- Thursday 8 to Sunday 11 May – VE80 Celebrations, Various Locations
- Saturday 10th May – Councillor Terry Douris at Bridgewater Arms
- Sunday 11 May – Gaddesden Gallop, Little Gaddesden Sports Ground
- Sunday 11 May – Friends of Little Gaddesden School VE Day Fair – Sports Ground
- Sunday 11 May to Saturday 17 May – Christian Aid Week
- Wednesday 14 May – Public Consultation for the Draft Ringshall Conservation Area Character Appraisal, Village Hall
- Sunday 18 May – Music Club Saxophone & Piano Concert, Little Gaddesden Church
- Monday 19 May – Parish Council Meeting of the Electorate and Annual Meeting
- Thursday 22 May – Gaddesden Society AGM and Talk – RAF Coastal Command: Attacking Ships and Subs till VE Day, Village Hall
- Sunday 25 May – LG VPA Annual Plant Sale, Village Hall Car Park
- Saturday 31 May – Christian Aid Strawberry Cream Tea, Thomas Field Hall, LG Church
- Saturday 31 May/Sunday 1 June/Monday 2nd June – Art Club Exhibition, Village Hall
- Sunday 8 June – John Russell’s Retirement Party, Village Hall
- Little Gaddesden Drama Club – Radio Play Now Available Online
- Little Gaddesden Cricket Club Notice
- Little Gaddesden Village Hall Notice
- Little Gaddesden Charities Fund
- Got Something to be Included in Village Notices?
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Date of Next Village Notices
Note Deadline for Copy Submission!
Please note, going forward, Village Notices will normally be sent out fortnightly on a Thursday. Any copy to be included in a Village Notice should be sent to village.notices@littlegaddesden.org.uk no later than the Tuesday prior to circulation. The next planned Village Notice will be circulated on Thursday 22nd May.
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Thursday 8 May to Sunday 11 May – Little Gaddesden Commemorates VE80, Events and Locations Below
Thursday 8 May, Service at the War Memorial, Village Green, 6.00 pm
John Russell will conduct a short service of Remembrance followed by
Tree Dedication
The Royal British Legion are planting an Oak tree on the Playing Field, close to the Sports Pavilion. This will replace the ‘Quercus Coccinea Splendens planted November 1948 in honoured memory of SIX MEN from Little Gaddesden who gave their lives in the War 1939-1945’ The original tree was close to the Manor House NT car park, but was deemed unsafe and felled last year.
Saturday 10 May, Celebration Events, Village Hall
Slide Show and Display: 10.00 am – 4.00 pm
Slide Show
We have a collection of photographs of relations who served in many different capacities in WW2 and are showing them in a video slide show in Celebration of VE Day in the Village Hall. They are generally in uniform, with military details where known and we give their relationship to family now living in the village.
Display
We also have an Exhibition of written memories, biographical details, anecdotes and photographs of those who have served in all capacities (military or otherwise).
There will be a display of items relating to Little Gaddesden during WW2, some from the Village Archive including Home Guard; and biographical details of the six men from the village who died and are commemorated on the War Memorial.
Supper and Film – ‘A Royal Night Out’, Evening: 6.00pm
The Gaddesden Society have kindly offered to take charge of showing ‘A Royal Night Out’ – Princesses Elizabeth & Margaret escape the Palace and go out on the town for the VE Day Celebrations 1945. This 2015 film has a 12A rating.
General ticket sales are now closed, but please contact email Lyn Hyde at ArnieAndLyn2223@outlook.com or 01442 842267 to see if there is any late availability.
Don’t forget: No bar, bring your own drinks.
VOLUNTEERS REQUIRED – ‘many hands make light work’ for this event
Fri Evening 6–8pm
We have quantities of red, white and blue bunting for decorating hall. Also set up the display boards
Saturday 10–4pm – Man the display (Possibly teas & coffees)
Saturday 4pm
16 Trestle tables and 100 chairs to set out in the village hall; banqueting roll; catering equipment
Supper Service: 8 pm
The big wash up and clear away, take down the bunting and leave the hall ready for private booking on Sunday.
If you can help with any of these activities please let me know ArnieAndLyn2223@outlook.com. Thank you.
