On your bikes for cream tea
The annual autumn Cream Tea Cycle Ride of Tring Cycling Campaign will be on Sunday September 3rd, meeting at 1.45 pm opposite the Rose and Crown in the centre of Tring. The gentle 7 mile ride is suitable for all the family and follows a flat route to Wilstone for a cream tea. All cyclists are welcome. For further information contact John Boielle on 01442 822575 or Brian on 01296 624694, email john.boielle@virgin.net
Car park hope
TRAIN bosses are hoping to be given the green light to reopen Tring Station's temporary car park within the next few weeks.
Frustrated commuters say they have been left searching for car parking spaces in the station and some are even forced to park in nearby streets.
Silverlink had been refused permission to open the car park by Dacorum Borough Council which wants more details about the parking, including the use of lighting.
The borough council is also waiting for in-depth details about the plans to build a decked level of parking above the current permanent station car park.
Silverlink was given planning permission to reopen the temporary car park in April but has been held up by planning conditions.
The extra temporary parking area was created in 2003 while the existing station car park was being used to store machinery during rail works.
Graham Bashford, a spokesman for Silverlink, said: “We are about to submit details about the parking which will hopefully satisfy the council.”
Jamie's delight
TERMINALLY ill Jamie Hodgson got his birthday wish for a special play area following a Gazette appeal.
The fenced off garden area means Jamie can play safely outside with big sister Jodie and use his walking frame designed to strengthen his back.
The decking was created by Wigginton gardeners William Miller and Joe Toms of Grass Roots Gardening Services, who did it for free.
They completed the work at the Meadow Close home in Tring while the family were enjoying a break in Great Yarmouth.
Mr Miller said: “I just thought it was worthwhile and it was worth doing. It doesn't take an awful lot of time and I knew it would make a big difference.”
Jamie's mum Christine is overjoyed with the results and says Jamie wants to be in the garden all the time.
She said: “The other day Jamie was out there in his walker and Jodie was outside on her skates.
“Jamie just loves it. It has made a big difference.”
Jamie celebrated his sixth birthday on Sunday, August 20, a day his family never thought they would celebrate because of the youngster's health problems.
Christine said: “We never dreamt we would see that day. We are so happy he has reached this age but at the same time it is tinged with sadness because it is a step closer to the inevitable.”
When Jamie was six months-old he suffered two massive cardiac arrests and organ failure because of a blockage in his pulmonary vein.
He suffers from congenital heart disease, only one of his lungs functions properly and he has to use nebulisers to keep his airways open.
Jamie has spent much of his life in hospital and parents Christine and Eddie have had to plan their son's funeral on three separate occasions when he has been critically ill.
Christine says doctors hope Jamie will live to reach his teenage years but nobody really knows how much time he has left.
Eddie said: “The play area has made us happy to see Jamie enjoying life more and being independent.”
Donations to the family from local groups and charities has made it possible to buy some other equipment for their garden, including a summer house and shed.
Mobile phone mast protest
THE LATEST plans for a mobile phone mast in Tring have met strong objections from residents.
Mivan, a telecommunications network specialist, has put forward plans to build a 10.4 metre high telecommunications post in Wingrave Road.
Residents told councillors during a Tring Town Council meeting last week that they had collected around 80 signatures objecting to the plans. The mast would include antennae and a radio equipment cabinet to replace the existing lamp post.
Residents in the street and nearby roads have also held a residents' meeting to gauge opposition.
During the council's planning meeting on August 21, Cllr Lloyd Harris said: “It is always upsetting when these applications come before us. I think we can all agree that the location of this is wrong.”
Councillors agreed to recommend the application for refusal on appearance and location grounds. The final decision will be made by Dacorum Borough Council.
Marrow challenge to help research
GREEN fingered young pupils at Aldbury School are among thousands of people up and down the country taking on the ‘Marrowthon' challenge for a local charity.
The marrow growing campaign aims to raise cash for the Aplastic Anaemia Trust.
The AAT charity was launched 25 years ago by a Berkhamsted doctor whose friend's daughter died when treatments for the illness were poor.
Dr Philip Goodwin began by organising a London to Paris Triathlon which has brought in millions of pounds to help research the disease at St George's Hospital, Tooting and fund treatment into people with bone marrow failure.
Dr Goodwin said: “This year we wanted to include a different group of people. In this disease the bone marrow stops growing so the line is ‘please help our marrow grow'.”
Gardeners, schools and clubs up and down the country have been buying packets of Thompson and Morgan marrow seeds for £1 a packet of which 91p was going to the AAT and trying to grow the biggest marrow.
Dr Goodwin said: “It has been brilliant, really fantastic. It's also featured in the national newspapers and all the gardening magazines. 3,000 schools have taken part and it looks like around five million people have been involved.”
Caroline Neil, who along with her friend Linda Kirkland and co-ordinator Laura Lines has been helping organise the marrowthon said: “Both myself and Linda have got children at Aldbury but they were also having a big project to get the gardening club up and running so it worked quite well, and they seem to have enjoyed themselves.”
For more details visit the website at www.marrowthon.org.uk
Beer glass attack man jailed
A family wept on Thursday as a judge sent their 21-year-old son to prison for punching a man with a beer glass, leaving the victim with a deep cut on his face.
St Albans Crown Court heard the attack by Oliver Engel was completely out of character.
He was described as a "decent young man" who is "gentle and caring" with ambitions to become a PE teacher.
But on October 7 last year, Engel, of Malting Lane, Aldbury, Tring, committed an act that was so violent that Recorder Edward Cohen said a custody sentence was necessary.
The court heard Engel had been drinking at the Greyhound pub in Aldbury with friends when he got into an row with another man, Jonathan Aspen-Robinson.
Mr Aspen-Robinson approached and pushed Engel who retaliated by punching Aspen-Robinson with his beer glass.
The strong blow caused a deep, 10cm long cut on Mr Aspen-Robinson's face. He needed internal and external stitches and will most likely be scarred for life.
Defending, Richard Germaine said Engel's own life had been blighted by the 'reckless' incident.
He said Engel was of previous good character and had numerous complimentary witness references, all written voluntarily by people who knew him.
Engel had been convicted of unlawful wounding, but acquitted of intention to cause serious injury.
Sentencing, Recorder Cohen said: "Use of glass as a weapon is highly dangerous. I accept the victim pushed you first but that does in no way justify your response. I accept it was spur of the moment and out of character but the crime was so serious, a custodial sentence is the only option."
Engel was sentenced to 12 months in prison. He will serve half before being released on licence.
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