A LOTTERY set up to save Phasels Wood scouting centre has produced 20 winners from Hemel Hempstead in less than a year.

Two £1,000 jackpots have been handed to people from the town and latest winner Angela Price said the cash would come in handy for a trip to Australia.

The lottery was set up last year to raise cash to buy the long-established centre near Kings Langley, which was in danger of being sold off.

Herts Scouts have now bought the land from the national Scout Association, along with another centre in Cuffley, but need to pay off the £1 million mortgage and raise money to invest in the sites.

Appeal director Roger Sands said: “They are a huge community resource.

“Both centres offer many different challenging activities and programmes to suit a wide range of ages and abilities.”

Hemel Hempstead Scouts say data from their latest census shows another increase in numbers.

District commissioner Stuart Dickens said: “We are still receiving enquiries from parents whose children would like to join, and adults offering assistance.

“We still have room for more.”

If you are interested in joining the scouting movement contact 0844 414 2318.

The lottery offers a jackpot prize every week plus six smaller prizes.

It is open to all with entry costing £1.

Forms are available from any scout group or by emailing secretary@hemel-scouts.co.uk, visiting www.hertfordshirescouts.org.uk/lottery or calling 01442 261546.

A CONTRACTOR will be appointed later this month to start building a controversial mega dairy.

Development of the £150million Arla Foods project in Aston Clinton is set to start in April.

An access road has already been constructed for vehicles to enter the site, while other construction has included landscaping, tree planting, fencing and signage.

Arla says around 700 jobs will be created by the development in departments which include production, despatch, logistics, driving, environment, heath and safety, laboratory, quality control, engineering and planning.

People interested in working for the company can register their details online at www.arlafoodsjobs.co.uk

The dairy has been met with fierce opposition from Aston Clnton residents whose concerns are centred around the increased traffic volumes and the effect on surrounding countryside.

AROUND 80 artists will showcase their work to help a good cause that offers therapy to people suffering with multiple sclerosis.

The Chilterns MS Centre, which provides support to many people living in Dacorum, is hoping to rake in cash through the exhibition, which will include professional and ameteur artists.

Artwork will be on sale with artist donating a percentage of their proceeds to the charity, which is currently building a new state-of-the-art base.

There will also be cakes and refreshments on sale.

The exhibition runs this Saturday from 10am to 6pm and Sunday from 11am to 4pm at the centre in Scarlett Avenue, Halton, Aylesbury.

THE boss of a builders’ merchants with two outlets in Hemel Hempstead has a very personal reason for taking part in a charity bike ride.

Nick House, MD of Grant and Stone, signed up to take part in the second Chilterns Cycle Challenge in memory of a good friend who was cared for by the Tring-based Iain Rennie nursing service during his illness seven years ago.

Not only will Nick, pictured, be riding the 75-mile challenge on March 25 but he’s also signed up the company to be headline sponsor of the event. Grant and Stone has a electrical wholesalers and a plumbers’ merchant and bathroom showroom on the Saracen Industrial estate, in Mark Road.

Nick said the service offered to his friend and family by the Iain Rennie nurses was second to none. He added: “Having seen how vital this support was, I want to do everything I can to make sure that this marvellous service is always there for local families.”

Leverstock Green 0 London Tigers 2

LEVY Green’s losing run stretched to four games on Tuesday night, despite a much-improved second half display against London Tigers.

Levy started the game looking like a team low on confidence, as the visitors bossed the opening proceedings.

Green keeper Carl Tasker was forced into a number of good saves, while Tigers were rarely threatened at the other end.

It was a different story after the break, though, as Levy upped their tempo – handing Lewis Pritchard two decent chances to put the hosts in front.

Mark Burfoot was the next Green man to try his luck but, like Pritchard, could not make the most of two good goalscoring opportunities.

And Levy were eventually made to pay for their profligacy as Jamal Miah put London in front against the run of play after 67 minutes

Levy pressed hard in search of an equaliser, but Ehad Ponxha sealed the win late on for the Tigers,

A TEENAGER who has been running a growing artist management company from his garage wants to reveal to the entertainment industry that he just 17 years old.

Sina Gharib, from Apsley, has a roster of up and coming UK hip hop act as well as models, actors, presenters and sports people signed up to his management and booking agency P-King Group.

When he is not at West Herts College studying business and marketing, he is organising advertising campaigns for clients in the consumer goods and media industries – and many of the contacts he deals with don’t have a clue how young he is.

