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Parents of ‘model son' say A41 bridge victim Matt was depressed
THE PARENTS of a young Tring man who died after falling from a bridge over the A41 have paid tribute to their football fanatic son.
Popular Matthew Lovell, 26, had been battling with depression before his death.
The former Tring School pupil died from his injuries at Hemel Hempstead Hospital after falling from the bridge near Tring on Wednesday, June 28.
He lived at home with his parents, Brian and Carol in Grove Road, who are now trying to come to terms with their only son's tragic death.
Dad Brian, who described Matthew as a model son, said: “Depression is an illness that we don't really understand. It is not something we can fathom.
“Unfortunately with an illness like depression there are lots of ups and downs. There is no real stability to it. We have just got to try to come to terms with losing him.”
Cards containing messages of condolence have flooded into the family home since their son's death and Brian said they have had a lot of support from Matthew's friends.
Matthew, who worked as an assistant accountant at Robert Masters Chartered Accountants in High Street, Tring for the last three-and-a-half-years, was a football fan from a young age and played for local teams, including Tring Tornadoes and Tring Athletic Football Club.
During his time with Tring Tornadoes from 1987 to 1998 he made more than 300 appearances and scored more than 150 goals.
Brian said: “He started playing football from the time he could walk. A football was almost always glued to his foot.”
Like his dad, Matthew was an Arsenal supporter. He became a Junior Gunner at six-years-old and since the age of 18 had been a Silver Member of the club regularly attending matches at home and away.
One of his football highlights was when aged just 15 he was chosen to be club mascot and was photographed with his idol Dennis Bergkamp.
Arsenal Football Club plans to give a tribute to the dedicated football supporter during one of their matches this year.
Matthew, who usually played in the position of right wing, played for Tring Athletic Football Club in their reserves team from 1999 to 2001. Club secretary Ralph Griffiths said: “I remember him at the club. He was a skilful player. He was popular and well-liked by the other players.
“He was a nice lad who fitted in with everybody. He was a lad you could rely on and never got into any trouble with the referees.”
After leaving Tring School Matthew became a qualified FA football coach working for Watford Football Club, Chiltern District Council and Football Fever Courses.
His football career was cut short by two knee operations, but since the New Year he had started playing six-a-side football again.
Matthew's second love was music, he liked Oasis, Stereophonics, Coldplay, The Killers and The Verve and would often be heard singing in the shower.
A CD put together by friend Ade Miles was played during his funeral at St Peter and St Paul Church, on Thursday, July 6 and he was played out to Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve. Matthew was buried at Tring Cemetery.
His best friend Jonny Oliver paid tribute to his sporty friend during the funeral, telling the congregation: “The thing I will always remember about Matthew was his cheeky grin, which was saying I know something you don't know.”
A special football match in memory of the young man was held at the weekend, when friends gathered at Pound Meadow in Tring to play the game Matthew loved best.
It was organised by Nicky Petrou and Chris Shirley and refereed by Matthew's dad Brian. The teams were made up of Matthew's friends from school and ex-Daniel Healthcare players - a Sunday football team that Matthew also played for.
He leaves behind his parents Brian and Carol and older sister 28-year-old Natalie. Matthew had also recently become an uncle for the first time to baby Rio, who was born in January. An inquest into Matthew's death has been opened and adjourned. A date for the hearing has not yet been set.
Mystery over hotel death at Crows Nest
MYSTERY surrounds the death of an Aylesbury woman who was discovered dead in a hotel room on Sunday morning.
Police swooped on the Crows Nest Travel Inn, Aston Clinton at about 10am after 57-year-old Cherylle Amies was found dead by hotel staff.
Guests woke to find one of the hotel corridors cordoned off by police and people staying in nearby rooms on the ground floor were told by officers not to leave their bedrooms.
The Tring fast response car and an ambulance were also called to the hotel where paramedics pronounced the woman from Rickfords Hill in Aylesbury, dead at the scene.
One hotel onlooker, who had been staying at the hotel and was just about to leave when police arrived, saw a man being led away by officers.
