Beds Bulletin County edition November 2022

CLLR MAY HAVE ACRYSTAL BALL

Central Bedfordshire C o

a

dubbed ‘mystic Mark’, after posting an execu tive decision on social media before the agenda item was debated.

Biggleswade South councillor Mark Foster posted on Facebook: “CBC executive considered the report on the Biggleswade older persons’ day centre and approved the recommendation to reprovide

the places at the new Sorrel Gardens location and to progress the closure date of the London Road site ”

Independent Biggleswade South councillor Hayley Whitaker raised a point of order ahead of the item being discussed by the com mittee

“It would appear the outcome of this item has been decided already, according to councillor Foster, who’s posted on We Love Biggleswade at 10.20am appar ently it’s been approved ” Council leader and Conser

vative Arlesey councillor Richard Wenham, who chairs the executive, replied: “I can’t comment on that because I don’t access social media ”

Councillor Foster, who chairs the local authority’s children’s services overview and scrutiny committee, apologised, saying: “Perhaps I was a little premature “I was preparing an advance in the expectation that potentially the executive might approve this deci sion I unfortunately pressed the button inadvertently I accept the fact it’s an error ”

Grant Palmer steps up

FLITWICK based bus operator Grant Palmer, is to provide an alternative bus service for passengers from Biggleswade, Potton and Sandy from the beginning of November, following the news that Stagecoach is to withdraw its 72 and 73 services Grant Palmer will be providing a new commer cial service, which will include:

l An hourly service between Sandy and Bedford

(Monday Saturday) with alternate journeys extended to either Potton or Biggleswade

l An early morning service from Sandy to Bedford (previously provided by Stagecoach) retained but journeys will finish earlier in the evenings

l Journeys at convenient times for students travelling to and from Bedford College

l A journey to and from Potton coinciding with start and finish times at Sandy Secondary School l Beeston retaining its service, however it will run on a reduced frequency (two hourly compared to hourly previously). Mogger hanger will be served on an hourly basis in both directions of travel

l A direct service to Bedford from Drove Road area in Biggleswade retained (two hourly)

Grant Palmer will continue to operate the 74 service between Biggleswade and Bedford via Ickwell and Northill on an hourly basis for any passengers from Biggleswade requiring a faster and more direct service to Bedford

Students who attend Stratton Upper School and currently using Stagecoach’s 72 service will be transferred to the Herberts 189 route.

The Bedford to Sandy, Potton & Biggleswade routes were iden tified as core routes in the Council’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) and so can be considered for enhancement once the BSIP funding is confirming from the government

In her own social media response later, Cllr Whitaker said: “Cllr Foster demonstrated just how farcical the CBC administration is at this morning’s executive meet ing by announcing the result of a vote before the item had been debated by members

“The executive is akin to the government cabinet and made up solely of Conservative members, who routinely raise their hands en mass to vote through key council decisions

Continued on page 3

REMEMBRANCE

BIGGLESWADE

10 45am Sunday, November 13, 2022 at the War Memorial on Market Square

SANDY

Sunday, November 13, 2022, Parade musters at 10 30am Swan Lane see page 7 for more details of times

by Euan Duncan – L ocal Democracy Reporter

Cllr Mark Foster

PCNs are for safety councillor claims! Arlesley paedophile abused boy 8

A BUS lane in Biggleswade generates more than half of the entire penalty charge notices (PCNs) of Central Bedfordshire Council, a meeting heard

The Venus Avenue traffic order on the Kings Reach estate in the town could be better signed, according to Independent Biggleswade South Cllr Hayley Whitaker

She asked “whether the signage meets legal stan dards and is as clear as possible for new residents to the area”, in a written question to a full council meeting

Conservative Arlesey councillor Ian Dalgarno replied: “In the year 2021/22, the total of penalty charge notices for on street parking was 6,475, for off street parking 3,217, and for the bus land 3,515 making a total of 13,207

“We were still in the Covid period and took a pru dent approach to giving out parking tickets for on street parking offences

“So these were lower than they’d normally be at that time The bus gate order wasn’t included in that

by Euan Duncan Local Democracy Reporter

process because it’s automatic You go through it, you’re going to get a ticket

“I’m satisfied the signage there meets legal stan dards and is sufficiently clear to advise motorists, including residents new to the area of the restriction in place

“Of the number of PCNs issued 335 were cancelled leaving a net total of 3,180, which is 27 per cent overall We’ve had two appeals to the traffic penalty tribunal (TPT), the independent body which decides motorists’ appeals against PCNs issued by local authorities

“These were around a lack of prohibitive warning signage In both cases the adjudicators didn’t accept the grounds of appeal and the motorists lost their cases

Cllr may have acrystal ball

Continued from

It’s rare to see any dissent among the ranks

“Today’s agenda included the move of the day centre from it’s current site on London Road to the new Sorrel Gardens location

“Before the item was set out, Cllrr Foster had posted on We Love Biggleswade, a site for which he’s an administrator, that the exec utive had approved the move

“The item wasn’t voted on by the committee until some ten min utes later at 10:30am So how could this have happened?” she asked

“Although Independent Aspley and Woburn Cllr John Baker later referred to him as ‘mystic Mark’, it seems unlikely that Cllr Foster has suddenly developed psychic abilities

“It’s more likely that the decision was agreed behind closed

doors, before the meeting even started

“That further supports my view the bus gate order signage in Kings Reach is legal and sufficient to advise drivers of the restrictions in place,” said council lor Dalgarno, who’s the executive member for community services

“This was seemingly confirmed by Cllr Foster, in trying to apolo gise to the council leader for his faux pas, as he admitted he had a pre written post ready to go and simply hit the wrong button, post ing it too early ”

Cllr Baker asked for details of the date for the closure of the London Road site, referred to in “mystic Mark’s Facebook post”

Before making her remarks at the meeting, Cllr Whitaker won dered “why I’m speaking about this when you’ve announced the decision already”

Cllr Wenham added: “The executive takes decisions based on the papers before it and doesn’t defer to social media

“We’ll review the evidence and discussion before us and take an appropriate decision ”

“It’s not about penalising motorists and raising revenue It’s about making sure people are and road users on our highways network are safe

3500 TICKETS

“3,500 tickets is a large figure, and I’m happy to meet ward mem bers and see if there’s anything else we can do within the regulations to reduce the impact on residents ”

Cllr Whitaker referred to the Department of Transport annual report figures from CBC showing 10,121 PCNs issued in 2020/21, of which 5,912 were issued for the Kings Reach bus lane

“In 2021/22, there were 6,475 PCNs issued for on street and 3,515 at Kings Reach/ At £60 a time, £30 if paid within 14 days, this is gener ating significant revenue for CBC” she added

A PAEDOPHILE who abused a young boy in Arlesey, Bedfordshire after playing football with him was told by a judge on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, he faces a long prison sentence

Steven Smith was aged 15 when he began indecently assault ing the boy, who was aged just eight at the time

Prosecutor Jacinta Stringer told Luton crown court if the boy scored a goal Smith would say: “That is five minutes ”

He would taken him into bushes

where he put his penis in his mouth He also penetrated the boy with his finger and got him to masturbate him

The abuse continued after Smith had moved to Grantham in Lincolnshire

INDECENT ASSAULT

Smith of First Avenue, Grantham was convicted of seven counts of indecently assaulting the boy in the 1990s

He was also convicted of three other indecent assaults on female

victims

In the mid 1990s he touched a woman indecently when she stayed on a sofa at his address Later, after a rave, he put his hand down the trousers of a teenager as they trav elled in a car back from a rave

When questioned by the police he denied all the allegations

R

r P a

r

c k F i e l d s

c e u

t i l

December 13 at St Albans Crown Court for reports to be prepared He told him: “You are going to prison for a long time ”

A FLAGSHIP housing, commercial and leisure development east of Biggleswade has suffered another setback, after the companies backing it went into receivership.

