|
The news this week...
100 years ago
The Gazette Rumours column reported: A policeman in West Herts made an unusual request last week. He asked a certain inhabitant of the village in which he was stationed whether he would, in the event of his removal from the village, draw up a testimonial.
The testimonial would have greater effect if all the villagers could be got to sign it. The “certain inhabitant” advised the constable to get someone who had a better opinion of him to organise the testimonial.
A SUDDEN death occurred in Bovingdon this week.
A report said: An inquest was held at Bovingdon on Tuesday afternoon on the body of Mrs Caroline Batchelor, aged 61 years.
She was the widow of Mr Thomas Batchelor, an agricultural labourer, and lived alone at Venus Hill, Bovingdon.
The inquest was held at the home of Mr Thomas Sidwell, a neighbour, before Mr L Smeathmen, the Coroner and a jury of which Mr A Hinson was foreman.
The first witness was Mrs Caroline Sidwell, who said the deceased was a widow and lived next door to her.” An article read: Mr William Joseph Orchard, of “The Firs” Hemel Hempstead, who was re-elected Mayor and Bailiff of Hemel Hempstead on Friday is an Alderman of the borough, of which he is proud to be native.
He is the second surviving son of the late Mr Francis Orchard, of Upper Green End farm, who lived there to year 1864, when he retired and sold the property”.
1956 50 years ago
TWO teenage girls were charged with breaking and entering
An article said: Two teenage girls appeared on remand at Hemel Hempstead Magistrates' Court on Wednesday charged with breaking and entering a hut at Adeyfield and stealing 10cwts of lead valued at £60, the property of William Lamb, Ltd, of Watford.
They were also charged with being in unlawful possession of housebreaking implements.”
A REPORT said: An unknown hooligan placed a lighted firework in the pillar box at the junction of Great Elms Road and Fairway, Hemel Hempstead, on Monday.
Hemel Hempstead Fire Brigade attended, but fortunately there was no mail inside and no damage was caused.
The only other Guy Fawkes' ‘incident' was when a boy was slightly burnt on the neck by a firework.
There were 167 entries for the annual Sanction Show of the Dunstable and District Canine Society, held in Adeyfield Hall.
An article read: Of the 69 owners, 11 were from the Hemel Hempstead area, seven of whom were awarded prizes.
This was not the Society's first visit to Hemel Hempstead. Previously they have staged shows in Adeyfield Hall and St. John's Hall, Boxmoor.”
1981 25 years ago
TOTTENHAM Hotspur Football Club's Steve Perryman attended the opening of a new garage at Ashley Green near Berkhamsted.
A report read:”Steve Perryman scored a hit with his fans when he attended the opening of car dealer Roy Chapman's new Renault garage, last week. The FA Cup Holders' team captain a prize in one of the competitions for all ages held to publicise the new venture.
The article added: Chapman's take-over of what was formerly Mulkerns has created 10 new jobs. The dealer has a long-established Peugeot outlet on Berkhamsted High Street.”
A BOMB threat caused police to seal off Hemel Hempstead's main shopping centre for over six hours this week.
An article said:On Wednesday an area between Times Square and the ramp in the Marlowes was evacuated while a search was carried out of Boots the chemist. Emergency services stood by.
A police spokesman said the threat had not purported to have come from an ‘organisation', but was being taken seriously because of the recent London bomb outrages.
Mr James Keliett, deputy manager of Sainsbury's next door to Boots, said his store had lost “ a considerable amount of trade”.
AN article read: Christmas in the Marlowes may not be so bright, this year, unless the Dacorum Chamber of Trade can raise more funds to pay for the Christmas lights. The article continued: The chamber heard this week that it would not be getting its annual £500 grant from the Dacorum District Council and will have to ask traders to make up the deficit on the £2,500 budget.
Chamber President, Mr Peter Keer Keer, said “I hope that we can go ahead with them, but it will mean increased contributions from traders and I don't know if that can be done”
Heritage special
Painter and writer Hilda Van Stockum dies aged 98
Daughters tell of unique intelligence
by Pete Bennett
pete.bennett@ccnltd.com
A WORLD famous author and artist has died at her home in Berkhamsted.
Hilda Van Stockum lived on Castle Hill from the mid 1970s until her death last Wednesday at the age of 98.
Mrs Van Stockum wrote more than 20 children's books, classics in the United States and in later life established herself as a painter with exhibitions in Ireland, Austria, Canada and the US.
Her daughters Brigid Marlin, who also lives on Castle Hill and Sheila O'Neill, who lives in Garston, said their mother had a fascinating life.
Sheila said: “She was an amazing person. She was so full of energy and had a wonderful imagination. She was uniquely intelligent.”
Brigid added: “She would tell us the stories she was writing and ask advice. Up to the age of 93 she was still writing stories and poems.”
Hilda Van Stockum was born in Rotterdam in 1908 the daughter of a naval officer and spent her childhood in Ireland and Holland.
She was a keen artist from a young age and was also interested in writing.
She eventually studied at the Dublin School of Art and at the famous RijksAcademie in Amsterdam before working as an illustrator in Dublin.
In 1932 she married Ervin Ross Marlin an American, moved to New York, then Washington DC and began writing while teaching at a Montessori School.
Her first book, A Day On the Skates, won the American Newbery fiction award and established her as a children's author of note.
Brigid said: “Her books became big in America and are still popular today. Many of them were about five children growing up and were based on us growing up during the war years.”
Hilda's most famous book was the Winged Watchman, set in her native Holland during the Second World War. It tells the story of two boys living in a windmill who help the resistance movement.
In 1939 she converted to Catholicism and brought up her six children in the faith.
After she moved to Berkhamsted in the 1970s she took up art again seriously.
Brigid said: “She thought of herself first as an artist and then became a writer. Then she was inspired to paint again and became a famous still life artist.”
She became popular in Ireland, being elected to the Royal Hibernian Academy and had one of her paintings on an Irish postage stamp.
Hilda's husband passed away in 1994, but she carried on illustrating until 2001.
She passed away at her home following a stroke.
Sheila said: “We want to have a celebration of her life, she really was a unique woman. Her obituary appeared in the New York Times and the Irish Times as well as magazines and newspapers all over the world.”
Brigid added: “We want to hold a retrospective exhibition for her in the year she would have been a hundred.”
Hilda Van Stockum is survived by her six children, artist and founder of the society for art of imagination Brigid, Montessori head Sheila O'Neill, London based medical professor Elisabeth Paice, philosophy professor Randal Marlin in Canada, economist John Tepper Marlin in New York and Olga Marlin, a missionary and the head of Opus Dei in Africa.
She also leaves 18 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Her funeral will be held at Sacred Heart Church in Berkhamsted on Saturday November 18 at 11am. |
