Eastenders' 'slur' on town

Writers love town - no offence meant

STORY writers for EastEnders have revealed they came up with their latest soap character, Bradley Branning, after a conference held in Tring.
The new character caused a storm in the town after residents claimed scriptwriters had portrayed Tring as a hick town populated by snobs.
An EastEnders’ spokesman said: “The character of Bradley Branning was by no means set to cause offence to the residents of Tring. In fact Tring was chosen after one of our storyline conferences in Tring, as the production team thoroughly enjoyed their stay.”
After Bradley, 18, played by Charlie Clements, first showed up in Albert Square on Tuesday, January 24, Tring Mayor Mike James was bombarded by comments from local residents jumping to defend their town.
Cllr James was amazed by the response to the show, which attracts around 14 million viewers an episode, and said a lot of people were quite offended by the new character, who plays golf and drinks soya milk.
An EastEnders’ spokesman said: “Bradley is by no means a snob. He has led a sheltered life because his dad left him when he was young.
“His mother wanted to teach him the value of money so encouraged him to get a job, which is why he worked as a caddy at the local golf course.
“He has a dairy intolerance and is allergic to nuts.”
Bradley’s grandad, veteran character Jim Branning, thinks his grandson is a bit soppy for buying magazines and moisturiser and teases him about spending too long in the bathroom.
This week viewers can see how Bradley’s crush on troublesome Stacey Slater develops.

Car park changes please planners

PLANS for 40 flats at Brook Street in Tring have been given the go-ahead.
The development will replace the old Maund and Irvine site with 34 two-bedroom flats at the front and six two-bedroom flats at the rear.
The single block will vary over four and five storeys and includes underground parking for 49 cars.
Firstmove Developments amended their initial plans after residents from nearby Shugars Green banded together in opposition against the proposed car parking.
Original plans were for a smaller underground car park with additional parking accessed via Shugars Green.
Local residents had argued that most motorists would use the Shugars Green access, causing extra traffic. The residents feared this would increase the risk of a child being knocked down.
Despite being given planning permission on their previous application, Firstmove Developers decided to splash out on a bigger underground car park, adding an extra level, with all traffic accessing the site off Brook Street.
Managing director from Firstmove Developments, Michael Hancock, told The Gazette that the extra
underground car parking would cost an additional £1 million, which is covered by adding a block of six flats to the plans.
A meeting of Dacorum Borough Council’s development control committee delegated the plans with a view to approval.

It’s clear to see what to do with your old glasses

OLD and unwanted pairs of glasses can be given a new lease of life thanks to Specsavers Opticians in Tring.
The big-hearted opticians will repair your specs and send them to people living in developing countries, who  need glasses,
The High Street opticians are appealing for old and
unwanted pairs of glasses in aid of a recycling scheme run by the charity Vision Aid Overseas.
The charity is dedicated to helping needy people in the Third World, whose lives are blighted by poor eyesight.
Bindi Shah, store director at Specsavers in Tring, explained: “Most of us forget about our old specs, which have perhaps gone out of fashion or are no longer the correct prescription.
“However, they can make a huge difference to many people’s lives,” he pointed out.
“It is an astonishing fact that there are some 200
million people who need glasses but are unable to get them due to poverty, remote locations and severe lack of optical facilities,” he added.
If you would like to make a donation to Vision Aid
Overseas, please drop your unwanted glasses into
Specsavers Opticians, High Street, Tring or for more information call 01442 828778.

Get ready for old time fun

AN evening of old-fashioned entertainment is on the cards in Aldbury on Saturday (February 11) in aid of the Iain Rennie Hospice at home.
The event, to celebrate fundraiser Sue Varvel and Marion Bryant’s trek to Peru will include a supper and entertainment, including a mini auction by John Bly and a guest appearance from Francis White aka Miss Flood.
Tickets cost £15. Call Peggy Bainbridge on 01442 826265 or Daphne Vessey on 01296 631756 for details.