Outline permission was granted for up to 1,500 homes on the 263 acre site, while a separate approval changed the access to the land against the recommendation of planning officers

Applicant UK Regeneration Limited asked for a reduction in developer contributions subse quently, causing the project to stall and providing the first indication of finance related issues

The project was a significant part of Central Bedfordshire Council’s adopted Local Plan

Its proposals include the hous ing and commercial development, 12 5 acres for a primary school, ten acres of other leisure and commu nity facilities, and 150 acres of open space, allotments and a coun try park

SECOND APPLICATION

The second application, with alternative access arrangements, returned to CBC’s development management committee in August, recommended for refusal again

Instead the proposals were deferred to enable further talks to take place between the various par ties and planning officers

In a social media post, Independent Biggleswade South councillor Hayley Whitaker described it as news “that will come as no surprise to many ”

“The developer was given one last chance to negotiate a Section 106 (legal) agreement with CBC to get planning approval,” she explained

“This sets out the contributions the applicant has to pay to make any development acceptable to the local community

“Previously UK Regeneration Limited tried to backtrack on more than £11m in these payments towards new schools, roads and affordable housing

“Signs that things were going wrong at UK Regeneration Limited have been emerging for many months

“The Red Lion and New Inn pubs were put up for sale after pre viously being bought by The Grand Biggleswade Expo Corporation

by Euan Duncan – Local Democracy Reporter

Limited, owned by the same direc tor as UK Regeneration

“The UK Regeneration chief executive officer Jackie Sadek (pictured) resigned around the same time

“Now the financial backers, who effectively provided mort gages for the land, have applied to appoint receivers for West Sunderland Farm Company Limited and Regeneration (UK) Limited, the two companies which own the land for this develop ment,” said councillor Whitaker

“Receivers were formally appointed on September 17th for both firms ”

Having spoken to CBC officers, she added that they seemed unaware of the situation before saying: “In light of this news, we’re currently looking to establish who’s in control of the application and we’re seeking legal advice on this ”

As the site was granted permis sion previously, and is in the CBC Local Plan and Biggleswade Neighbourhood Plan, the principle of development has been estab lished there, according to council lor Whitaker

DELAYS

“This makes it difficult to oppose any future proposals for the land, although there are likely to be significant delays for now ”

UK Regeneration Limited wanted to explore how CBC did calculations for healthcare, sus tainable transport and leisure facil ities, while seeking an £11 5m reduction in contributions towards new schools for Biggleswade

Councillors were told in August that “officers have made multiple attempts to engage with the appli cant’s representatives, with no sub stantive response” since an earlier meeting

“The applicant was invited to withdraw the application, but didn’t agree to this ”

Children’s home rated ‘good’ for fifth year

MAYTHORN Children’s home in Biggleswade has been rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted for the fifth year in a row. The home has achieved a ‘good’ rating in every inspection conducted since 2017

During the inspection, car ried out over two days in July, the home was rated ‘good’ across all three areas of inspection: the overall experiences and progress of children and young people, how well children and young people are helped and protected, and the effectiveness of leaders and managers.

The report highlighted how children at Maythorn continue to make significant progress with their independence skills, which will help them as they move into adulthood, as a result of “indi vidualised and child centred” care plans with staff putting the voice of each child at the cen tre of their work

The report also praised staff saying that they “know the chil dren well,” and “work closely

[with families] to ensure that children experience positive fam ily time which helps children to retain their identity and supports their emotional well being.”

Inspectors noted that “Parents are very positive about the quality of care the children receive One parent said that the managers are ‘absolutely fantas tic’ and that there are ‘super people’ working there.”

Cllr Sue Clark, Executive Member for Families, Education and Children said: “Maythorn has now been rated ‘good’ for five years in a row, which is a real credit to the staff who work there ”

“The staff work hard to pro vide a positive environment and new experiences for children, with the report highlighting recent outings to a water park, local parks and festivals

“I’m extremely proud that everyone at Maythorn continues to do so well to help our young people to fulfil their potential.”

Son r escues mentally ill mother fr om blazing house

A WOMAN with mental health problems who set fire to her Biggleswade home was rescued by her son

Donna Windwood, now 50, had been self harming with cigarettes in her upstairs bedroom at the two bed Housing Association property in Heather Drive when the blaze started

Her mother heard the fire detector go off and smelt smoke, but could not enter the locked room

She called her 20 year old grandson who kicked in the door and carried his mother outside to safety, Luton Crown Court heard on Thursday, September 29, 2022

Prosecutor Douglas Page said the fire brigade were called at about 9pm on Friday, June 26, 2020 to put out the blaze He said there was significant damage to the front bedroom, smoke damage to the bathroom and to the kitchen

The Rivermead Housing Association had not put a value on the damage Ms Winwood was taken to hospital where she was treated for smoke inhalation

She was discharged from hospital and arrest ed When questioned by the police the next day, June 27, she made no comment

Mr Page said that on the day before the fire she had overdosed on her prescribed medication and had been taken to accident and emergency

SELF HARMING

In a basis of plea put before the court she said she was at home in her bedroom, having consumed alcohol and was self harming by burning her feet with cigarettes

She said she did not intend to damage prop erty or endanger life

Winwood, of Tristan Close, Calshot, Southampton, appeared for sentence having pleaded guilty, on the day her trial was due to

start, to arson being reckless as to whether the lives of her mother and son were endangered

Defending, John Lamb said: “At the time she was struggling with her own acute mental health breakdown She thought her phone and electrical equipment were being monitored ” In the two years since the offence she had built a new life in the New Forest, where she has a partner and is being seen by the community mental health team

She had not committed any more offences, he said Judge Alan Blake told her: “It is a real mercy that you or anyone in your household did not suffer serious injury or worse ” He sen tenced her to 22 months in jail suspended for 24 months with a condition that she attends 20 rehabilitation days

The judge added: “It is hoped that with the support of the community mental health team and probation the risk of you reoffending remains low ”

New daycare centre’s parking woes for staff

by Euan Duncan – Local Democracy Reporter

STAFF and visitors to Biggles wade’s new daycare centre might use up the parking spaces at a near by shopping centre as it’s closer than the official alternative, a meet ing heard

Central Bedfordshire Council’s Social Care Health and Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Monday, September 26) heard that parking was among the comments made during a recent consultation on Sorrell Gardens, Biggleswade’s new daycare centre

Tobin Stephenson, head of meeting the accommodation needs of older people (MANOP) team, said: “People are always quite con cerned about where parking will take place, and we’ve taken that on board

PARKING AVAILABLE

“We’ve been in discussions with the Leisure Centre, which is 100 yards or so away from this, and they’ve confirmed that parking would be available for the staff to use ”

Cllr Hayley Whitaker (Ind ependent, Biggleswade South) said there is closer parking at Saxon Gate

“[If] I couldn’t park at Sorrel Gardens itself, I’d probably park at

Saxon Gate, because it’s much closer than the Leisure Centre,” she said

“I can see that there’s going to potentially be an impact on those businesses if all the parking gets used up by people visiting Sorrell Gardens

“What we can try and do to pre vent people from using that space, “ she asked

“Because I can see it’s going to have a huge impact on local busi nesses ”

Committee chair, Cllr Mark Versallion (Conservative, Heath and Reach) said: “I think we should capture this concern or the obser vations made about adequate park ing and the location of the parking and potential impact on Saxon Gate

“It’s a real shame when you have a nice new facility and then there’s the perception of inade quate parking for visitors and fam ily that to those people in those facilities even for daycare

“I hear what you’re saying about the Leisure Centre, but in reality we know what human beings are like, they will park as close to the front doors as they can possibly get away with ”

CBC Councillors’ allowances to rise by 5% despite a proposal to freeze the payments

by Euan Duncan – L ocal Democracy Reporter

AROUND £50,000 that could have been saved by freezing Central Bedfordshire councillors’ allowances for 12 months could be spent providing better free school meals, a meeting heard.