He said: “I don’t tell people my age and they don’t ask but now I want to get some sort of recognition for it.

“I want to reveal my age now because the business is doing well and I want to follow in the footsteps of famous young entrepreneur Jamal Edwards.”

The former pupil of John F Kennedy School has registered his company, does his own accounts and pays people who work for him on commission.

He is currently working on the promotion for the UK tour of American rapper Glasses Malone and has been in talks with radio station bosses.

Sina said: “My clients know how old I am and I think they respect me more because of my age.

“However, they are always in disbelief when I tell them.

“I’ve always liked to be different.

“I see myself as the next Simon Cowell.”

Lloyds TSB has launched its annual Second Stepper report, which tracks the ongoing plight of first time sellers amid a challenging housing market.

The report reveals that home affordability for Second Steppers has become much less favourable and declining house prices have led to equity shortfalls for many.

Second Steppers are homeowners looking to sell their first home and move up the ladder. Many potential Second Steppers in today’s market would have bought close to the peak of the market and are now finding it increasingly difficult to get off the ‘first rung’.

According to Lloyds TSB’s report, almost two thirds (61 per cent) of Second Steppers have wanted to climb up the ladder in the past 12 months but have been unable to do so as they face an increasing number of challenges.

More than one in five (22 per cent) believe it is now harder to move up the ladder than get on it in the first place, with almost half (43 per cent) also feeling it will be as equally difficult.

The report also revealed general pessimism about the future of the housing market; a third (34 per cent) believe it is going to be harder to sell their property this year than last, with more than half (53 per cent) predicting that the housing market will not improve this year.

A lack of affordable property to buy (35 per cent) and a lack of offers from potential first-time buyers (32 per cent), were cited as key barriers delaying the sale of people’s current property on top of a whole host of other challenges, including higher levels of deposit needed; a decline in the level of equity; rises in the cost of moving; and a decline in affordability.

Here, last year’s Second Steppers offer advice to 2012 home movers:

n Build up your savings as much as you can – you may need a higher deposit than you think and may need to take into account a fall in your equity position

n Be flexible, you will need to be prepared to lower your offer, or even look into renting your property rather than selling it

n Present your house to its best: declutter and redecorate – fix any problem areas prior to viewing

n Explore alternative ways to sell your property, such as private buyers or auction. This could save you money but will also open up your options

n Keep at it and be patient, it may take a while for you to sell your house, but there will be a buyer out there

THE hunt is on for people with memories of the paper industry in Apsley for a new project.

Apsley Paper Trail is creating a ‘memory bank’ of recorded interviews for a new display at the attraction.

Many interviews have already been recorded covering what it was like to live in the area and work at the British Paper Company and John Dickinson, but more would be welcomed.

Tom Hunt, memory bank project co-ordinator, said: “We will also be recruiting a lot more volunteers to help us to collect and display the information.

“This new section in our visitor centre will be a great attraction, not only for our adult visitors but also for the hundreds of school children who visit us every year.”

A recording session will be taking place at Frogmore Mill on Sunday from 11am to 4pm or you can contact Tom on 01442 234600 or email tomhunt@thepapertrail.org.uk

An online video is raising awareness about how to tell if someone is suffering a stroke.

It promotes recognising the signs of stroke, using the word FAST as a prompter to spot the symptoms.

F is for face – has the person’s face fallen to one side, can they smile? A for arms – can they raise both arms and keep them there? S is for speech – is their speech slurred? And T is for time – act quick to get help.

Watch the video at www.eastamb.nhs.uk

John Carter

This is the kind of film where you just go with it in the cinema but as soon as you step back out into real life, you just think to yourself: What did I just watch?’

As you would expect, Wall-E director Andrew Stanton’s visual effects are brilliant; there is never a dull moment on screen and in the lead role Taylor Kitsch (Friday Night Lights) gives an outstanding performance.

But because so many adventure and fantasy films have taken inspiration from the Edgar Rice Burroughs Mars stories it feels as if we’ve seen this film so many times before.

And even though it is too long, if feels far too rushed towards the end.

The script is bland and makes the Lynn Collins character look pathetic – her dialogue is ridiculous. No attention is paid to what she has to say, it’s all about what revealing attire she will wear next.

The action scenes aren’t very memorable, even though they look great. It’s as if Stanton does not understand either the source subject matter or his target audience.

We have seen him create films with phenomenal visuals, and in his first non-animated outing we expected something new.

