Notes from Abbots in Transition meeting at Leavesden Community Hub, Warner Brothers Studios
Tuesday 10th June 2025, 7:30pm
Attendance: Peter W, Caroline W-S, Chris W-S, John I, Sarah B, Laila N, Keely S-C, Rachel J, Mary C and Jen E.
Apologies – Wendy B., Anne R and Denise B.
Mary introduced the context of the meeting with the ‘succession planning’ document she had prepared, copied below in the email, and circulated with this as a separate Word document. [Sub-headings below, link to this document, but you will find additional sub-headings from the meeting on 10th June contained here too!]
Some founder members from Abbots Langley Transition Town Association from March 2010 were present, Peter, Laila, Caroline and Chris. Mary has been involved since summer of 2015 and Chair since January 2018.
There had been a suggestion in the Zoom meeting held on 4th June that we work more closely together with the Food for Kings group in the future, particularly in regard to their very successful monthly markets.
Names such as Transition in the Langleys, Langleys in Transition, Langleys in Transition Together have been mentioned.
Community Markets
Currently Abbots in Transition undertakes 4 markets per year, seasonally – spring, summer, autumn and winter – the night of the lights switch on.
Food for Kings is a monthly market, 3rd Saturday of the month in the Kings Langley garden next to the CofE church, and in the winter, within the church. Food grown on their Sunderland Yard allotments is sold there, as well as other local traders. The stall holders at the Kings market are more food orientated and the Abbots market is more craft focused.
Abbots in Transition has its own bank account – signatories are Jen, Mary and Keely.
Food for Kings is part of the Kings Langley Community Benefit Society and this is where the bank account is held. John and Keely are Directors of this – a ‘land trust’.
Food for Kings is supported by Kings Langley Parish Council through Cllr John Morrish and Cllr Alan Johnson in particular.
It could be an excellent model of food security, with food grown in Sunderland Yard, into the future, the new food growing developments at Rectory Farm and Langleybury. Three distinct zones locally.
The difference between an allotment and community garden was made clear. Sunnyside already offer a ‘trial allotment’ at their Northchurch site, for local people to try it out, and to reduce the waiting list. It is possible to sell food from an allotment for community benefit, but not for profit.
Kings Langley Community Benefit Society have their AGM on 16th July. John Morrish is the Chair and Graham Williams is the Treasurer. John Ingleby and Keely Siddiqui-Charlick will be at this meeting, John will share this idea. One bank account, one lots of insurance. Future proofing against changes in the local government structure.
However, it isn’t known whether Dacorum will work with St Albans in the future. Will it be Hertsmere and St Albans. It seems that Three Rivers and Watford will work together.
Infrastructure Bill – this was mentioned within the meeting – but I cannot recall the context – so the link is given here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-planning-and-infrastructure-bill/guide-to-the-planning-and-infrastructure-bill
Jen agreed to run the September community market in the Henderson Hub and either Peter or Jen are going to negotiate about trying to get the Christmas market on the same night as the light’s switch on, with the art society who are in the Hub at the same time. The use of Elvira’s for selling space has been talked about.
Mary to send through the market traders spreadsheet to Jen.
It was thought that the distinctly different events offered in Abbots Langley are the night of the lights switch on market and the spring seedling and seed swap. So, into the future, the Christmas market might be the only market offered at the Henderson Hub.
Webpage – Rachel is happy to maintain this site. https://abbotsintransition.org/
Kings Langley Station Garden
Rachel is happy to continue to maintain this site. It is the mid-point of the two parishes, as the canal is a dividing line, so a new noticeboard was suggested. The station has been adopted by us, Abbots in Transition / Friends of Kings Langley Station, suggestion of a free library to borrow books in a cupboard there. The noticeboard could promote the community markets. Chris emailed Isabel within the meeting!