But a motion to sacrifice any increase this year was described as “politically motivated” by the Conservative chairman of the Local Government Association and former Central Bedfordshire Council leader James Jamieson

And Independent Aspley and Woburn Cllr John Baker ’s motion was defeated after a vote at a full council meeting

He asked: “This council agrees it would be inappropriate for any inflationary increase in members’ allowances in the cur rent climate of high inflation, which councillors should forgo for 2022/23

“It’s a five per cent increase without a specific job, that’s an extra £575 a year,” he said “For a scrutiny committee chairman that’s a further £1,131 annually, a deputy cabinet member £900 a year, and a cabinet member £1,557

“And the member with the title deputy leader will receive a taxpayer handout of an addition al £1,819

HARD TIMES

“This motion is straightfor ward We recognise hard times and reject any increase in our allowances this financial year

“Not a single member of this council will be a penny worse off and we save £50,000, which we could invest in helping people less fortunate than ourselves ”

Independent Biggleswade South Cllr Hayley Whitaker sec onded the motion, saying: “In these difficult times, we need to

lead by example It seems vulgar to me to even consider taking an extra five per cent rise in my allowance

“We could put that £50,000 as a contribution towards paying extra for our children to have better free school meals ”

Conservative Stotfold and Langford councillor Steve Dixon referred to the unions rejecting the most recent offer, warning: “It’s somewhat premature to be judging this right here, right now

OWN CHOICE

“I believe every member should make their own choice Not every member takes all of their allowances here ”

Independent Linslade Cllr Victoria Harvey said: “I’m con scious of the number of people who cut down on their work to be a councillor and struggle to pay the bills, so they can give the time

“The whole point of this allowance is to allow you the time We need to give anyone who wants to stand up for their local residents and do their best the opportunity to do it

“It’s perfectly easy if you feel comfortable enough to give that money back to the council or to any charity But I certainly know people for whom every

single penny counts ” Cllr Jamieson explained: “Members’ allowances are gen erally agreed for the term of the council and linked to officers’ pay, which is a common practice

in other councils

“The way to achieve a suc cessful and functioning democ racy is to ensure everyone can access it

“We want that wide range of

candidates prepared to give up their time It’s not pay Many give up paid earnings to have time to become a councillor

“It’s part of a series of motions the opposition has

SANDY

TOWN COUNCIL

Sandy Remembrance Parade and Service

On behalf of Sandy Town Council, Sthe andy & District Branch of the BRoyal ritish Legion and St Swithun’s CParish hurch, we are inviting the community tto his year’s Remembrance Parade Sand ervice

We are glad to be able to come atogether gain as a community, from across tthe own and participate in a communal act Rof emembrance in a more traditional tway his year

Last year, due to COVID 19, the entireparade and service was held houtdoors, owever, this year we will return to theusual venue, St Swithun’s Church, for theservice

The Parade will begin on Swan Lane andmarch through to Bedford Road MWar emorial, where the two minute Asilence, ct of Remembrance and wreath wlaying ill take place, before proceeding via the

Christmas Lights

The communities of Sandy, Beeston and the surrounding area are invited to the Sandy Christmas Lights Switch on event on Sunday 27th November 2022

There will be a stage for live entertainment with a band and 4 local schools performing, a Santa’s Grotto, fairground rides, market stalls, hot food sellers, fairy street performer, various other attractions and the Christmas tree and street illuminations which will be switched on at 4 30pm

Although the festivities are starting at 12 00pm, staff and volunteers will be work

High Street to St Swithun’s Church, tfor he Service of Remembrance

Remembrance Sunday Parade and Service Timetable

Sunday 13th November 2022

10:30am Parade muster at Swan Lane

10:50am Parade marches to Bedford WRoad ar Memorial

11:00am Act of Remembrance andwreath laying at War Memorial

11:15am Parade proceeds along RBedford oad, saluting dignitaries at a saluting baseoutside the Roundabout Club

11:20am Parade proceeds to St CSwithun’s hurch, via the High Street

11:30 45am Parade moves into SSt withun’s Church for the Service Rof emembrance, which will begin after everyone has arrived

ing in the Market Square, the entrance to Pleasant Place and the town centre end of Cambridge Road all day, to set up and take down all the equipment needed for the event

We have therefore secured closures for the previously mentioned roads between 8am and 8pm We would ask that cars or bikes are not left around these areas on the day, or the night before, to help avoid any prob lems We hope this event, which is designed for the enjoyment of all the community, will not cause residents too much difficulty

Royal British Legion Tree Planting

During the late Queen’s Platinum Jubileecelebrations earlier this year, communities and individuals were invited to plant trees, to become part of the Queen’s Green Canopy Subsequently, on 11th October,the Mayor of Sandy and Members of the Sandy Branch of the Royal British Legiongathered to witness the planting of their tree at Faynes Corner

Branch President, Cllr Mrs Susan Sutton said“I am pleased to represent the BSandy ranch at the planting of this tree which we donate to the people of Sandy in honour of Queen Elizabeth II” Mayor, Cllr Martin Pettitt, added“I am delighted to accept this tree which will be a feature of

this public garden for many years to come ”

Roger Sparks, Branch Chairman said: “The Sandy and District Branch of the BRoyal ritish Legion are proud to provide a last ing memorial to Queen Elizabeth II Originally planned to commemorate her Platinum Jubilee, it now stands to also remember her long lasting service to our Country ”

The chosen tree, a Prunus Serrula C(Tibetan herry) has all year round interest The trunk has shining coppery brown bpeeling ark, narrow leaves turn yellow in autumn, and in spring it has small white flowers

Road, Sandy

brought forward seeking to attack the idea of allowances for councillors It’s politically moti vated I don’t believe it’s right to restrict councillors to those retired and wealthy ”

Council meetings

ll meetings commence at 30pm except those specified elow and Development crutiny Committee (Planning) hich starts at 6 45pm, in the ouncil Chamber, 10 Cambridge oad, Sandy, SG19 1JE (unless therwise stated on the Agenda)

Monday 7th November Development Scrutiny

Monday 14th November Town Council

Monday 21st November Community, Services & Environment

Monday 5th December Development Scrutiny Human Resources

Monday 12th December Policy, Finance and Resources

See our website for details

MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC

PRESS ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND.

Pictured l r: Cllr Mrs Susan Sutton (President Sandy Branch of the CRBL), llr Martin Pettitt (Mayor of MSandy), r Hayden Stevens (Standard Bearer Sandy Branch of the RBL)

Photograph © Cheryl Watkins, APoppy ppeal Organiser, Sandy RBL

Over coming deafness to r each Student of the Year finals

DANIEL McAllister is in the Association of Colleges (AoC) Adult Student (19+) of the Year finals

Daniel, 47, who lives in Ampthill, Beds, was an extraordi nary student who consistently exceeded expectations and went above and beyond during the past five years that he studied at Bedford College

Not only does he work full time and is a busy father, but he is also deaf and communicates in class via a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter who translates spoken English into BSL

Being deaf and using a BSL interpreter live in lessons meant Daniel had to work twice as hard as any other student What’s more, the highly technical and specialised nature of the engineering disci pline, created additional challenges in terms of certain signs simply not existing in BSL

What makes Daniel even more outstanding is that he was one of the top performers on the HND Electrical & Electronic Engineer ing course, achieving excellent grades across the board, including six A+ grades and five A grades

On top of working full time and achieving excellent grades on his course, Daniel also finds time to be the Diversity and Inclusion Champion for Network Rail and the Quadrant: MK Mental Wellbeing Champion

Daniel said: “There is no doubt that the diversity and inclusion role has given me a greater understand ing and appreciation of other people, their backgrounds, culture, and personal experiences it’s been a great way to broaden my mind As my role has developed, I

have also been able to teach basic BSL and Deaf Awareness to those who are interested ”

Through his additional diversity and inclusion responsibilities, Daniel has also visited schools and attended national exhibitions such as The Big Bang Fair in Birmingham, which is the UK’s biggest STEM fair for young people aged 11 14 Daniel’s main objective was to inspire other deaf

children by talking to them about his experiences and career journey to become a successful Engineer