John Carter is not a film to remember. Although it has its roots in a source which also helped bring us films like Avatar and Star Wars, it is only fleetingly imaginative and there’s nothing inspired about it.

Bel Ami

Ah, Robert Pattinson. It doesn’t matter how many sly digs at the Twilight franchise you make, the only way to win over true film fans is to put in great performances and to date, you have come up very short.

That’s the case again here, in this classic romantic tale of a (lucky) man who manipulates and is supported by a bevy of beautiful Parisian women including Kristin Scott Thomas, Uma Thurman and Christina Ricci before succumbing to and facing his crippling demons. It’s pompous, and poor Pattinson poses and pouts but remains all posturing and no poetry.

The Raven

The thought of John Cusack getting his teeth Edgar Allen Poe filled me with excitement.

Hopes were high that this could mean a much-needed return to form for an actor I have a lot of time for.

Then I saw the poster, which sees Cusack in a Denzel Washington pose, brandishing a gun. Er.

Taking just a few liberties the film sees the acclaimed writer become a detective as he hunts a serial killer using his writing as a source of murderous inspiration.

It’s ludicrous trash but because no one in it seems to care, it somehow doesn’t matter.

Or maybe that’s the Robert Pattinson factor talking.

SHOPPING chiefs are hoping to bag thousands of pounds in government funding and advice from straight talking retail guru Mary Portas to help breathe new life into Hemel Hempstead’s town centre.

If the town fights off competition from others up and down the country, it will join 11 others in a business-boosting pilot project, which will see them share a pot of funding totalling £1million and get a visit from the self-styled ‘Queen of Shops’ herself.

The people behind Hemel Hempstead’s Town Centre Partnership, launched in September last year, are in the process of putting together an application to the scheme.

The move is also being backed by Dacorum Borough Council.

It includes proposals for two initiatives designed to entice retailers and shoppers into the town.

The first is plans for the partnership to take over the running of the Marlowes market.

Vince Williams, one of the business brains behind the partnership and Marlowes Shopping Centre manager, said: “We don’t think it has had the attention it should have had and it has been a little bit detrimental in bringing new business to the town.”

But he added: “That is not to say it is all bad, they have got some very good operators.”

Proposals include changing the layout of the market, improving the way stalls are set up and giving local business people a chance to showcase what they have to offer, while also receiving mentoring from experienced retailers within the town.

If the partnership wins the market contract it will generate an annual revenue of £50,000 – cash that can be ploughed into other improvement plans.

The second initiative is to tackle empty units.

The plan is to offer pop-up stores to fledgling businesses. “It will give local people the chance of running a business at a relatively low cost,” said Vince.

Key retailers will pass on their knowledge to new business owners through toolbox sessions and shop visits.

But it is not just the funding on offer – up to £100,000 for each town – that will be a boost to Hemel Hempstead.

Vince said: “The PR would be astronomical because we will also get the support of the government and Mary Portas herself.

“It is not just about the money, the PR that will go with it will be absolutely fantastic for the town.

“We have got a town that needs a bit of help.”

Now the partnership wants to hear ideas from local businesses, shoppers, landlords and visitors that could help with the bid.

Vince said: “To succeed, we all need to work together and come up with some practical ideas to rejuvenate our high street.”

The group is opening up its next breakfast meeting to the public.

It is being held on Tuesday, March 13, from 8am to 9am at Hemel Hempstead’s Salvation Army base in Waterhouse Street.

For more information contact Kate Lang or Bryce Tudball at the council on 01442 228000, Vince on 01442 413818 or email info@hhtcp.co.uk

HUNDREDS of ukulele fans turned out for Berkhamsted’s first festival celebrating the musical instrument.

The event, called Ukes for Unicef, which raised more than £2,500 has been hailed a success by the organisers – Berkhamsted Ukulele Random Players (BURP).

More than 300 people turned out at Berkhamsted Civic Centre on Saturday to enjoy musical sounds from the instrument, made famous by iconic entertainer George Formby.

The funds raised will go to Unicef, a charity that protects the rights of children and young people.

Performances were held throughout the afternoon with 50 solo performers and 100 ukuleles being played in a group strum along.

Ken Middleton, Keef Jackman, Krabbers and Hamish Currie headlined the festival along with a Year 3 class from Swing Gate School who performed a set led by Euan Tees.

The youngest solo performer on the day was 10-year-old Jamie Brener, who began playing the instrument in August.

BURP member and one of the organisers Mick Knight said: “The event went really, really well. Due to the success of the event we definitely plan to do another in the future.”

