Local Face: Kath Lehmann

Kath Lipstone was born to an army family which settled in Chesham in the 1920’s, later in Amersham. As a girl she passed through the Brownies and Guides but in 1938 her brothers’ Scouting network brought her to a Cub pack.

Kath volunteered for war work and was sent to Harrow to train as a glass blower. She was assigned to a factory in Chesham where she blcw small glass bulbs which other girls and women filled wth 40 tiny components which would fit on a thumb nail. Nothing of this was to be taken out of the factory or mentioned to a soul. Kath later discovered that she vas making valves for RADAR, all very hush hush.

Work and Cubs did not leave much spare time but everyone had to do their bit. Kath joined the ARP (Air Raid Precautions) which involved shift work from 8pm to 8am. The rota resulted in sleeping at home only one week in three and little at other times. Before long, young Kath met another ARP, Arnold Lehmann.

After the war, there were terrible shortages, including housing. Bucks County Council built some houses and offered them to demobbed employees so Kath and Arnold \’ere able to marry at last and so in 1946 they moved to Stanhope Close which was then surrounded by fields. They were lifelong members of the Cyclists Touring Club so Arnold cycled to Aylesbury every day and Kath cycled to Amersham for Cub meetings every week and to the top of Chalfont Heights for County Scouting Committee meetings.

By 1950, when her second child was 3 months old, Kath restarted the Scouting movement in Wendover which had closed during the war. Arnold continued to be very supportive, coming home early from work to look after the family while Kath led her own Cub Pack. Arnold’s speciality was the St John Ambulance Brigade. When Kath’s third baby was expected, she continued to the due date, the last meeting before Christmas. This gave her the necessary fortnight in which to regain her strength to continue with Cubs straight away in the New Year, as normal.

In 1955 Kath started another Cub Pack because Wendover had expanded so much and she ran both packs for the next 12 years. Under her auspices, Wendover soon also had ‘enture Scouts and Beavers as well as tw Scout Troops. Kath’s two daughters were also passing through Guides so she was on a Guide committee. On 23rd April 1979, Kath was awarded a Silver Acorn for outstanding service to the Scouting Movement. By the mid 80’s, Kath was no longer mobile enough to run around with the Cubs so she finally retired from Cub leadership but has continued as Chairman of the Aylesbury Vale District Scout Council where she was recently re-elected for another year. Three of her seven grandchildren are passing through the movement now. Kath’ s proudest Scouting moment came on St George’s Day 1996 when she was presented with the bar for the Silver Acorn. On Sunday 7th June 1998 a special service was held in Wendover Free Church to celebrate her.

This service linked two parts of her life. She and Arnold married in Chesham’s Congregational Church and they became part of Wendover Congregational Church in Tring Road. Kath was an elder and Sunday School Superintendent for 40 years. Arnold became treasurer. They were always strong supporters of Church Unity and participated fully in the formation of the United Reformed Church in 1972. The Lehmanns became the URC representatives on the then Wendover Council of Churches. In 1982 the Baptist and URC came together to form Wendover Free Church. The old buildings were sold and Wendover Christian Centre was built. Kath played an active part in all these developments. A favourite window from the old Congregational church was moved to St Anne’s. It had been dedicated to Mr Juson, a Wendover farmer and benefactor. Kath thinks it most appropriate that the site where the old Congregational church once stood is now called Juson’ s Glebe.

Kath and Arnold were great walkers as well as cyclists. Their favourite holiday was walking in Luxembourg. When she was widowed, Kath took to travelling with her friend Joan Malcolm and this involved trips to Canada, visiting remote parts of South Africa and the USA. Age curtailed her travelling days but with a telephone and a table, she can still work at home for her beloved Scout movement and Churches Together in Wendover. Without her moped, she finds Wendover Community Car a wonderful lifeline. All who know her find Kath Lehmann a diamond of a lady.