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LUTON AIRPORT
I have received a letter that seeks clarification of the last update and which asks questions regarding routes.
During the year, depending on wind conditions, about 75% of departures are to the west. Immediately after take-off
all aircraft turn left (S.West) between Markyate and Flamstead irrespective of their destination, no aircraft
turns right (North) or flies directly west due mainly to the air space allotted to Dunstable Gliding Club.
For simplicity I often refer to this route as the Compton, it is in fact the initial stages of 5 routes, Compton,
Dover, Clacton, Detling and Olney, the illustration shows this more clearly, the dotted line being the new trial
FMS route (P-RNAV)-SID).
If the trial is successful it is likely that in the future it will become the permanent route, but, despite
technical difficulties and assurances from the then director of operations, it is not impossible that it could
be switched to the Compton route, there is already a great deal of lobbying for this to happen even before the
trial has commenced. London Luton Airport alone will decide.
As everyone can see from the illustration the importance of this decision to Flamstead or any other community
cannot be over emphasized, although it may not take place for five years or even longer if older aircraft
continue to use the airport.
In July Tim Hardy, the Director of Operations, and Richard Moat, Head of Planning, left the employment of
the airport, these two very senior employees were largely responsible for overseeing expansion, Richard Moat
was the architect of the Development Brief which outlines the airports plans and aspirations over the next
20 years.
The departure of two very public figures was surprising and sudden, what this will mean to the various groups
who consult with the airport is not yet known. All the information we pass on is the result of meetings
with Tim Hardy and on occasion Richard Moat. Hopefully our quarterly meetings at the airport will continue
and we will be informed of any policy changes or new plans.
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A TASTE OF THE PAST
A friend of mine was fondly reminiscing recently on the joys of eating junket. We rarely come across it nowadays.
Yet my family and friends always enjoy tucking into a large bowlful occasionally. I make several versions, but
the following is one of my favourites.
AN EXCELLENT JUNKET
You will need –
Full cream milk (Channel Islands milk is especially creamy) either 1 or 2 pints
Bottle of liquid rennet essence (supermarkets stock this)
Powdered cinnamon
Caster sugar
Rosewater (I always buy mine from Indian shops)
Whipping or double cream
I’m not giving exact quantities of the above ingredients, apart from the proportions of 1 pint of milk per
1 teaspoon of rennet. The amount of the other ingredients is entirely up to your own taste and the size
of your serving bowl.
Have a warm serving bowl ready to hand. Put the milk in a saucepan and warm it gently to blood heat (98F). I use
a thermometer for accuracy, but your finger will do if you can judge it right. Pour the warm milk into the
warm serving bowl and quickly stir in 1 teaspoon of rennet essence per 1 pint of milk.
Put the bowl into a warm place until it has set. This won’t take very long – no more than a few minutes – a low
oven will do. Now put the bowl on one side to cool. Then refrigerate it until nearly ready to serve.
Mix some caster sugar with some powdered cinnamon. Strew this cinnamon sugar, to your taste, over the top of
the cool junket. Whip some cream fairly softly. Don’t whip it stiffly – the whisk should leave a trail on the
cream when you lift it up. Spoon this cream carefully on top of the cinnamon sugar. Again the amount is up to
you, but I aim at a ½ inch to 1 inch thick layer.
Dust the top of it with more caster sugar, and sprinkle well with rosewater.
John Shirley, 1715
Marian Pochin
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WI - August Meeting
The meeting opened as usual with Jerusalem. President DELIA RAMAGE presented Birthday Buttonholes to JEANNE
Randall and LINDA VINCENT (July) and Mary King and Beryl Wright (September). Details of the amount raised at
the Village Fayre were given which is to be used to finance the new tablecloth. Delia then gave us the sad news
that MARGARET KILBY had recently died. Margaret had been a member of W.I. for many years moving from
Markyate W.I. on its closure, to Flamstead some years ago. We were told that Judges had been in the village
judging the Village of the Year Contest. A great deal goes on in the village with various organisations. Children
are very well catered for.
Delia gave out information on the next Group Meeting in October and read out a card she had received from Denise
Woods who had recently left the area. MARION POCHIN and BRENDA RANDALL had attended a Speakers Day and returned
with lots of names for future speakers.