Head of Engineering at Bedford College, Steven Croft, said: “Daniel really is an inspira tional character who is always setting a great example for his classmates He was an active participant in class, sharing his experiences both his life experi ence and his engineering work too Whenever we had discussions he was able to relate how the topic applied to the real world of work, and ask technical questions He also participated in recruitment efforts for the College, sharing his personal experiences of the course with prospective students ”

John Paintin a Senior Trainer at The Bedford College Group said “I’ve worked at the College for many years and I have to say that

the quality of Daniel’s work was incredible He produced some excellent presentations and posters that I’m definitely going to use in future classes to inspire students and give them examples of the sort of level of work they could be achieving ”

Oliver Nenadovic, Senior Engineer at Network Rail and Daniel’s line manager said: “There’s no doubt that Daniel has been a huge inspiration to the team here at Network Rail Returning to learning as a mature student and working full time with a family is a huge commitment and is chal lenging for anyone but Daniel also had to overcome communication barriers within a highly specialist and technical sector that was new to him

The national finalists will be announced in early November

TO THE EDITOR: I was shocked and dismayed to read in a recent press release that the Mayor of Bedford is still blam ing the poor state of Bedford’s roads on the previ ous Bedfordshire County Council

This would not be so bad if it wasn’t for the fact that the County Council was abolished in 2009, nearly 14 years ago when the current Mayor took office!

To make matters worse prior to being elected as Mayor he was a Borough Councillor of long standing

The conclusion I come to is that he has been asleep in his office in Borough Hall all this time.

With Mayoral and Borough Council elections due next May, I can only assume he has

only just now woken up and decided to blame someone else!

As our directly elected Mayor he became account able for the upkeep of the roads 14 years ago and needs to stop blaming everyone else of his failures and take responsibility for the poor state of the Borough roads caused by his neglect

Robert Rigby, Bedford

B E D F O R D S H I R E B U L L E T I N

‘Max was like a train crash waiting to happen’

A REPORT into the death of a vul nerable young man found that he was failed by the organisations responsible for his care

And a cohesive, multi disci plinary plan for his transition from children to adult services, was not in place despite the “very clear” risks, the report said

“Max”, 18, was found dead after an accidental overdose in his flat on May 22, 2020

Bedford Borough Council and Central Bedfordshire Council both said they were “deeply saddened” by Max’s death and would take on board the recommendations made in the report

Bedford Borough and Central Bedfordshire Safeguarding Adult Board (SAB) commissioned a Safeguarding Adult Review (SAR), which was published on Tuesday October 11, 2022

A SAR aims to establish if there are lessons to be learned, to review procedures, and to develop best practice rather than re investigate or apportion blame

The report’s author, Sarah Williams, an independent safe guarding consultant, met with Max’s family as part of the review

She wrote that while the parents expressed their gratitude to the many individuals who supported Max, they spoke of a “lack of coor dination” in efforts to keep Max safe Max’s father described the esca lation in harm as “watching a train crash happening in slow motion”

Max had wanted to live in his own flat and he moved into a pri vate one bed flat in Bedford in January 2020

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

This was after his parents co signed the tenancy and on the basis that Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) managed his Personal Independence Payments to support him with his finances

The council’s Preparing for Adulthood team said that as Max had moved to Bedford Borough and had not been placed by CBC, he was now the responsibility of Bedford Borough Council’s (BBC) mental health services and adult social care

The report said Max was “whol ly unprepared” to live alone and that his mental capacity to make decisions around weighing up risk had not been adequately assessed

And there wasn’t a care plan or safeguarding plan in place from

Dad

adult mental health or social care to support Max

He started to use drugs which escalated “extraordinarily quickly”, which the report said was likely aggravated by his poor impulse control and self medication to man age the unboundaried situation he found himself in

During periods of crisis he was admitted to mental health wards, but was released because he was not detainable for treatment under the Mental Health Act 1983

A clinician, who worked with Max as both an adolescent and after he turned 18, said in her view, his mental health had not deteriorated, rather, “these crises related to his unmet care needs ”

The report said during the last weeks of Max’s life, practitioners and his family made strenuous efforts to protect him, desperately trying to put measures in place to mitigate the escalating risk in chaotic circumstances and under the strictures of the Covid 19 lock down

DELAYS

However, delays in coordinat ing the multi agency response meant that these efforts were frag mented and lacked leadership, it added

The report said cohesive, multi disciplinary planning should have taken place to ensure that mental health, safeguarding, care and accommodation planning was coor dinated for Max

This should have been well in advance of his transition to adult services given the very clear risks and the likely difficulties in com missioning a suitable placement

The report made 12 recommen dations, including better inter agen cy procedures for the resolution and escalation of cases with delays or when there are disagreements between agencies

It was also recommended that an accommodation pathway should be in place to ensure young people and young adults already at risk are not placed at greater risk by being placed in unsuitable housing

A joint statement from Central Bedfordshire Council’s director of children’s services, Sarah Jane Smedmor, and director of social care, health and housing, Julie Ogley said: “We are deeply sad dened that Max’s life ended the way it did, and we extend our sin cere condolences to Max’s family and to everyone who knew Max

PC dismissed for sex assault on two women

A SUSPENDED Bedford shire Police officer has been dismissed for gross misconduct, after a panel ruled he had sexually assaulted two women

PC Mitchell Sharp, was found to have breached the standards of professional behaviour on Friday, September 30, following a four day public misconduct hearing

PC Sharp had previously been cleared of sexual assault following a trial at Cambridge Crown Court, but was found to have breached the standards of professional behaviour in relation to the inci dent, and a further sexual assault on a second woman The standard of proof for conduct is measured on the balance of probability, rather than beyond reasonable doubt, hence he faced a misconduct hear ing despite being acquitted at court

The panel were told PC Sharp had assaulted one woman after he attended a barbecue with friends while off duty A police colleague at the party witnessed him kissing and touching a woman over her clothes while she appeared to be incapacitated through drink

After the incident came to light, a further victim came forward to report PC Sharp had sexually assaulted her in 2019 and had then subjected her to further advances despite her repeatedly saying no

BREACHED STANDARDS

He was found to have breached the standards of professional behaviour for authority, respect and courtesy and discreditable con duct and his actions amounted to gross misconduct He was imme diately dismissed

Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Sharn Basra said: “Mitchell Sharp’s conduct throughout these incidents was totally unacceptable, particularly the predatory attempts of sexual contact with two women who were not consenting

“Our recently launched Male Violence Against Women and Girls strategy is committed to stamping out such behaviour both within our force and in society, but it must start from within, and this move ment must come from men our selves

“Our force is working hard to combat sexual misconduct and is committed to the relentless pursuit

of all perpetrators of sexual offences ”

Sharp had been immediately removed from frontline policing following the allegation and was subsequently suspended

Bedfordshire Police’s approach to combatting Male Violence Against Women and Girls sets out a strategy to pursue perpetrators by improving the quality of investiga tions, make public spaces safer for women and girls through joint

working with partners, and improving trust and confidence in policing by reviewing internal reporting mechanisms and ensur ing the effective support of vic tims

SUPPORT & GUIDANCE

If you have been a victim of sexual violence, you can receive support and guidance from Bedfordshire Police and partner agencies, including the Sexual

Assault Referral Centre (SARC), as well as support through the criminal investigation process

Reports of sexual assault, even if non recent, can be made to the police by calling 101 Always call 999 in an emergency

You can also contact Bedfordshire’s Sexual SARC the Emerald Centre, by visiting the Emerald Centre or by emailing, or alternatively calling 01234 842750

View from the pulpit

Rt Revd Richard Atkinson – Bishop of Bedford

Do we learn?

