I was born on the Isle of Wight on Christmas Day 1951, my family moving to near Weybridge in Surrey in 1956. From a very early age I was always interested in anything associated with the past and pre-history, an interest encouraged by my mother, and nurtured by the Head of History at Sir William Perkins’ Grammer School Chertsey,Surrey where I was a pupil.
I had wanted to be a teacher from about the age of 3, and I undertook my training as a teacher of history & geography at Christ Church College Canterbury, in Kent, where the syllabus was largely focused on historical geography and what today would be called landscape archaeology. It was whilst at college that I learnt many of the research techniques I have been able to use in recent years. Initially a secondary school teacher and ultimately Head of House at Sunbury High School, in more recent years I became a primary supply teacher, teaching in most local primary schools around Hemel Hempstead. I gave up teaching in 2002.
I have been married to Martin for over 29 years now & and we have two grown-up sons. We moved to Leverstock Green when Owen, our eldest son, was a few months old in 1982. He is now married himself and expecting their own addition to the family tree in the near future.. I am very fortunate in my family who have always encouraged my researches and tolerated my “ramblings” about our local history.
Alex & his newly built rocket Bluebird.
Martin
Owen & his wife Rachael.
Maintaining a strong interest in history throughout my life, it was a comment made by Professor Mick Aston on Channel 4’s Time Team in January 1994, coupled by a remark by the then local Vicar that Leverstock Green didn’t have any history, which prompted me to research the history of the village. I soon realised the area’s history went back to the Iron Age and before. Collecting material from a wide variety of sources which included original research on many hundreds of documents held at HALS, and collecting and recording the memories and photographs of as many of the older residents of the village as possible, I created a document called the LEVERSTOCK GREEN CHRONICLE. – This, together with a great deal of continually growing additional material concerning Leverstock Green’s past and its residents, I first published on the Internet in 2000 – since when it has grown even further.
In addition to the Leverstock Green Chronicle website, I have published 2 books. The first in 1996, “Leverstock Green & Bennetts End” in the Chalford series of Archive Photographs, and the most recent, “Leverstock Green’s Lost Properties” which came out in Easter 2006, and has now been re-published in spiral bound form after initially selling-out. I have also published several individual articles in Dacorum Heritage Trust’s Newsletters and Chambersbury News, the parish newsletter for Holy Trinity Church of which we are active members; and a couple of small booklets for Holy Trinity.
Holy Trinity Church Leverstock Green
I was appointed official archivist for Holy Trinity Church in 2005, and have recently completed the cataloguing of all the documents still held by the DCC. Or at least that’s what I thought, only the Vicar & Secretary have now found some more! This was not the first major archive I have catalogued, previously having collated and catalogued the documents (subsequently donated to HALS), left by the late Fred Buglass in 1998, concerning Leverstock Green Parish Hall and Village Association.
Computer technology and the Internet has meant that I do much of my research from my desk these days, and I have recently downloaded various documents held at HALS and the PRO as well as all the relevant census material for the village from 1841- 1901. Transcribing and analysing the census material is still on-going. I am in contact with several hundred people world-wide with an interest in Leverstock Green’s history, and I am indebted to many of them who have enabled me to increase my knowledge of the area and its past inhabitants considerably.
In addition to my work on Leverstock Green’s History, I have been Chairman of the Leverstock Green Village Association for the last 9 years, I am on the Committee of the Friends of Hemel Hempstead Museum, representing them on the Board of Dacorum Heritage Trust, and I am also a member of the HHLH&MS Committee, being responsible for the Society’s website.
Following the Buncefield explosion in December 2005, I have represented LGVA as a member of DBC’s Community Recovery Task Force looking into ways in which the local community can be helped and supported following the disaster in December.
Always anxious to share my knowledge and increase the awareness of those living locally to our heritage, I have given both an exhibition (1996) and several illustrated talks to both the HHLH&MS and to members of the general public courtesy of Leverstock Green Village Association.
PLEASE NOTE: As from 30 May 2007 my personal e-mail address will have changed. Therefore even if you have contacted me previously, if you need to get in touch, please click the Contact Me Button and fill in the form.
Possible Future Talks Include:
Curator of My Mother's Memories (Researching, retreaving, recording and archiving the memories of my Mother, who suffers from Alzheimer's Disease. Initially to create a reminiscence book to jog her rapidly dissapearing memories, and to aid her carers; but also using both modern computer technology as well as old fashioned printed means of insuring the family archive is not lost to future generations .)
Distinguished & Famous Faces from Leverstock Green
Leverstock Green's Schools
IF YOUR SOCIETY OR GROUP WOULD LIKE ME TO GIVE ONE OF THESE TALKS, OR POSSIBLY COVER SOME OTHER ASPECT OF LEVERSTOCK GREEN HISTORY OR THE PROCESSES INVOLVED IN LOCAL HISTORY RESEARCH, THEN PLEASE CONTACT ME. I ONLY CHARGE £35 TO HELP OFFSET THE COST OF HAVING INVESTED IN PROJECTING EQUIPMENT, plus TRAVELLING EXPENSES (45p a mile)
Barbara Chapman
Previous Years' talks included:
2004 - for HHLH&MS - Uncovering the Ancient Leverstock Green Landscape
2006 - for HHLH&MS - Leverstock Green Before New Town Expansion
2006 - for LGVA - Leverstock Green Before New Town Expansion
23rd March 2007 - for LGVA - Early 20th Century Life in Leverstock Green
25th April 2007 - fopr HHLH&MS - Early 20th Century Life in Leverstock Green
24th September 2007 - for Two Rivers Ladies Group, Apsley - Early 20th Century Life in Leverstock Green
16th October 2007 - for the St. Albans Arc. & Arc Society - The Forgotten Historic Landscape of Leverstock Green
28th January 2008 - for Abbots Langley History Soc.- Early 20th Century Life in Leverstock Green
18th March 2008 - for Sarratt Local History Spciety - The Forgotten Historic Landscape of Leverstock Green.
18th April 2008 - for LGVA - Leverstock Green,The Great War (Declaration to Remembrance, 1914 - 1921
29th May 2008 - for Hemel Hemstead Methodist Church OYSTER CLUB at the Methodist Church, Northridge Way, 10:30 am. - Early 20th Century Life in Leverstock Green
Future Bookings include:
24th September 2008 AND 23rd October 2008 for HHLH&MS - Leverstock Green - The Great War (in 2 parts)
17th October 2008 - for The Friends of Hemel Hempstead Museum (At Leverstock Green Village Hall) - The Forgotten Historical Landscape of Leverstock Green
18th March 2009 - for The Kings Langley Local History Society: The Forgotten Historic Landscape of Leverstock Green
20th March 2009 - for Leverstock Green Village Asociation -Air Raids, Dad's Army & a Verandah - Leverstock Green during WW2.