Lyn Hyde
Saturday 10 May – Councillor Terry Douris, Bridgewater Arms, 10.30am to 11am
Terry Douris, Dacorum and Hertfordshire County Councillor, will be at the Bridgewater Arms from 10.30am to 11am should you have any local issues you wish to discuss with him.
Please note revised date and time.
Sunday 11 May – Gaddesden Gallop, Little Gaddesden Sports Ground, run starts at 10.30am
A fantastic cross country 10K & 5K run across the Hertfordshire countryside
Pre-registration: £20 adults, £5 under 18
Limited applications on the day: £25 Adult, £10 under 18
Mini under 12 races – £5 unlimited entry
The Village Sports Ground
Little Gaddesden
HP4 1NX
This year’s Gaddesden Gallop fun run event will be held on Sunday 11th May 2025.
The event will start at 10.30 a.m. on the playing fields – along Church Road. With race number collection between 9.30am – 10.15am followed by a warmup before the race starts. Supporters are very welcome, food and drink refreshments will be available before and after the event, a well needed reward for those who ran and a great way to celebrate and socialise too.
The Gaddesden Gallop is a 5K and 10K fun run on public paths and roads around the villages of Little Gaddesden and Nettleden. There are also mini races held for little ones, on the sports field.
Online registration closes at 12:00pm on Saturday 10th May 2025. There may be space for registrations on the day: £25 adults/£10 under 18s. This is a fun and family event, there are no elite places.
The Run starts at 10:30am. The 5K and 10K participants all start together using the same lines. Children are very welcome to join and must be accompanied by an adult. We request no dogs please.
All runners will receive a medal, with individual trophies being awarded to category winners in the 10k and 5k races.
If you would like to enter the event, then please go to our race page on Entry Central: https://www.entrycentral.com/gaddesdengallopFOLGS . Please also check our Facebook page for regular updates and route maps: www.facebook.com/gaddesdengallop2021.
If running isn’t really your thing but you would like to support the event by marshalling the course, helping to organise the mini races, car park marshalling, setting up, clearing away or with the refreshments, please contact the Gaddesden Gallop Committee at gaddesdengalloprun@gmail.com or 07793825521.
A note about this year’s beneficiaries – Friends of Little Gaddesden School is a charity, run by parents, that supports the Little Gaddesden CofE Primary School. The funds raised go directly to the school to enhance the educational experience of our children. The school is in need of a new roof which is costly and these funds will contribute towards it. Funds from the day will be split between the FOLGS and Epilepsy Society, a charity with a link close to our hearts and those within Little Gaddesden.
Sponsors – We are grateful to all our sponsors who provide considerable assistance and financial support, enabling us to contribute most of our proceeds to our beneficiary charities. Please visit our www.facebook.com/gaddesdengallop2021 for details of this year’s sponsors. If you wish to sponsor us in the future, please send an email to gaddesdengalloprun@gmail.com. We will give you extensive publicity in our literature, Facebook page and on banners on the run day. We are also open to your sponsorship proposals.
The Friends remain grateful to those in the village who initially did all the hard work setting up this event and creating the great fundraising platform we were kindly gifted. So that we can continue to raise funds for the school and charities who have supported people in the village over the years.
We look forward to seeing you there!!
Claire Beard, Catriona Angel, Claire Owen & Hannah Jarvis
Sunday 11 May – Friends of Little Gaddesden School VE Day Fair – Sports Ground, 11:30am – 3:30pm
LITTLE GADDESDEN PLAYING FIELD
FREE ENTRY
Join us to celebrate the 80th anniversary of VE day
BBQ & Bar
Vintage Games
Face Painting
Bouncy Castle
Tombola
Raffle
Ferret Bingo
Cream Tea
Stalls
And much more
For more information please email, friendsoflgschool@gmail.com
Sunday 11 May to Saturday 17 May – Christian Aid Week
Christian Aid is celebrating its 80th anniversary. The charity’s groundbreaking work began in 1945, when it was founded by British and Irish churches to help refugees following the Second World War. For 80 years, it has provided humanitarian relief and long-term development support for poor communities worldwide, while highlighting suffering, tackling injustice and championing people’s rights.