We will learn form this I have learnt from this’ Phrases that we hear often Something has gone very wrong

Quite probably people have suffered or died because of corruption, deliberate error, failed systems or simply because of mistakes that ought to have been avoided Often an enquiry calls people to account

The person with lead responsibility for the organisation then usually avoids apologising directly but says ‘We will learn from this’.

And I ask myself ‘will they?’

The phrase is well intentioned, but it so often irritates me intensely because I doubt that is what will happen

How often do Hospital Chief Executives say after some failure of care, ‘We will learn form this’ How often do Politicians say, Chief Police Officers say, how often has the church said We

have learnt from this We will learn that the poor need to be treated better: that people need to be well cared for; that human rights can’t be trampled over; that systems can’t go on discriminating against some

Yet surely, we know all that already. If noth ing else read the Christian Scriptures and receive their wisdom

Recently I contributed to a celebration of the Windrush generation in our county Those who came to England from the Caribbean to work in our factories, hospitals and in our transport systems

How often has it been said in relation to the welcome and inclusion of those are black into our society that ‘ we will learn from this’

Learn from the repeated misuse of stop and search; from the persistence of discrimination; from the failure of systems like that which

AROUND THE CLUBS

BIGGLESWADE IVEL TOWNSWOMEN’S GUILD

Chairman Ann Taylor welcomed members to the meeting on Monday, October 10 Birthday greetings were given to Barbara Gould and Ann Taylor

The speaker for the afternoon was Peter Walker with an illustrat ed talk entitled the gardens of the Cotswold He showed many images from his visits to Coughton Court, Warwickshire parts of which date back to Tudor times; Abbey House Gardens, Malmsebury; Sudeley Castle which feature gardens named after Katherine Parr, Persia and Roddy Llewellyn; Rodmartin Manor and Hidcote Manor in Gloucestershire

The competition for something beginning with A was won by Sheila Mills Agapanthus flower, 2nd Debbie Duxbury tin of anchovies and 3rd Chris Davies a piece of agate Raffle winners were Elaine Webb, Yvonne Crane and Sheila Mills

Forthcoming events are: The anniversary dinner at the Green Man, Stanford Thursday, November 24 Menus were dis tributed with a request to return with full payment at next month’s meeting

The next meeting will be held on the Monday, November 14 when the speaker will be Michael O’Keefe talking about royal images

The competition will be for something beginning with the letter B The guild meets on the second

Monday of the month 2 pm at The Orchard Community Centre, Kings Reach, new members and visitors are very welcome to join us If you would like any further details, please email the chairman Ann Taylor tayl321321@gmail com

ROYAL ARTILLERY ASSOCIATION

The Biggleswade Branch of the Royal Artillery Association held a Branch Meeting on 5th October 2022, at the Sea Cadets Hall There were ten members present The Chairman recited The Royal Artillery Prayer Apologies were received from seven members

The minutes of the August Branch meeting and notes from the cancelled September Meeting were both read

The Treasurers report was received

The visit to Shuttleworth in conjunction with the RBL was hailed as a great success

Members were informed that the next Veterans Breakfast will be on Saturday 15th October in the Conservative Club at 10 00hrs

A short service for Armistice Day will be held on Friday 11th November The Remembrance Day Parade is still being planned in light of the works taking place at the station

In response to a call for volun teers two members are to organise the Christmas Lunch this year

The Royal Artillery Association exists to look after the welfare of

falsely told many who had lived here for gener ations to go home, and then bungled the compensation that became due

‘We will learn from this’ and yet so often we don’t We redo the wrongs; we fail to make things right.

Zacchaeus, that small of stature, tax collec tor who ripped off his clients hid up a sycamore tree before being summoned down by Jesus It was a life changing event Zacchaeus could have said ‘I have learnt from this’ and then carried on as before

He didn’t Instead, he said sorry, committed to stopping his corrupt ways, and made amends not just returning the excess he had taken but repaying it fourfold

Do we learn? Do we learn that each person is precious; that wrongs must be righted; that injustice be replaced with justice? I hope so

AWN DOCTOR

AS I write this, despite it being mid October, the weather is more akin to spring with bright, warm sunshine being the order of the day and although night time tempera tures plummet leading to mildew being problematic amongst many plants, it is still very dry, as it has been all year

Not many gardeners I have spo ken to can recall having to water plants this late into the year and although many people will tell you that plants ‘always come back after drought’ the evidence contradicts this Indeed, without regular water ing, many gardens have suffered fatalities, with Cherry Trees, Crocosmia and Hydrangeas amongst those that have struggled most

Another plant that has had a tough time is one that many people don’t even recognise as being a plant at all: the lawn! So many people look surprised when I talk of the lawn in terms of being a plant (or more precisely, many plants), but that is exactly what it is

and it works just like any other Moreover, it is the plant that pro vides the food for many of the ani mals that provide food for us, so its importance is actually far greater than many of us recognise and its importance to the environment is huge

Birds depend on them for food as do many pollinators and insects whose role in the amazingly com plex and interdependent eco sys tem cannot be overstated

Covering them with plastic in the shape of so called ‘artificial grass’ is simply environmentally disastrous

A tree surgeon of my acquain tance explained to me recently that trees in neighbours’ gardens are even being killed off as under ground roots are being heated up by the presence of a plastic carpet and hotter and longer summers intensifying and trapping the heat As always, we human beings inter fere with the natural world at our peril

and foster comradeship between members of the Royal Artillery both serving and retired Ex Service personnel of other Arms or Regiments who wish to share the camaraderie are welcome

The Branch meets on the first Wednesday of the month at the Sea Cadets Hall, Biggleswade starting at 13 30hrs (Next Meeting is on Wednesday 2nd November) Please contact the Chairman Ted McKenzie on 07900806235 or E Mail tiger ted@gmail com for more details

PROBUS CLUB OF SANDY AND DISTRICT

It has been another fairly busy month in September for the Probus Club of Sandy and District, with a trip to “Vintage Essex”, Pub Lunch, committee meetings and the regular monthly lunch

The monthly Pub lunch was held at the Rising Sun Potton where 20 members and partners enjoyed an excellent meal, not the high numbers of recent months, but with holidays, hospital appoint ments etc a good number

Forty members and wives/ part ners went on our outing to Essex, which first took us to Thaxted for our morning coffee stop at the old coaching inn The Swan Hotel Whilst in Thaxted we visited the Old Wool Church, where English composer Gustav Holst had played the organ From here we walked through white striped Tudor houses and colour washed homes from the Mediaeval period, to the very

“wonky” old Guildhall, in the cen tre of the town From here we re joined the coach and wended our way through the rural landscape of Essex to our main stop of the day at Lodge Garage and museum in the village of High Easter Here our Ploughmans lunch was waiting for us in the Museum, surrounded by old coaches and coaching items, collected by the Lodge family over the 100 years since their founding The highlight of the day, was two trips out around the local area, in a 1940s and then a 1950s vintage coach, through the local narrow roads and villages, bringing back memories for many of us of our daily trips to school and back over that period After tea and cake again in the museum we departed for our return journey

The monthly lunch of the Men’s club was held at the Sandy Conservative Club on Thursday 22nd September The meeting was opened by the President Peter Kirby who welcomed the 48 diners including our guest speaker David Longman, with apologies from those members unable to attend He then called up Ray Milsted a new member to receive his Club tie and badges and to welcome him to the club

Peter then asked all those pre sent to stand for a minutes silence in memory of Pat Moakes , a mem ber since 2011 who had recently passed away

He then followed this by giving his report and asking all Officers of the club to give theirs prior to the

lunch Grace was then said by David Gale

An excellent lunch of Pate, Gammon and Pineapple and Profiteroles

Following lunch the President asked all present to stand to observe two minutes silence in respect of our dear departed Queen He then proposed two toasts, the first to our late Queen, followed by the new loyal toast of God save the King

There then followed a 10 minute break to clear the tables

Resuming the meeting our Speaker finder Ray Morrissey, introduced the speaker for the day David Longman, who was going to give a talk entitled “Tales of Bedfordshire Churches”, David started by telling us that he originally set out to take pictures of all Bedfordshire Churches, but noticing information available in and around each church, gave a huge amount of information on the social history of the local area