He said: "We were staying on the top floor.
“I came downstairs at just gone 10am on Sunday. Just as I was standing in reception waiting for our taxi the police led a guy out.
“It was all very calm."
Thames Valley Police spokesman Anna Huggins said a man had helped the police with their enquiries on Sunday, but was released without charge on the same day.
The onlooker said that staff at the hotel were upset and shaken by the discovery and guests at the hotel had to give their names and addresses to police.
Press officer for the Crows Nest Travel Inn, Emma Scott said: "As soon as staff were made aware that this had taken place they contacted the authorities right away."
Miss Huggins from Thames Valley Police said: "At this time there is nothing to suggest any suspicious circumstances and police are currently treating it as unexplained."
An inquest into the death is expected to open and adjourn later this week.
Well, Fancy That! It's lightning
A TRING gift shop had a lucky escape when it was hit by lightning during thunderstorms last week.
Fancy That owner Samantha Edwards feared the worst when she was called in to switch off alarms early on Wednesday, July 5 after the direct lightning strike.
Fire crews also rushed to the shop at about 7.45am as a frightened tenant living above the shop could smell smoke and feared the building would go up in flames.
Mrs Edwards said: “Everyone working in the High Street said it was the loudest thing they had ever heard.”
Firefighters searched the building but no fire was discovered.
The lightning bolt, which was seen by nearby shopkeepers, hit a television aerial on top of the three storey building, then travelled into the airing cupboard and ripped open a copper water pipe allowing water to gush into the shop.
Mrs Edwards said: “At first we couldn't work out where the leak was coming from. When the fireman turned off the stopcock and the water didn't stop we knew we had a problem.”
Water poured into the shop for one-and-a-half hours, draining the entire hot water system, before a local plumber managed to stop the deluge.
Staff managed to save most of the shop stock. Relieved Mrs Edwards said: “Luckily damage to stock was very minimal and no one was hurt. We were very, very lucky.”
Fancy That, which has been in the town's High Street for 12 years, was forced to close for most of the day, but managed to trade for a few hours in the afternoon and is now open as normal.
The lightning power surge blew out three televisions and two Sky boxes as well as other electrical equipment, including a kettle, which will have to be replaced.
Mrs Edwards praised the fast response of the plumber and electricity company and thanked those who offered help.
Friends enjoy funding event
A SPECIAL Party in the Park has raised more than £6,000 for Tring School to pay for lighting and sound equipment in the school hall.
Talented performers from Tring School and local primary schools put on a musical show for around 2,000 people on Saturday, July 1.
Kim Baiden from Friends of Tring School said: “It was a wonderful evening for the whole community. Everyone enjoyed the music and the happy atmosphere. £6,500 was raised to equip the school hall with much needed sound and lighting equipment.”
Classic musical
TRING School's first full musical in five years, a West Side Story, will be staged from Sunday.
Showstoppers include America and Maria which are bound to get the audience tapping their feet to the beat.
The show in the school's Desborough Hall is on Sunday, July 16 at 3pm, Monday, July 17 and Wednesday, July 19 at 7.30pm. Tickets are £7.50 for adults and £5.50 for students on 01442 822303.
Tring forging Tuscan link
A LITTLE corner of Tring became Italy for a night during a special launch, which set the ball rolling for Tring to twin with the medieval town of Loreto Aprutino in Italy.
Italian restaurant Forno Vivo in High Street hosted the evening on Sunday, July 2, where specially designed barbecues were laden with foods traditionally eaten in Italy.
Fish and pasta delicacies were also laid out and guests enjoyed glasses of the famous Italian wines Montepulciano and Trebbiano d'Abruzzo.
Tring locals teamed up earlier this year to form a Twinning Association, which is working to forge links with Loreto Aprutino.
It will mean that both towns will be able to organise exchange visits and will be able to team up for special events.
The largely undiscovered rural town, in the region of Abruzzo, is well-known for its wines. Tring artist Sheila De Rosa has been working on the project along with Tring Together and businesses in the town.
