Monday, August 28, 2006 Metro-land revisited  The Orchard  Chorleywood"Large uneventful fields of dairy farm,slowly winds the Chess, brim full of trout,an unregarded part of Herts awaits its fate.And in the heights above, Chorley Wood Village - where in 89the railway came, and woodsmoke mingled with the sulphur fumesand people now could catch the early train to London,and be home just after tea."John Betjeman at Chorleywood ("Metro-land", BBC, 1973)Betjeman described Chorleywood as "quintessential Metro-land", and it still is. Here, beside the border to beechy Bucks, London's wealthier commuters found themselves a new home in the Chiltern foothills. The place retains a leafy rural air to this day and, in a recent Government survey, beat 32481 other locations to be named the neighbourhood with the UK's highest quality of life. Chorleywood has proper shops with hanging baskets, and cricket on the common, and a picturesque river valley, and league-topping schools, and very little in the way of crime.

The village is quartered by the M25 [photo] and the Metropolitan railway [photos] - a short drive round to Heathrow or just three-quarters of an hour down to the City. Easy to escape from, but even easier to bolt home to.From the station I set off south in search of Sir John's first quarry, a house up Shire Lane named "The Orchard". Here the architect Charles Voysey built himself a ground-breaking home in cottage style - with steeply pitched roofs, bold chimneys, high eaves and the occasional porthole window. Betjeman found the place without any problem, but I had only a postcode to guide me. A steep climb beneath tree-capped skies led me into the heart of the Chorleywood estate, past grand detached homes each with a seven-digit "guide price". Two jodphured girls trotted past on horseback, while the heavily-laden local paperboy trudged repeatedly up and down consecutive driveways delivering his stash of Mails, FTs and Telegraphs. As in so much of Metro-land, many houses appeared to be named after the rural feature they had replaced - "Beechcroft", "Oakland", "Glenwood".

But nowhere "The Orchard", which hid stubbornly from view behind some unidentified hedge. There's a limit to how long you can spend hanging around a Neighbourhood Watch area, camera in hand, before starting to feel uncomfortable. After the second twitch of a net curtain I abandoned my search and retreated back down the hill, closely followed by two speeding police cars. No wonder the crime rate round here is virtually nil."Oh happy outdoor life in Chorleywoodin Daddy's swim pool, while old Spot looks onand Susan dreams of super summer holswhilst chlorinated wavelets brush the banks."John Betjeman at Chorleywood ("Metro-land", BBC, 1973)On the other side of the railway lies Chorleywood Common [photos], 200 acres of former grazing land now shared by horseriders, golfers and great crested newts. I braved the roaming dogs and rambled from the station to the cricket ground, only mildly yapped-at along the way. Beyond the motorway I came, like Betjeman, to the exclusive Loudwater estate. The first houses here sold (slowly) for £1300 a time - now they cost a thousand times more and the residents have retreated behind iron gates to protect their investment.

I followed signs for the Chess Valley Walk, which on paper looked like a charming stroll beside a rippling trout stream, but turned out instead to be a hemmed-in footpath down a canyon of wooden fences. eclipse suede thermal curtainsOccasionally the sweeping back gardens of Loudwater were clearly visible, their pools and paid-for privacy invaded by a public right of way.ready made curtains north finchleyAt last the houses faded away and the path opened out into the corn-gold Chess Valley. levolor curtain rod installation instructionsAll was silent, bar the buzzing of a few indistinct insects and the cooing of a distant pigeon. laura ashley curtains seaspray

I slowed as a curious rabbit hopped patiently along the path in front of me, but a startled green woodpecker seemed in more of a hurry to get away. After half a mile I reached the flat wooden footbridge [photo] where I'd often come as a child to paddle in the shallow waters and fish for tiddlers using a small net on a stick. made to measure curtains leighton buzzardThistledown floated into the sky as as butterflies and dragonflies darted across the surface of the stream. curtains and blinds leongathaBack in the 70s the riverbank used to be packed every weekend with picnicking families but on my visit, mid-afternoon on a sunny summer Sunday, it was nigh empty [photo]. lamel curtainsWhere have all the children gone?

I guess today's Chorleywood kids prefer to be sat at home X-boxing instead, or else have been dragged off to some crowded Mediterranean beach to learn how to waterski. But I'm glad that this spot still survives intact and unspoilt, and that not all of Metro-land has been destroyed beneath a carpet of brick, lawn and concrete.• Betjeman also visited Len Rawle, who owns (and still plays) the 'Empire' Leicester Square Wurlitzer in his Chorleywood home << click for Newer posts click for Older Posts >> click to return to the main page ...or read more in my monthly archives Jan02  Feb02  Mar02  Apr02  May02  Jun02  Jul02 Aug02If the weekend went too quickly then don't worry, there's lots going on this week to keep you occupied... Come and join Paul Merson, now on Sky Sports as a pundit, along with Perry Groves and Alan Smith as they discuss games, dressing room/training ground stories, managers, fall-outs and everything you wanted to know about a successful football club.