His talk covered many interest ing factual and fictional stories many of our local ones, including characters both noble and notori ous, who had either visited or had been vicars or rectors of them in the past, far too many to detail in this short report As this was part one of four, I’m sure we will look forward to the remaining ones in the not to distant future

On conclusion, he was given a vote of thanks by Peter Bennett for a most interesting and informative talk followed by a round of applause

As there was no other business for the meeting it was closed by the President with the final toast, to Probians everywhere

SANDY BOWLS CLUB

Final result of the season

Saturday September 14, friendly Sandy Town 65 v Sandy Conservative Club 63 Pauline Thompson, Keith Blankley, Clive Foskett 16 Derek Millard, Ian Goddard, Bronda Lacey 17

Glenys Taverner, John Beaumont, Phil Donohue 19 Mark Thacker, Janet Millard, Mike Lacey 15

Jackie Currie, Alan Litchfield, Christine Foskett 16 Steve Garlick, Hilary Dark, John Hills 20

Margaret Nicholls, Gill Blankley, Ron Hampson 14 Roger Cowley, Gwenda Johnson, Gordon Newman 11

Last month’s ‘just for fun’ quiz question was prompted by one that I have had throughout this year and with no other information, is nye on impossible to answer: your lawn becomes covered with straw coloured growth which over time appears to die; what is the cause? Simply, it could be so many differ ent things

Drought, insects, leather jack ets, animal urine, fungal diseases like fusarium patch to name but a few

But there is another contender which I suspect is becoming more prevalent: the transference of harmful chemicals by foot traffic Spray weedkiller on to say a drive, then walk through it onto your lawn and it is very likely that you will take some of the chemical on your shoes

Over time, I have seen an increase in brown foot prints in lawns for this very reason and it is exactly the same with products used to clean patios, paths or edg ing stones Once sprayed onto hardstanding area, keep off the lawn is the best advice or of course, change your shoes!

This month’s just for fun ques tion then is: Your beds are still full of very happy looking sum mer bedding plants but you need to plant bulbs and wallflowers to brighten up the winter months: what do you do?

Do feel free to send me your suggestions as this is a quandary many of us face every year!

As always, many thanks to all of you for contributing to this col umn, keep them coming, and please contact me with any gar dening tasks or queries you may have, lawndocgardens@aol com or tel: 01767 627 581 or 07796 328 855

C O U N T Y B E D S B U L L E T I N

Looking forward to Investment Zone

BEDFORD’S mayor is “looking forward” to identifying potential benefits from the government’s new Investment Zones, but said more detail is needed

In September it was announced that Bedford Borough Council was one of 38 councils that had expressed an interest in the new Investment Zones

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC) said Investment Zones will be sites which have “potential to accelerate growth and deliver housing” and will “benefit from a liberalised planning process”

Bedford Mayor, Dave Hodgson, told the Executive Meeting (September 23) that the idea of Investment Zones appears to have developed very quickly

“Details are sketchy,” he said “But I understand that the proposal may include lower tax rates at cer tain sites, streamlining planning

by John Guinn L ocal Democracy Reporter

arrangements to accelerate growth, greater local control over funding, and possibly greater certainty over affordable housing numbers

“The proposals are still, in my view, unclear in many areas, and we need more detail in many areas, including infrastructure scales and timescale

“So I look forward to early dis cussion to clarify these proposals so we can identify the potential benefits for the borough and its res idents,” he said

COMPLEX SITES

The Investment Zones Factsheet said many of the “burdensome” requirements, which have made the planning of large sites slower and more complex, will be reduced

This, it added will enable devel opers to bring forward “good qual

ity” development which responds to the market

However, key planning policies, such as the national policy on the Green Belt, protecting heritage, and addressing public safety matters will continue to apply

A DLUHC spokesperson said: “Investment zones will help unlock growth where local communities want it

“They will incentivise invest ment and liberalise planning rules in specific areas to deliver homes and development

“We are in discussions with Bedford Council about the Borough becoming an investment zone ”

The successful areas will be chosen following a “rapid expres sion of interest process” and after local consent is confirmed

Charity awards grant to local hospice

THE Connolly Foundation has awarded £60,000 to Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice to support the vital services it provides through its Palliative Care Hub to people living with life limiting conditions across the county

The grant will go towards funding specialist care, support and advice to patients who prefer to receive care in their own homes, as well as supporting their families

Last year the hub supported more than 2,600 people over the course of more than 15,000 home visits

Allison Mann, Service Director at Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice, said: “Our Sue Ryder Nurses provide high quality compassionate care for people with an end of life diagnosis, as well as invaluable practical and emotional support for families and loved ones, by

offering a listening ear, answering their questions and preparing them for the future

We’re immensely grateful to the Connolly Foundation for this very generous grant, which will make a huge difference in helping us to ensure that people across Bedfordshire are able to access special ist palliative care in their own homes ”

St John’s Palliative Care Hub works together with local care providers, GPs, district nurses, specialist nurses, the ambulance service and other health and social care professionals to coordinate and provide the best possible care

The community service helps to improve choice for patients and increase the number of people who die in their preferred place of care It also reduces the strain on the NHS by reducing inappropriate hospital admissions

Colour coded hangers

TWO graphic design students at Bedford College, Ellie Di Carlo and Konrad Konopka, have come through with winning/highly com mended entries in the international ‘Creative Conscience Awards’

Selected from over 1,000 entries from universities and art colleges around the world, the awards were announced at an online ceremony in September Ellie and Konrad worked as a team as Higher National Certificate (HNC) students, developed a strat egy to influence the public’s shopping habits when buying fash ion by introducing a ‘colour coded hanger’ system to confirm a garment’s sustainability credentials

House

This is the second time students from The Bedford College South Bank Arts Centre have received a Creative Conscience Award Ellie (pictured) and Konrad have completed their HNCs, are now starting on the 12 month Higher National Diploma (HND) course

Ellie, aged 24, of Kempston hopes to progress on to a degree in design at the College Her claim to fame is singing at the Royal Albert Hall when a student at Daubeney School in Kempston Konrad, now 19, of Clapham, started as student at the college at the age of 16 Like Ellie he has undertaken a number of freelance design projects

Lurke Street, Bedford MK40 3HZ

01234 964911

The Will Writing Company is celebrating its 25th Year in business and is offering a free Will & Testament (joint or single) to all readers. If you have been meaning to make a Will, now is your chance to take advantage of this exclusive offer and give you and your loved ones peace of mind. By making a Will, you decide who takes care of your children and who inherits your estate. Storage facility optional.

To take advantage of this offer and book an appointment or for further information please call our offices on the above number between the hours of 9:00am-5:30pm Monday to Friday.