Making of a man’s best friend

MEET Spike - a recreated Victorian Bulldog, he is just one of the many different breeds of dogs on display as part of the latest exhibition at the Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum.
Dogs: Man-Made Friends? explores the origins of domestic dogs and their relationship with humans. From deerhounds to dashshunds and wolfhounds to whippets, no other species has the amazing diversity of shape and size that we see in dogs.
Spike was selectively bred to reassemble the Victorian version of the breed, with a narrow chest, longer legs and longer muzzle than the modern breed. The result was a more active dog than most current pedigree individuals.
Other dogs on display include Sunbright Tatcho, an Orange Pomeranian and the Edwardian miniature terrier Esmeralda, who has been immortalised resting on a pillow under a glass dome.
Dogs: Man-Made Friends? opens at the Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum in Akeman Street on Monday, February 13 and will be on display until July 9.

Bond girl favourite is homegrown talent

THE HOLLYWOOD actress tipped to be the next Bond girl, trained and studied drama at the prestigious Arts Educational School in Tring.
Thirty-three-year-old Thandie Newton’s career has been shaped by the acting skills she picked up while a student at the independent school.
She came to Tring as a border at the school in 1984 studying dance, but transferred to drama when an injury meant she could not continue pursuing a dance career.
The school in Tring Park is one of the leading performing arts schools in the country and accepts talented youngsters from around the world.
Places are highly sought after and the school’s fees run into thousands of pounds.
Even before Thandie completed her studies, she was granted special leave from the school for six months, to go to Australia and star in her first film Flirty, opposite Nicole Kidman.
Thandie left the Arts Educational School in 1991 with six O-levels and three A-levels.
She went on to study anthropology at Cambridge University.
Head of Development at the Arts Educational School, Sue Busby, said: “Her success has been outstanding and naturally we are very proud of her, especially as she continued with her academic studies.”
Since embarking on a glittering Hollywood career Thandie, born in Zambia, has starred with Tom Cruise in Interview with the Vampire and Mission Impossible Two and has been nominated for a BAFTA award for her part in the 2004 film, Crash.
Thandie is tipped to take up the starring role as the next Bond girl in Casino Royale after she impressed directors and the new 007 Daniel Craig, when she recently auditioned for the part.
Mrs Busby said: “I think she will be an absolutely marvellous Bond girl. It is a very exciting opportunity. The rest of the staff here are very excited by it.”
Since leaving the school Thandie has returned to visit staff and keeps in close contact with old schoolfriends.
Thandie is not the only well-known face to have started her career at the Tring school.
Amy Nuttall, 23, best known as Chloe from the ITV soap Emmerdale, was taught classical singing at the performance school.
Since leaving the TV soap, her musical schooling has helped her to land the role as Eliza Doolittle in the musical My Fair Lady. Amy is also working on her first solo album.
Other former students who have shot to fame since leaving the school include, Caroline Quentin, Jane Seymour, Emma Cunniffe and Gillian Lynn.
A spokesman from EON Productions, the group that produces the James Bond series, said: “No decision has been made on the casting of that role at the moment. Until a decision has been made we can’t comment.”

Unlocked doors lead to spate of burglaries

POLICE are warning
Tring residents to make sure they lock up their homes and be extra vigilant following a spate of burglaries in the town during January.
Last week police officers took the mobile police
station to Grove Road in Tring, where they were offering advice on home security to residents.
Since the beginning of January there have been 19 separate burglaries in the town.
Members of Tring Crime Prevention Panel have been delivering security advice leaflets to shops and cafes to raise awareness of the problem.
Most of the burglaries have happened during a weekday and late at night or in the early hours of the morning when most people are in bed.
Inspector Barbra Campbell said: “Part of the problem seems to be insecure UPVC doors.
“Quite often these doors are not properly locked as people often forget that unlike a Yale lock, they do not automatically lock when closed and that you have to deadlock them from the inside for them to be fully secure.
“UPVC doors are excellent for security if
they’re used properly and deadlocked (double locked - bolted up and down).
“If the deadlock has not been set, burglars are more likely to be able to break in.”

Council tax

THE GAZETTE wrongly reported last week that Tring Town Council had set its tax precept to rise by 41p a week.
In fact the tax has been set at 41p per household, per week for those on Band D. This is a rise of 2p per week, from 39p.
Councillors agreed to set the precept for 2006/07 at £103,770, which is a 4.8 per cent rise on last year.

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