Delia then introduced MRS SONIA WATERTON with Housekeeping In The Dark. This was Sonia’s second visit to us.
She explained that after an illness she became blind having had perfect sight until then. Returning home to
her family – her husband and two daughters aged 15 and 12 years, she was determined to live a normal life
as possible. In the kitchen rubber gloves were dispensed with as her hands became her eyes to check
cleanliness. As she had to know where everything was only she could put them away in a certain order. There
were quite dramatic changes with cooking- the chip pan was out! oven chips came in useful. Sonia gave us many
anecdotes of disasters that had to be overcome. Imagination and resourcefulness were the order of the day.
Sonia showed us some of the gadgets that are invaluable to her such as an adapted Dictaphone [useful for recipes,
knitting patterns and shopping lists], an apron with large pockets, this acts as an extra pair of hands. Sonia
also has a machine that makes talking labels. Marion Pochin gave the vote of thanks for a fascinating talk.
The Raffle for a set of glasses was won by Jane Lutman. The Competition of an unusual kitchen gadget was won
by MARION POCHIN with a mould for making fondant icing shapes. Second was MARGARET WATSON and Third was MADELINE
EVANS with a cucumber peeler. £2.61 was raised for the A.C.W.W.
At next month’s meeting on September 13th the speaker is Mrs MARION THOMAS on Cooking with a Wok.
The competition is A Table Decoration.
JULIE SCURFIELD
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HARVEST FESTIVAL 1951
Recently and quite by chance, the following report came into my hands. On a loose sheet from the Herts Advertiser, dated 5th October 1951 and for reasons quite unconnected with Flamstead.
The piece reads as follows:-
FLAMSTEAD VICAR’S APPEAL
“Come to Church More Often”
Preaching to a crowded congregation at St Leonard’s Church Flamstead harvest festival on Sunday evening, the Vicar (Rev. C. E. Russell) said he was glad to report that churchgoing in Flamstead had been, and still was, showing a steady increase.
But he asked the congregation, why only on one day of the year did they bother to join the devout few in Christian worship and thank God for his goodness to them? They would be much happier and gain more friends by making a practice to join in family worship each Sunday.
The Vicar asked the congregation to make more Sundays a thanksgiving day in their lives.
The church was decorated throughout with an abundance of fruit, flowers, and vegetables, and at the afternoon service which was devoted to the children,
mothers took gifts which were deposited on the altar.
At the evening service, the choir, under Mr E. Anderson, rendered a special anthem “The Wilderness”. All sections of the church were represented in the procession round the church, the choirboys carrying lighted candles and the girls miniature stooks of corn mounted on poles.
Part of the collection was given to the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution. Gifts of fruit and vegetables were distributed among the sick and needy in the parish, and the Queen Alexandra Hospital for Crippled Children.
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This report, now fifty years old, revived memories of my very happy early days at St Leonard’s.
In my minds eye, I can still see the kindly Fr. Russell, his tall, spare, and slightly stooping figure preaching from the pulpit, biretta removed from his head, and placed beside him.
Harvest Evensong was always special. From my seat in the choir-stalls at the west end of the church (under the ever watchful eye of my father, Eric Anderson), I could admire the sights and smells that were unique to harvest time. Flowers and corn stooks were in abundance, with, it seemed, every available space on shelf or ledge filled with shiny fruit and vegetables.
Best cloths were a must too, which inevitably included a special hat for the ladies. Many and various were the shapes and colours of these creations. They were the cause of much whispered amusement between myself and other naughty choristers, prior to the opening hymn.
I remember the anthem well – “”The Wilderness”, the opening bass recitative sung by Cyril Harvey. We, the choir, had been well rehearsed by my father. Long hours of exacting practice produced music of a standard far and above the average reached by most village churches.
Concluding with that wonderful burst of joyous noise which is Stanford’s setting of psalm 150, the choir, which by this time had processed to the chancel, reached the ultimate of its performance. In particular, I can still hear the unaccompanied verse “Praise him in the sound of the trumpet, praise Him upon the lute and harp.” This followed by that glorious shout, “Let everything that has breath, praise the Lord”. At this moment, the very roof seemed in danger of lifting.
Such are my memories of Harvest Festival, September 1951. They are treasured, not only by myself, but by all who had the great good fortune to be part of St Leonard’s at that time.
Yvonne Sibley
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