FREE WILL VOUCHER

by Maureen Catlin

ALTHOUGH

the temperature is cooling and the nights are much longer and many of your plants are going dormant there is still a lot to do in the garden during November

Autumn planting of everything from Tulip bulbs to Pansies and Wallflowers is well under way and the moisture in the soil makes it a great time to plant trees, shrubs and conifers In my garden I have colourful fruiting crab apples and winter flowering shrubs such as sweetly scented Mahonias and the variegated ever green leaves of Spotted Laurels and Hollys

November is also a great time for pruning many plants before winter arrives including Apple and Pear trees while many herbaceous perennials benefit from being lifted, divided and replanted Also, there’s still me to treat your lawn for moss as long as the temper ure is not too low and there’s adequate moisture in e ground

Plants requiring winter protection should have een taken to a cold greenhouse, cold frame or

our gardens too Habitats for birds can be improved with all those aforementioned trees and shrubs you could be planting, not just for somewhere to roost, but also for protection from predators Small garden trees such as Sorbus and Malus Fruitilciuos and Red Sentinal with a mass of little branches are favoured by small birds such as Blue Tits, Wrens and Robins where they can keep out of reach from bigger birds of prey especially The fruits and berries of these as well as shrubs such as Pyracantha, Cotoneaster and Holly will provide them with a hearty winter treat while Ligustrum and evergreen Viburnum Tinus are also good for roosting

covered in horticultural fleece by now dependent on their requirements These include Agapanthus, Fuchsias, Cannas, Bananas, Tree Ferns and Citrus If brought indoors most will prefer a light position with just enough moisture to keep them dormant Too high a temperature will start them back into growth

But it is not just the plants that require our care during the winter Spare a thought for the wildlife in

Birds like to be fed all year round but a few bird feeders or a bird table filled up daily with fresh food is particularly beneficial to them from now and through the next 6 months up until after baby birds have fledged from their nests I have been feeding all year long with premium fat balls in a no mess feeder which attracts a family of Blue Tits from my nearby wood land and the impressive Long Tailed Tit Birds prefer various feed blends including peanuts, sunflower seeds, hemp, pulses and more This will greatly increase the diversity of feathered friends that you will see

And it’s not just birds Frogs and Toads love not only a pond but pots laid sideways and log piles from your pruned trees which are perfect places to hide or hibernate Hedgehogs are on the decline nationally so why not install a Hedgehog house and leave parts of your lawn and borders overgrown for them Also ask your adjoining neighbours to make a Hedgehog high way between your gardens so that these friendly crea tures can move around freely

Finally, don’t leave out the insects For every one that damages our plants there are many more that help and protect Ladybirds are classic garden pest preda tors and without Bees and Hoverflies none of your flowers will be pollinated Old plant stalks and wooden window sills are common sleeping places for them and if you leave your shed window slightly open Moths, Tortoiseshell Butterflies and Lacewings may overwinter there too Bug hotels are all the rage and can be bought or simply made by tying together a bunch of bamboo canes and twigs with string

Let’s get gardening for the wildlife and ourselves in November

B GS student awarded prestigious scholarship

A BEDFORD Girls’ School Sixth Form student has been awarded the the prestigious Arkwright Engi neering Scholarship

One of the most esteemed schol arships of its type in the UK, Lower Sixth student, Alex Gentry, was awarded the scholarship upon completing a competitive rigorous selection process, which involved detailed written application and physics department reference followed by a two hour engineering Aptitude examination

Alex was one of 600 to be short listed for the final interview stage In the region of 270 scholarships were awarded to those who have consistently shown an aptitude for engineering and a passion to follow this as a career

Alex who is currently studying the International Baccalaureate

Diploma Programme (IB) said: “I am absolutely thrilled to have been selected for this award, and am excited for the potential it will create alongside my studies The scholarship will connect me with an engineering organisation who provide me with mentorship and guidance through the start of my career For me this is Reaction Engines Ltd , a British aerospace company that is developing solu tions for more high speed flight and accessible space travel “

“I cannot wait to begin my jour ney into engineering with an Arkwright Engineering Scholarship, between the work experience opportunities, financial aid, and the invaluable support offered to me by Reaction Engines Ltd I feel confi dent this award will kick start my career in engineering ”

Climate grant win

AN innovative climate change, social justice and sustainability course development project has the BERA BCF Curriculum Investiga tion Grant 2022 23

Newly appointed Dr Mahruf Shohel has won the prestigious British Curriculum Foundation’s grant along with his colleagues Alex Mortby and Charles Whewell to support research led course development activities at The Bedford College Group

The British Educational Research Association (BERA)’s biennial awards are much sought after across the UK and Dr Shohel and colleagues won the substantial sum based on The Group’s existing commitment to sustainability issues across the board The title of the project is, ‘Students as the Co creators of the Sustainability Curriculum: Developing an Introductory Course on Climate Change, Social Justice and Sustainability’

The BCF Curriculum Investiga tion Grant won by Dr Shohel is intended to support research led by

schools and colleges with a focus on curriculum inquiry and investi gation The theme for this year ’s applications was “Developing a cur riculum for climate and sustainabil ity education”

Said Dr Shohel: “This demon strates how much work is already being done in relation to climate change, social justice and sustain ability within The Bedford College Group which is worthy of recogni tion at the highest level This will be an exciting project and we look forward to making the project out puts available for others to use them’’

Dr Shohel joined The Bedford College Group (TBCG) as the Research and Development Manager this summer

He previously worked in research, teaching and develop ment roles in several universities including Cambridge, Manchester, Sussex, Glasgow, Leicester, Sunderland, Aberystwyth, the Open University and Bucks New University, as well as development organisations including UNICEF

Lieutenant’s Cadets ready for Ser vice

HM Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire Susan Lousada recently appointed her cadets for 2022/2023 at a ceremony held at The Army Reserve Centre in Bedford, by kind permission of Colonel Ray Wilkinson QVRM TD VR DL

Dignitaries present at the ceremony included the High Sheriff of Bedfordshire Lady Clifford, Chairman of Central Bedfordshire Council Cllr Gordon Perham, Chief Fire Officer Andrew Hopkinson, A/Superintendent Rachael Glenden ning, Chief Executive of the East Anglia Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association Colonel Ray Wilkinson QVRM TD VR DL and the President of St John’s Ambulance Anthony Duggan OBE

They were joined at the ceremony by the Vice Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire Chris Sharwood Smith MBE, representatives from the various

cadet and Youth organisations, military personnel, Deputy Lieutenants and cadets’ family members

The role of Lord Lieutenant’s cadets is to support the Lord Lieutenant in carrying out their duties, typically attending large civic services, Remembrance Parades and occasionally sup porting on Royal visits The cadets’ selection takes into account their outstanding contribution to their cadet community, and they are seen as ambassadors for their organisations

THIS YEAR’S CADETS

This year ’s cadets are Leading Cadet Orry Pestell (Bedfordshire Sea Cadets), Cadet Sergeant Lily Miller (Beds & Herts Army Cadet Force), Cadet Warrant Officer Tegan Dodimead (Beds & Cambs Air Training Corps), Police

Cadet Ella Lawrence (Bedfordshire Police Cadets) and Fire Cadet Lee Clarke (Bedfordshire Fire & Rescue Service)

At the same ceremony, the Lord Lieutenant presented a Letter of Commendation from the Society of the Protection of Life from Fire to SI Declan Rouse from Fourth Company, Beds & Herts Army Cadet Force

Speaking after the commissioning the Lord Lieutenant said: “I was very honoured to appoint five Lord Lieutenant Cadets and I am looking forward to working with these inspirational young people during the year ahead I was also so pleased to present SI Rouse with his Letter of Commendation His selfless act of bravery and decisive action ensured the safety of others and, for that, I sincerely congratulate him ”

Cople woman completes marathon in memor y of ‘dad’

A BEDFORDSHIRE woman has described running in the TCS London Marathon as quite simply amazing after she joined Sue Ryder ’s 86 strong team at the weekend to raise vital funds for the charity which cared for her father in law in his final days

Lyndsey Taylor, from Cople had never run a marathon before, but went on to complete the 26 mile stretch through the streets of the capital in just over six hours, raising more than £2,500 in memory of her father in law, Derek Taylor, who was cared for at Sue Ryder’s Moggerhanger based hospice eight years ago

Lyndsey, director of events management company, Park Lane Events, said: “It’s was a massive feat for me and something I said I would only do once It was never about the time I ran it in, if it took eight hours that was fine with me, I just wanted to cross the finish line and raise as much money as possi ble for Sue Ryder

“It’s true what people said to me before I ran the crowd really carries you through Seeing the Sue Ryder stand was emotional, espe cially when I saw my family stood at the first stand I passed The second time was quite late in the day, at which point, I really appre ciated the Sue Ryder team still being there It really meant a lot

“I am so pleased to have raised over £2,500 for Sue Ryder but also awareness too On the tube on the way home, I was wearing my medal and a lady asked me who I had run for, she knew who I was talking about and seemed quite touched that I was running for Sue Ryder Moments like this make all the training and effort throughout worthwhile, as well as the medal at the end of the course!