Last year Little Gaddesden raised over £1,500 for Christian Aid Week. This year we are hoping to do even better. We will be raising funds through an online envelope, replacing the house to house collections that used to take place in the village every year. Please use the following link if you would like to make a donation: https://fundraise.christianaid.org.uk/envelope-2025/little-gaddesden-church-christian-aid-week-2025?
There will also be opportunities to donate at church services on Sunday 11th and Sunday 18th May and at the annual Christian Aid Strawberry Cream Tea on 31st May (see below for details).
Wednesday 14 May, Village Hall 2 – 7 pm – Public Consultation for the Draft Ringshall Conservation Area Character Appraisal
Copies of the draft Ringshall Conservation Area Character Appraisal (CACA) will be available for comment.
Members of Dacorum Borough Council Conservation Department will be on hand to answer questions on the document.
If you are unable to attend on the day it will be available for comment for 2 weeks thereafter.
The CACA explains why an area is designated as a Conservation Area; expresses what the community particularly values; helps provide a robust policy framework for planning decisions and is given material consideration in planning decisions and appeals. It is also a fascinating historical document, with interesting old maps and beautiful photography from our own Michael Carver.
Sunday 18 May – Little Gaddesden Music Club: Saxophone and Piano Concert, Little Gaddesden Church, 6.00pm
Little Gaddesden Music Club
Concert open to non-members
in Little Gaddesden Church
with
Manu Brazo, saxophone
Sunday 18th May at 6pm
Saxophone and Piano
Manu Brazo and Prajna Indrawati
Programme:
Beau Soir – Claude Debussy
A Gershwin Fantasy – George Gershwin arr. Ralph Martino
Sonata for saxophone and piano – Robert Muczyinski
Three Romances op 94 – Robert Schumann
Three Preludes – George Gershwin
Sonata in C# minor – Fernande Decruck
Pequena Czarda – Pedro Iturralde
Open to non-members
Tickets:
£20 in advance from ianh72542@gmail.com or 07491 654415
Or £25 on the day.
Monday 19 May – Parish Council, Village Hall, 7.30pm
Annual meeting of the Electorate followed by Annual Meeting of the Parish Council at 7.50pm or on the completion of the Annual Parish Meeting of the Electorate whichever is the later.
Thursday 22 May – Gaddesden Society AGM and Talk, Village Hall, 8pm
Please support the Gaddesden Society by attending our (brief) AGM, followed by a talk. The AGM will have the usual business (Welcome, Approval of Minutes, President’s Report, Treasurer’s Report and Committee Review) and, if suitably quorate, will consider adopting a new Constitution.
Talk: ‘RAF Coastal Command – Attacking Ships and Subs till VE Day’ – Andrew Sheard
The talk following the AGM continues Little Gaddesden’s VE80 events and is on RAF Coastal Command – Attacking Ships and Subs till VE Day. Andrew Sheard tells the story of his grandfather’s role as an Intelligence Officer in RAF Coastal Command. As the Second World War drew to a close, his section of Coastal Command went from directing attacks on ships and submarines in the North and Norwegian Seas to accepting their surrender. Includes previously unseen and rarely seen high definition aerial images.
Everyone welcome – entry fee £1 (minimum) includes wine and cheese.
Sunday 25 May – VPA Annual Plant Sale, Village Hall Car Park, 10.30am
The customary Plant Sale is on Sunday 25 May 2025 at 10:30am on the VH car park; we are hopeful that you can sow some extra seed trays for the VPA in the run up to the sale to help fill the tables. If you can spare an hour to help set up we would be pleased to hear from you.
Saturday 31 May – Christian Aid Strawberry Cream Tea, 3pm to 5pm, Thomas Field Hall, LG Church
The Strawberry Cream Tea is now an annual event in Little Gaddesden raising funds for Christian Aid Week. Come and enjoy afternoon tea and homemade cakes and scones in the Thomas Field Hall at Little Gaddesden Church on Saturday 31 May, 3pm to 5pm – £5.00, under 5’s free.