Watford Colosseum, Rickmansworth Road, Watford, Monday, February 6, 8pm. Details: 02036 598914 An Evening with Claire Fuller Ingrid Coleman writes letters to her husband, Gil, about the truth of their marriage, but instead of giving them to him, she hides them in the thousands of books he has collected over the years. When Ingrid has written her final letter she disappears from a Dorset beach, leaving behind her beautiful but dilapidated house by the sea, her husband, and her two daughters, Flora and Nan. Twelve years later, Gil thinks he sees Ingrid from a bookshop window, but is it her? What happened all those years ago; did Ingrid Coleman drown or did she run away? Swimming Lessons exposes the love, betrayal and the lives that become us, but we never really wanted.  Meet the best-selling author of Our Endless Numbered Days and celebrate her new novel Swimming Lessons. The Junction, Christ Church, Chorleywood, Monday, February 6, 7.30pm. Details: 01923 283566, chilternbookshops.co.uk

Do Mondays always feel like the worst day of the week? Then come on down to The Cellar Club and let the best and brightest comedians on the circuit put a smile on your face. Screaming Blue Murder is The Old Town Hall’s resident monthly comedy club. Featuring Jonny Awsum and Tania Edwards. The Old Town Hall, High Street, Old Town, Hemel Hempstead, Monday, February 6, 8pm. Details: 01442 228091 Watford Folk Dance Group Members meet to enjoy English country dancing with the guidance of guest callers. Our callers lead us through dances from 17th century to the present day. Everyone is welcome to come and join in. It is not necessary to have a partner and no special dress is required. Christ Church Hall, St Albans Road, North Watford, Monday, February 6, 8pm. Details: 01923 672341 Musical Herts is a new service coming to Hertfordshire that aims to engage with people with a diagnosis of Dementia and their carers. Weekly sessions will offer the opportunity for people to make music in a friendly, welcoming environment and explore their creativity.

Activities include singing and improvising with musical instruments, song writing, dancing and singing familiar songs, with an element of relaxation, reflection and reminiscence. Pump House Theatre & Arts Trust, 5 Local Board Road, Watford, Tuesday, February 7, 10am to 11.30am. Come along for space themed story, craft activity and a museum hunt, inspired by the Aliens Stole My Underpants book. Verulamium Museum, St Michael’s Street, St Albans, Wednesday, February 8, 10.30am and 1.30pm. RSPB Watford Local Group Meeting Peter Holden, one of the RSPB’s longest serving staff members, will give a talk entitled ‘Inspired by Birds’, using illustrations and music from artists and composers who have drawn their inspiration from nature, and birds in particular. Peter is a legend in RSPB circles and his presentations are always very entertaining and informative. Stanborough Centre, Stanborough Park Church, 609 St Albans Road, Watford, Wednesday, February 8, 8pm. Details: 01582 792843

An Evening with Graeme Simsion A former pianist in a hip Melbourne bar, now a respectable IT consultant in Norwich, Adam likes his life. But there’s something Adam can’t shake, something that feels off-key. And that’s his nostalgia for what might have been: a longing for the life he might have had. He had an affair more than twenty years ago with Angelina Brown. How different might his life be if he hadn’t let her walk away? Then, out of nowhere, Angelina gets in touch. Adam must make a decision. Does he dare to live dangerously? Will he embrace uncertainty? Or will he let her go again? Come along to welcome back best-selling author Graeme Simsion to Chorleywood. The Junction, Christ Church, Chorleywood, Wednesday, February 8, 7pm. Details: 01923 283566, chilternbookshops.co.uk Ross Noble – Brain Dump Everybody’s favourite randomist is back. Famed for his super-quick freewheeling style and highly imaginative flights of fancy, a Ross Noble show is always an unmissable event.

Noble started in comedy 25 years ago, at the age of 15, and has established a loyal audience as one of the world’s best live stand-ups. Come and be part of this truly unique live experience. Watford Colosseum, Rickmansworth Road, Watford, Wednesday, February 8, 8pm. Details: 02036 598914 St Albans Gang Show Be prepared to be blown away by the talent of the young people in St Albans as the Gang Show takes to the Arena stage for another year. Come along for a fun, uplifting and spine-tingling evening of song, dance and comedy sketches energetically performed by over 110 local Scouts, Guides and Young Leaders. The Alban Arena, Civic Centre, St Albans, Wednesday, February 8, to Saturday, February 11. Spotlight on History: 180 years of Policing in St Albans The St Albans Borough Police was formed in 1836. Come along for a talk by Nik Pringle on the history of the Hertfordshire constabulary and policing in St Albans up to the present day. Verulamium Museum, St Michael’s Street, St Albans, Wednesday, February 8, 7.30pm.

One Voice Watford Community Choir People who enjoy singing for pleasure are able to join One Voice without any previous singing experience, musical knowledge, auditions or the need to read music. One Voice has developed an informal way and comprehensive method of teaching, where members self-select which voice group most suits their singing range. By learning breathing techniques and singing exercises incorporating rhythm, timing and harmony, they are able to achieve great results. Throughout the year the choir conducts a number of performances supporting local organisations, including Age Concern, the Centre for the Blind and The Peace Hospice. The Clarendon Muse, Watford Boys Grammar School, Watford, Thursday, February 9, 7.30pm. Goff Dubber’s Dixieland Express The Dixieland Express play from the classic jazz repertoire, taking on a breadth of material with skilled musicianship. Members of the band have had a long association with the British jazz revival and have variously played alongside greats such as Pete Allen, Acker Bilk and Brian White.