It is hoped another festival will be held in March 2013.

Kings Langley 3 Ampthill Town 0

Kings progressed to their third cup final of the season with a breathtaking performance against higher-placed rivals Ampthill Town in the Division One Cup.

Attacking from the off, Jimmy Armstrong’s right wing cross was laid off by Arturas Simakovas for Sam Warrell to unleash a shot from the edge of the box to put Kings ahead with eleven minutes on the clock.

The game continued at a relentless pace, with Lea Coulter screwing a chance wide and Kings keeper Ross Hampton saving well from Christian Lester. Just 13 seconds into the second half, Armstrong broke clear but his shot went wide, before Lester came close again.

The game’s defining moment came mid-way through the second half as Jack Johnson cleared a ball out of defence to Craig Lynskey, who ran the length of the half, eluded a tackle, drew the keeper and finished in style.

Five minutes later, the result was put beyond doubt as Armstrong’s persistence saw him regain the ball twice in front of goal and net despite the close attention a defender.

Hampton and Johnson combined to deny what seemed a certain consolation goal from Coulter three minutes from time, before the Kings celebrations erupted.

It was a superb team performance, built on a fourth consecutive clean sheet for ever-improving young keeper Hampton.

SCHOOL children met up with a steering group to go bananas during Fairtrade Fortnight.

Pupils from Victoria School in Berkhamsted and members of the town’s Fairtrade steering group were visited by two bananas outside the Waitrose store to help mark the national promotion.

The bananas, which toured Waitrose supermarkets across the Three Counties, were selling the Fairtrade fruit.

Children from the school also held a Big Brew coffee morning in The Court House.

They baked fairy cakes and sang African songs, while parents sold cotton bags and jewellery made by SEEMA – an Indian organisation promoting women’s welfare through work and education.

Members of the steering group also helped with running a Fairtrade stall and tea shop at the monthly arts and craft market at Berkhamsted Town Hall.

Council bosses hope to create a ‘food court’ in Marlowes and spruce up Market Square in time for the Queen’s Jubilee and the Olympics.

The food court will be set up outside Boots with an awning, seating and a number of stalls while plans are still being drawn up for empty Market Square.

CANAL businesses are at risk of being left high and dry as low water levels and drought restrictions begin to bite.

River cruise boats have been running aground under bridges, potential boat buyers have walked away from deals and engineers have been unable to dock boats.

These are just a few of the problems faced by firms affected by the drought-hit canal running from Tring to Aylesbury where restrictions have seen locks closed since January.

British Waterways will be opening the canal for short periods leading up to Monday, March 26 to assess how it affects the water levels – and the results could have a massive impact on boat hire, services and marinas.

Ian Brand of Grebe Canal Cruises in Pitstone said that he would have to cancel or move cruises to Milton Keynes if the closures continued and the water levels didn’t improve.

He said: “If things don’t get better it could drive me out of business.

“I had to ask leisure trip passengers to get off the boat when it got stuck under the Red Lion Bridge during a cruise last week. The people took it in good faith and it was jovial but I can’t operate like that. When people complained I gave them half their money back.”

Not being able to move boats has been a costly problem.

Phil Bassett of Boatshed Grand Union said some customers have been put off buying a boat when they find out they can’t move it for a couple of months.

He said: “Some buyers have lifted boats out and transported them by land, which costs from £1,500.”

Narrow boat restorer Jem Bates hasn’t been able to move boats around easily in either of his yards in Bulbourne and Puttenham and people haven’t been able to get to him.

He said: “Some people have cancelled and rearranged works because they can’t get to me.

“I have guys on the payroll so the situation is nailbiting, especially in the current economic climate.”

A group of seven Masters representatives from Hemel Hempstead Swimming Club rolled back the years at the Senior Age Group and Masters Open event in Bracknell.

The team – consisting of Mark Ayres, Rachel Barber, Dave Pirrie, Adrienne Monger, Kevin McKenna, James McFarlane and Pam Ware – put in a top display to come home with a total of 11 medals.

Ware led the way, winning gold for her age group in the womens’ 50m butterfly, followed shortly afterwards by a second gold in the freestyle event.

She then added a third medal to her collection by coming a close second to take silver in the 100IM in her age group.

Not to be outdone, Pirrie secured a gold medal in the 100m breaststroke and silvers in the 50m freestyle and 100m IM in his – slightly older – age category.