The link with the Italian town will not be an official status but a friendship link. Once fully set up Tring people will be able to become members of the twinning association and a regular newsletter will be sent out.
During the evening a raffle for a week's stay at a luxury villa in the Italian town was won by town vicar Rev Frank Mercurio.
Run a mile all in good cause
TRING Rugby Club will be hosting a Sport Relief Mile in aid of Comic Relief on Saturday, July 15.
Runners are being invited to join rugby players on the run, which will start at 2pm from the clubhouse in Cow Lane.
Those up to the short run are being asked to donate a minimum of £5 to take part, which will be donated to charity.
For more information contact Deric Newman on 07768056590.
Come into the garden and help hospice charity
KEEN gardeners in Tring will be opening their back yards to the public in aid of the Iain Rennie Hospice at Home.
As part of the charity's open garden scheme, Mortimer End at 37 Mortimer Hill, (11am -6pm), Kozy Corner at 26b Charles Street (2-6pm), Rangers Cottage off Highfield Road (2-6pm) and East Lodge Park Road (2-6pm) will be opening their gates on Sunday, July 16.
Green-fingered fans can have a good look around these gardens, which are all very different and maybe even pick up a few gardening ideas to try out at home.
Mortimer End's garden is divided into rooms, including a Japanese garden with a small fish pond and rockery, a kitchen garden, a greenhouse and nursery area.
Kozy Corner is a walled garden and Rangers Cottage and East Lodge are large country gardens.
Refreshments will be served on the day and all proceeds will go to the Iain Rennie Hospice at Home.
Entry to a single garden costs £2 per person and entry to two or more gardens on the same days is £3.50 per person.
Last year the IRHH open gardens raised £28,000, which has paid for a specialist support nurse. This year 25 gardens will be opening across the Chilterns.
For a leaflet about which gardens are opening contact Ruth Barber on 01442 890222 or email her on
rbarber@irhh.org
Walking air cadets do themselves proud
TRING Cadets put their best feet forward for an exhausting four-day march over the Belgian Ardennes.
Staff and cadets from Tring Squadron Air Training Corps took part in the 130km European March of Memory and Friendship after months of training.
The march is an act of remembrance to those who died in the 1944 Ardennes Offensive, known as the Battle of the Bulge.
Commanding officer Andy Bryant said: “The cadets were nervous at being the centre of attention, but they represented their country, the air training corps and the youth of Britain in a shining example to people from all over Europe.”
To join the cadets call Andy on 07771 826937.
New venue for martial arts
A TRING martial arts club is celebrating its first birthday by moving into its own training venue later this month.
Tring Martial Arts will be moving into The Ridgeway Scout Hall on Grove Road from Monday, July 31.
Chris Allen, founder and chief instructor at the club, said: “This is a very exciting time for our club, over the last year we have grown in student numbers with at least 20 full-time students. We have regular competitions and have had many wins at major kick-boxing tournaments around the country.
“At the new venue we are able to provide many more classes and private lessons.”
Classes are held on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings and on Sunday afternoons and cost £4 for juniors and £5 for adults.
For more information contact Chris on 07793 381322 or visit the website www.TringMartialArts.co.uk
Running club's silver jubilee
TRING Running Club will be celebrating its 25th anniversary with a relay run across the 85-mile Ridgeway path.
Members old and new are being invited to take part in the run, which will be done in relays of between six and eight miles per group on Saturday, July 15.
The club was inspired by the first local London Marathon runner Ken Laidler, who organised an open evening at Tring School in April 1981 to gauge interest in starting a jogging club.
The response was good and soon after Tring Jogging Club met for the first time at Tring Rugby Club in Cow Lane.
Today it has almost 100 members and caters for all types of running. It is based at Tring Park Cricket Club where it meets every Wednesday at 7.30pm.
At the end of the celebration Ridgeway run, the club will have a BBQ for new and old members at Bourne End Moorings in Sharps Lane, Bourne End, near Berkhamsted from about 7pm.
For more information log on to www.tringrunningclub.org.uk .
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