Working mornings are on 1st Saturday of the month, unless otherwise advised – the next one is 2nd Saturday, 12th July at 10:30 – 12:00pm
Seed and seedling swap
Suggestion that there could be a specific seed swap in February, maybe in the monthly market in Kings Langley, and then bring the seedlings in May to the Millennium Gardens event. This idea to be flagged with Jane Lay of the Abbots Langley Gardening Society.
Primrose Hill
Change of use for this site was mentioned in recent notification / papers – possibility of Library of Things? Communicate with Isabel of ALPC on this.
Abbots Langley Carnival – June
Gill and Tony currently communicate with Mary Chabrel for this booking, she is to advise that the contact will now be Caroline Whately-Smith.
AutumnFest – 6th September
Rachel will take on the booking for this event with Lynn.
Tough Ten – 5th October
Peter to be the link person for the litter picking and communicate with Alison Warner on this.
Community Litter Picks
It was noted that we haven’t orgainsed any of these for a long time, maybe combine it with a school, get TRDC council on board to provide separate bags and arrange pick up.
Meetings
The opportunity to convert Mary’s email circulation system to Mail Chimp or Action Network was noted. Jen took email addresses on paper and will investigate this. It was noted that Anna of Watford and Three Rivers FoE uses Action Network.
Keely is happy to continue to send the Zoom link monthly. We meet on 3rd Wednesday of the month at present, and that seems to suit people. Assign somebody different as secretary on a rota, choose at each meeting.
TRDC – Environmental Forum – Wendy are you willing to be the rep? There is another Bedmond Residents Association rep who already attends?
Watford and Three Rivers Trust / Charity Hub meetings – Sonia Evans & Freddie Chesters – suggest that they use the Abbots in Transition Gmail address from now on. abbotsIntransition@gmail.com
Watford and Three Rivers Environment Groups – hosted at Croxley Danes school, co-ordinated by Anna A, Sarah B already attends. Suggest that the abbotsintransition@gmail.com email address is used from now on.
Discussion about funding
Small grants from the County Council – Three Rivers Rural is Stephen Giles-Medhurst and Leader of TRDC, Louise Price is lead member for Resources at TRDC.
Parish Council funding – small grants, Jen to do this
Watford and Three Rivers Trust – funding available annually, Rachel to do this.
Local Lions – apply for funding, AIMS does this c/o Laila
Tough Ten – apply for funding, AIMS does this, and Keely to be the link for future funding applications for the Transition group.
Some of the ALTTA bank account is APES, Abbots Parish Eco-School money for future work.
AIMS – Abbots Improvements has their own bank account and always maintain £500 in reserve.
Film screenings – use of Abbots Arts Festival?
Keep options open for the future, Belinda had shared a list of possible films recently.
Any Other Business and queries
Laila – what is going on with the shed and bikes by the community centre, near the ALPC depot and where AIMS have their storage? Ask Isabel of ALPC.
Caroline – asked Sarah about Transition Streets, there are successful case study groups. From Three Rivers and Dacorum – https://guce.org.uk/get-involved/
https://www.threerivers.gov.uk/news/three-rivers-transition-streets
Townfield, Oxhey, Moor Park, all have taken quite different and successful directions
https://www.threerivers.gov.uk/news/rickmansworth-neighbours-transition-streets
Peter asked Keely about the Langleybury site – car park and walled garden is making progress, looking at Spring 2026 for Sunnyside to establish their food production.
John Ingleby – leading a Deep Time walk with Mary on Sunday 22nd June, 2 – 6pm, be at the junction of Love Lane, Langley Hill, Chipperfield Road and Vicarage Road by 1:45pm, https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/kings-langley-summer-solstice-deep-time-walk-tickets-1358275902789 poster attached. A walk of 4.6km through 4.6 billion years of planetary time! Poster already circulated and also attached.