Elsewhere, bronze medals came courtesy of Barber in the 100IM and 50m backstroke, and McKenna in the 50m backstroke.

Ayres, the most senior member of the team, also brought home bronze for his efforts in the 50m breaststroke.

Monger, meanwhile, swam well in a very strong age group, narrowly missing out on a medal in both of her events.

The day was rounded off in style as the men secured a well-deserved third place in the men’s 200+ years 4 x 25m freestyle relay race, with a time of 54.61.

A FILM company from Hemel Hempstead travelled to the Indus Valley in Pakistan in a relief convoy for flood victims.

Three colleagues from Karakoori Productions, based in Longlands, joined 18 other Brits heading to the region, which has been hit hard by floods, in the convoy made up of 10 donated British ambulances.

The company’s co-founder Mobashar Hassan and his team joined the convoy to document the journey it took across Europe and the Middle East and what they found when it reached the Indus Valley.

He said: “I was approached by the organisers of Mercy Worldwide and when they spoke to me about their mission it was heart-warming.

“I spoke to the convoy leader Amer Nazir and his passion played a major factor in my decision of filming this.

“At the end for me it was the excitement and adventure of filming a road trip to the Indus Valley in an ambulance and then in the name of charity that really pushed me on.”

The venture, called The Aid Team, was organised by charity Mercy World to bring aid to the valley and was staffed entirely by volunteers.

Leaving Luton on August 14 last year, the team flew back to the UK on September 20 following their journey, which took them through 10 countries.

Mobashar undertook the journey with colleagues Mojid Kabiri and Khurum Khan.

He added: “I was emotional, it made me realise how ungrateful we are as people as there are others out there who are dying of hunger and do not have a roof over their heads.

“It was overwhelming and made me realise these people still need help.

“The amazing part was how humble some of the victims were, knowing they have nothing and having lost so much, they still had a smile on their face and met us with open arms.

“The victims were overwhelmed and it was at this point we realised that we have achieved something special in our lives.”

The documentary created by Mobashar and Karakoori Productions is called Road to Indus Valley and has been filmed in both English and Urdu.

The team is looking for a suitable way to make the full film available, but in the meantime a promo version can be found online in both languages on video sharing site youtube.

The English version of the promo video can be found at www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6LtAQwRzIc.

The Urdu version is at www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHyKj7IQnDA

A CRIME-FIGHTING group has defended itself after firms criticised its prices.

Dacorum Business Against Crime wants to expand the areas it covers, but firms in Tring have labelled it ‘too expensive’.

Companies were put off by the gold membership rate, which requires them to cough up £460 for a service which includes a radio.

But business development officer Ian Pearce wants to reassure them over the cost.

He said: “Tring and Berkhamsted is mainly made up of small retailers so what we do is offer our cheaper scheme.

“It only works out at £70 a year, which is just over £1 a week. They get training in reporting incidents which affect them, training around personal safety and training about theft and fraud.

“They get access to the exclusion notice scheme, which means we can exclude people from a shop and then all the shops in the scheme

“The gold membership is more for the larger shops because they have larger teams of security staff.”

The service is also free to charities and non-profit organisations.

Mr Pearce added: “The way things stand, police resources are tight.

“The police are doing the best they can, but they cannot provide all the services we are doing.

“We are working with the police to liaise better with the community.

“We are helping the police and the council in meeting their crime reduction obligations.

“We are basically a charity and not profit-making.”

Business-owners questioned the need for the service in Tring because it is smaller than Hemel Hempstead, where the scheme represents 64 shops.

Mr Pearce said: “An incident in a smaller town can have quite an impact because word spreads quickly.

“We recognise Berkhamsted and Tring are safe and we want to keep them safe.”

He said that so far 11 businesses from Tring and 11 from Berkhamsted, including the town centre Waitrose supermarket, have signed up to the scheme.

A meeting for businesses in the town will be held on Tuesday, March 20, at Berkhamsted Civic Centre, starting with a buffet at 6pm.

The group will present the scheme alongside representatives of Dacorum Borough Council and Herts Police before deciding on a group to help run the scheme.

jobs: Soft drinks giant Britvic is looking to employ 30 people at its new headquarters in Hemel Hempstead.

The firm is moving from Chelmsford to Breakspear Park and needs staff in the areas of finance, marketing, procurement and administrative support.

Britvic brands include Robinsons, Tango, J2O, Fruit Shoot, 7UP and Pepsi.

For more information visit https://britviccareers.silkroad.com