Saturday 31 May/Sunday 1 June/Monday 2 June – Art Club Exhibition, Village Hall, 10.30am to 6pm (11am to 6pm Monday)
SAT 31st MAY 10.30am – 6.00pm
SUN 1st JUNE 10.30am – 6.00pm
MON 2nd JUNE 11.00am – 6.0pm
Little Gaddesden Village Hall, HP4 1NX
Framed art works, folios, wood turning, pottery & fused glass Refreshments
Sunday 8 June – John Russell’s Retirement Party, Village Hall from 12 noon
John’s last service as Vicar of Little Gaddesden is at 9am on Sunday 1st June.
On Sunday 8th June there will be a retirement party for him in the Village Hall at which all are welcome. This will be an informal “drop in” event from 12 noon. There will be bring and share food – see the list at the back of the church or contact Linda Platt. Speeches will be at 2.30pm.
John is moving house and would like to buy an item for his new home so would appreciate donations. These can be paid into the Church account:
Account Name: PCC of Little Gaddesden Parish
Sort Code: 30 94 08
Account No: 00296015
Reference: VICAR (+ optionally, your name)
If you would prefer to give cash, please hand it to one of the following: Allan Webster, Terri Adams, Jane Dickson, Helene Hockings, Linda Platt or Sally Green.
Little Gaddesden Drama Club – Radio Play Now Available Online
The Heavenly Path, written by Patrick Isherwood, and performed by members of Little Gaddesden Drama Club, is now available to listen to online on LGDC’s website.
The Heavenly Path is a 57 minute radio play, a comedy/thriller which deals with a serious subject that has come to the forefront of public debate.
Visit Little Gaddesden Drama Club’s What’s On page to listen.
Little Gaddesden Cricket Club
Little Gaddesden Cricket Club welcomes all and looking forward to Season start in April.
The members of Little Gaddesden Cricket Club would like more people to enjoy cricket in the village. Our Saturday team plays in the Mid Bucks Cricket League, we have a mid-week T20 team, regular six-a-side tournaments (open to all abilities) and a number of friendly fixtures.
Our vision is to provide a safe, welcoming and inclusive club, representing the best traditions of village cricket, for people of all abilities and experience. We have a fabulous ground at Church Road and have re-introduced cricket teas to make watching or playing cricket on a Saturday afternoon an enjoyable experience for all.
Like many clubs, our player pool is shrinking, and ageing, and we want more people to enjoy what we all love doing and to pass on a thriving club to the next generation of village cricketers in Little Gaddesden.
Whatever your experience or interests we would love to hear from you, be that a regular or occasional player wanting to get involved in Saturday or midweek or friendly cricket, a scorer, umpire or someone who wants to get involved in the upkeep of the club – or maybe you know someone else who might be interested?
We are currently holding indoor winter nets in Dunstable on a Thursday evening (all abilities welcome), after which we often go for a drink providing a great opportunity to meet some of the players, so come along and say hello.
Contact: jeremyfennell@btinternet.com
Little Gaddesden Village Hall
As many may know, Pre-School have closed down in the village.
This now means the Village Hall currently has good availability during the week, particularly for anyone wishing to organise something on a regular basis, e.g. dance or fitness classes.
If you are interested, please visit https://littlegaddesdenvillagehall.co.uk/
Or contact:
David Brattle 07948 080689 / littlegaddesdenvillagehall@outlook.com
Little Gaddesden Charities Fund
Established in 1997 (as a combination of a number of established local charities), the Little Gaddesden charities has supported individuals and families in Little Gaddesden Parish for 25 years.
The charities’ sole purpose is to help individuals or families resident in the parish with small one-off requests for financial support.
The committee are aware that local parishioners may or may not be aware of the charities and wish to promote the purpose to all residents.
Requests for support are made by either contacting The Revd John Russell on 01442 214898 or by emailing vicar@littlegaddesdenchurch.org.uk. John chairs the charities’ small committee of trustees based on his role within the Parish.
In such a period of financial uncertainty and with the cost of living crisis it is even more important to ensure that members of the Parish are aware of the support availability, and we would welcome being able to provide more support from funds available.
All requests are treated with the utmost confidence and no personal information is shared.
We would also welcome any local organisations providing information of how to access the charity in any
Got Something to be Included in Village Notices?
To request that something gets included in the Village Notices, please email Mandy Haynes at village.notices@littlegaddesden.org.uk.