Book recommendation – How to Fall in Love with the Future by Rob Hopkins, absolutely brilliant and encouraging, the sub-heading, A Time Traveller’s Guide to Changing the World : https://publishing.hardiegrant.com/en-gb/books/how-to-fall-in-love-with-the-future-by-rob-hopkins/9781915294517
His own website: https://www.robhopkins.net/imaginationtrainings/
And Zoom meeting at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7K9G-10o6s (1 hour and 21 minutes, from January 2025, Transition Network International)
Also, to be alert to the fact that all of our discussion this evening is completely unknown to the people of KLCBS – Kings Langley Community Benefit Society, and will be until their AGM in July, from which John and Keely will report back.
Peter thanked Mary for chairing this meeting, and her work in the group of previous years.
Laila – a reminder of our summer garden party and farewell to Mary. Please bring a combination of sweet and savoury foods to the lunch, 1pm on Saturday 12th July, reminder that the event is to be vegetarian and no-alcohol. Suggestion that it would be helpful to bring chairs. [Email me mcchabbers@gmail.com for Laila’s address if you don’t know it.]
Postscript from me – the gathering on Saturday 12th July, is our July meeting, there won’t be an additional Zoom in July.
Thank you one and all, for your energy and enthusiasm, being involved with this group has been a source of hope. Part of something positive locally in a world of such major concerns. As an environmental friend of mine once said “If it’s not fun – it’s not sustainable”. I have enjoyed my involvement and role with Abbots in Transition.
Mary Chabrel
22nd June 2025
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Abbots in Transition
Things that I do:
Community Market
Book the hall at the Henderson Hub
Pay for the hall – as a signatory on the cheque, but now we do internet banking
Invite traders to the community market and promote the market with A5 fliers to the ALPC noticeboards (x16) and other locations in the village.
Social media – forward the posters / fliers to Belinda, Jen, Rachel and Isabel (ALPC) for this.
Sometimes send fliers to TRDC for their noticeboards (x41)
Table layout for market – send through to traders and Henderson Hub before the market
Prompt Peter for Community Market banner and A-frame
Day of the market – help to unpack traders cars, stand outside and encourage people into be customers, help to tidy up
Kings Langley Station Garden
Get a lift down with Rachel and help out with digging and planting!
Communicate with Joanne and Ron about use of their garden waste bin, their potential for helping on the day
Keep saying that I’ll do something about signage with students at school – and not doing it!
Seed and seedling swap
Support on the day with plants and seedlings
Talk to people who come to Millennium Gardens
Promote the event with the printing of fliers
Carnival / AutumnFest
Book stall and arrange table hire / or not
Assemble some of the display items
Collect the gazebo from Keely’s
Collect the whiteboard on legs / paper easel from Kim’s
Talk to people on the day
Arrange rotation of volunteers
Tough Ten
Collect the litter pickers, gilets and hoops from next to Belinda’s house and use on the morning of the Tough Ten, or for other litter picking events. Returning them the week after.
For Tough Ten – the rubbish is sorted on site, and put into a pair of bins next to the community centre. Ian Bond knows where these are. Peter Warman provides the signs and black bins and bags and brings a trolley.
For other litter picks – which we haven’t done for ages, it is possible to arrange for the litter to be picked up by TRDC from specific places. Sometimes I’ve taken the rubbish and litter to the tip in Garston, for direct sorting and recycling.
Meetings
Chair meetings on Zoom or in person.
If on Zoom – these are ‘hosted’ by Keely
Take notes and circulate these to the x80 people who have signed up to be kept informed locally.
Attend Environmental Forum – TRDC, so far these have been online
Attend Watford and Three Rivers Trust / Charity Hub meetings – these are in person
Apply for funding from Tough Ten, Watford and 3RTrust, ALPC (small grants)
Go to the Watford and Three Rivers Environmental groups forum that Anna A chairs at Croxley Danes school
Films
I have occasionally organised film nights in the Henderson Hub, arranging payment for hire of hall, the film, booking the projectionist etc. There is an opportunity to do this with the Abbots Arts Festival biennially.
Occasionally write press releases and circulate these locally for Abbots Matters etc.