation period a report containing options will be produced followed by a second public consultation before the final document is submitted to Whitehall in 2007.
Thousands flock to Victorian night
The freezing temperatures could not chill the Christmas spirit at this year’s Victorian Fiesta as thousands of people turned out to enjoy the evening celebrations.
Martin Cheshire from Almar, who helps organise the event as part of the Tring Chamber of Commerce estimated the turn out to top around 12,000 people.
He said: “It was wonderful, it went very very well.
“Numbers were slightly down, which was a good thing. Last year there were just too many people.”
Young and old braved the cold, to sip mulled wine and enjoy entertainment from garland dancers, Irish dancers and jugglers during Friday evening (November 25).
Some managed to stomach the fairground rides, while others had a more leisurely stroll around the town, where they could browse street stalls and pick up Christmas gifts and treats.
Traders dressed up in Victorian costume and some shops stayed open to allow visitors to do some Christmas shopping.
Even a power cut could not blacken the mood, with traders setting up stalls
outside and some using candles to light inside their shops.
Despite the crowds the evening went without a hitch.
Police Sergeant Mike Saunders and his team were also out and about soaking up the festive atmosphere. PC Saunders said: “There was a lot of people there and it all went very well. It was well organised and there were no problems.”
Historic setting for new cuisine
Vegetarian restaurant to replace antique shop b
VEGETARIANS could soon be flocking to Tring to get their mouths around some meat-free meals made with locally grown produce.
The town’s historic High Street antiques shop has been sold to David Metcalfe, who has big plans to transform
it into a vegetarian restaurant.
45-year-old Mr Metcalfe, of Metcalfe and Sons, has been a vegetarian for the last 17 years and thinks there is a demand for the specialist restaurant in the town.
He said: “I think there is a lot of people out there who will like it. I think it will bring people into the town.”
The restaurant will be based next door to the Metcalfe family hardware store. It will be the first of its kind in the town and Mr Metcalfe is even considering growing some of his own fruit and vegetables, which will be used in restaurant recipes.
He said: “I do hope to grow some of the produce locally. I have a field just outside Tring.
“Importing foods from miles and miles away is crazy. We seem to have lost the seasonality of foods and I would like to bring that back with lots of lovely home cooked seasonal foods.”
Suj Munjee, owner of New England House Antiques has been forced to sell his shop because he cannot afford to stay in the town. Since setting up his business in Tring 13-years-ago he has slowly seen trade plummet to crisis point.
He said: “It has been getting harder and harder.
“When I began the shop I would get between 150 and 200 people through the door each day. Now we are lucky if we get 20 people on a Saturday. Some days I don’t get any customers coming through the door.”
Before Mr Munjee bought the shop it belonged to fellow antiques expert John Bly. It was first opened as an antiques shop by his grandfather in 1891.
Mr Munjee, who lives in Hitchin, said: “The big crunch came when Tesco opened.
“Budgens has shut now as well. People used to wonder through the High Street, but now they can’t because there are car parking charges in Tring.”
He will be holding a clear out sale in the run up to Christmas and will close the shop doors for the last time on January 25.
If all goes to plan and planning permission is given to change the building into a restaurant, Mr Metcalfe hopes to open the business next summer. He said: “It is very early stages but I’m quite excited about it. I have always had it in mind but never actually thought it would happen.”
Fun of the festive fair
SANTA pulled into Aldbury in style at the weekend for the village pre-school’s biggest ever Christmas Fair.
Crowds turned out for the festive event on Sunday (November 27) to enjoy tasty Christmas foods and to try their luck on the tombola. Other attractions included children’s games,
a raffle, Christmas carols by Aldbury Church Choir and plate decorating.
The fun event is organised each year by Aldbury Pre School, which is a charity run by parents. Jo Coulston, from the school committee said: “It was very successful. We don’t know how much we raised yet, but it is all in aid of Aldbury Pre-School. It was the biggest one we have ever held.”
Cash raised from the day will help pay for new outdoor play equipment for the pre-school.
Crash victim is named
AN inquest has been opened into the death of a man involved in a car crash in Wigginton on November 17.
Mark Mosley, 24, died and two of his brothers, aged 16 and 26, were seriously injured when the Vauxhall Vectra they were travelling in lost control as it approached a speed-calming chicane along Chesham Road.
The Vectra hit a parked car and homes making up
Hollybush Row before flipping into the air and colliding with several other stationary vehicles.
A fourth man, aged 22, was also seriously injured in the crash.
A post mortem has revealed Mr Mosley died of 'multiple traumatic injuries'.
His address has been given as Benafield Road, Oxford, although he is believed to have been living in the Amersham/Chesham area in recent months.
Witnesses can contact PC Tim Hill of the Western Area Road Policing Unit on 01923 472388.
Drop in for wine tasting
FINE French wines will be on offer during drop-in tasting sessions being held in Tring over two days next week.
Vineyards of France is holding the event at John Bly’s showrooms on Thursday, December 8 and Friday, December 9 from midday until 5.30pm.
Antiques expert John Bly has been a customer of Vineyards of France for several years and suggested they held the wine tasting event at The Courtyard, Church Square.
There will also be two evenings of guided wine tasting on the same dates. This will cost £10 each or £15 for a couple and is reimbursed if a wine order is placed during the evening.
For details contact James Sherry at Vineyards of France on 0870 900 9696.
Deadline for piazza plan
A DECISION is due to be made this week on whether plans to transform Tring’s Rose and Crown Hotel should go ahead.
Dacorum Borough Council’s Development Control Committee will decide if proposals to create a High Street piazza and build luxury apartments at the rear of the historic hotel should be given the green light.
Plans also include re-opening the hotel’s courtyard, making space for retail units. Councillors will consider
the proposals at the Civic Centre in Hemel Hempstead on Thursday, December 1 from 7pm. Get a tattoo at school fair FESTIVE fun will be on offer this weekend during Dundale School’s fundraising Christmas Fair.
Face painting, fake tattoos, bric-a-brac and a sweet tombola are just a few of the fun things on offer at the school on Saturday.
The fair will be held at the school in Silk Mill Way, Tring from 2pm to 4.30pm.
All proceeds will go towards funding the school’s new computer suite.
So far the school has raised more than £5,000 through special events.
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