“I would like to say a huge thank you to my husband for keep ing everything going at home whilst I focussed on my training alongside running my business As well as everyone who has donated to my fundraising total,” Lyndsey added

Lyndsey’s father in law, Derek, was diagnosed with cancer in April 2014 He died just six short weeks later leaving his family devastated “He always said I was the daughter he never had, we were really close” said Lyndsey “He was a proper hands on grandad too,” added Lyndsey who has two daughters who were aged four and seven at the time their grandfather died

“I have a number of memories of Derek’s time at the hospice, one being when my four year old daughter was with us on one of our visits and wanted to eat her grandad’s ice cream The nurses didn’t mind; they were so flexible It’s those small things that stay in

my mind those last little memo ries where you can be a normal family in a medical setting that sometimes can feel quite scary

“It was only seven days that he spent at the hospice, but I could talk for hours about the care he received there It’s not only the support that the staff give to the patients that means so much, it’s how they treat the wider family too,” Lyndsey added

Running the marathon was also a personal goal for Lyndsey, after what had been another difficult

couple of years for her “When the Covid 19 pandemic hit, my business was basically flat lined I had over two years’ worth of events cancelled, I pretty much lost my business All that grief that I felt before came back I went through panic and anger the same motions as you do when you lose someone I felt like I needed to get back on track, so when the marathon came up, I was keen to sign up I just thought this is going to be easy in comparison to what I have been through before ”

Left to Right: Police Cadet Ella Lawrence, Fire Cadet Lee Clarke, HM Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire Susan Lousada, Leading Cadet Orry Pestell, Cadet Sergeant Lily Miller and Cadet Warrant Officer Tegan Dodimead

Left to right: Alex, Mahruf and Charlie

Is the party over for night time economy?

by Tony Hendrix

ast few years have seen the decline and ng of traditional British pubs across the r y as the hospitality businesses battled gh the pandemic towns where there were once several pubs, there might now only be a few that have stood the test of time

Pub culture is prevalent in Brits across the countr y, whether you visit a traditional pub for a candlelit dinner, or a drink with friends af ter work

However, the decline in business over the last couple of years has seen village pubs sold to the highest bidder as owners fail to keep up with rent and demand

A Bedfordshire pub, The Red Lion, has for tunately been saved from a similar fate af ter the community banded together to protect their much loved local watering hole

Not only have pubs throughout the UK seen a huge rise in closures the current energy crisis has really sealed the coffin for many

Many landlords have predicted that a pint of

beer could soon cost a staggering £20 for one pint in order to spiralling energy costs under control or simply face losing your local

Thousands of pubs facing spiralling losses will close in 2023, one Bedford restaurant boss I spoke to reveals his bills have soared from £2,989 a year to £22,812, this is simply crazy!

The par ty’s over too for many nightclubs within the UK , the odds that these already financially crippled venues sur viving this energy crisis is highly unlikely Businesses are calling on government to help with five fold increase in bills

Britain s nightlife, which struggled to sur vive when the pandemic kept revelers at home, is facing an uphill battle again as the cost of living crisis squeezes promoters and punters alike

Nightclubs have come to the end of the road if this energy crisis continues, prior to Covid many Clubs were already on their knees then Covid came along to give them a battering and now the Energy crisis has arrived to administer another financial battering!

Clubs are being hit by rocketing energy bills, while inflation has pushed consumer confidence to a record low and convinced many people to cut

out their non essential spending

Nightclubs I feel will soon be a thing of the past, far too many operators cannot see the writing on the walls and insist on tr ying to revive the 90s club today experience which made many of them ver y rich but this is simply now a dead end business and could be an ideal time to throw the towel in!

The trend is threatening to close more of the establishments that have helped make the UK a destination for tourists and which contributed billions a year into the UK economy before the pandemic, according to the Night Time Industries Association

“It’s been tough times,” said Hans Hess, owner of the Egg London nightclub near King s Cross, which along with most other clubs closed temporarily during Covid lockdowns “We re opened a year ago and now we’re faced with new problems such as inflation ”

Next month we will look at what our local venues who have managed to keep their heads above water have on offer over the festive season

MINCE

Two shows to get you laughing

Castle Comedy has two fabulous shows to get ever yone laughing this month

Saturday November 12 Castle Comedy Flitwick, The Rufus Centre

A classic mixed bill of comedy featuring TV names and rising stars!

TERRY ALDERTON is one of the most exciting comedians around, regularly per forming all over the globe, and picking up the odd award He is recognisable to fans as character ‘Terr y Spraggan’ in Eastenders Peeking inside the Technicolor mind of one of Britain’s finest comic talents and you will find him desperately doing battle with “The Voices”, two unpredictable and hilarious Voices in Terr y’s Head

His numerous TV stand up credits include Live At The Apollo Dave’s One Night Stand, Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Road Show and Live At The Comedy Store (Comedy Central)

“He’s proved himself as a comedian of dizzying inventiveness” ★★★★★ The Times

ANDY STEDMAN is one of the fastest rising musical comedians on the UK circuit! He is a hit at comedy clubs throughout the UK With a mix of jokes comedy songs and plenty of audience interaction he creates a real par ty atmosphere

FIONA RIDGEWELL a twenty something year old female, who has a skewed look at her life experiences whilst continually looking to achieve a fair y tale life Fiona has won a number of stand up comedy competitions and was a finalist in Funny Women 2020

Saturday November 19th Lasting Memories Charity Special at The Swan Hotel

A brilliant night of laughter to raising funds to suppor t those affected by cancer in the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Her tfordshire

PAUL ZERDIN is the UK’s number one comedy ventriloquist and winner of Series 10 of

America

sidekicks have

YouTube,

views

Talent The Champions He has appeared on countless TV shows including The World Stands Up (Comedy Central), Comedy Rocks with Jason Manford (ITV1), and three appearances at The Royal Variety Per formance!

JOHN NEWTON is known for his inventive writing, covering a massive spectrum of subjects from the surreal to the hard hitting, yet still managing to remember that the gag comes first In that respect he’s an old fashioned gag teller/writer and proud of it If you want jokes John is your man!

ANTHONY AYTON is a London kid who was the first black guy at an all white boarding school, Anthony has a unique and hilarious perspective on life which he weaves skillfully with plenty of ver y funny jokes, getting big laughs with all types of audience

PAUL REVILL will host the shows

Doors 7 30pm, shows star t 8 00pm Shows

10 45pm

around

£12/£15

from www castlecomedy co

B

Talent! Zerdin

2018 he appeared on Britain’s Got

Biddenham

Association:

Tuesday Art Group Kempston:

Musicals theme for the 22nd Christmas Tree Festival Christmas Crackers

St Paul’s Church, Bedford 30 November 4 December 2022

Over five days, the Festival will welcome 1000s of visitors to hear local children s and adult choirs and musical groups per form and to explore the display of more than 60 Christmas trees which light up the beautiful St Paul’s Church in the hear t of Bedford, with their vibrancy and twinkling lights The trees are decorated by local community groups, schools and firms and this year ’s theme for the decorations is ‘Musicals’

Entr y to the Festival is £3 and free for children under 16 This year the money raised will go towards funding much needed equipment for Bedford Hospital and suppor ting projects including

the Primrose Car Ser vice taking patients to and from Addenbrookes Hospital for radiotherapy, travelling in comfor t

The annual Festival Concer t on Friday, December 2, at 7 30pm features the ‘Miner va Piano Trio’ per forming pieces by Mendelssohn and Beethoven in addition to Christmas favourites It is a truly memorable evening for concer t goers to enjoy the beautiful trees at night in the majestic setting of St Paul’s Tickets £17 50 include a glass of wine from www peoplesfundraising com/conc er t tickets or phone 01234 783181

Despite the restrictions of COVID, the 2021 Bedford Christmas Tree Festival attracted

over 4,000 visitors, raising £13,411 shared by the two charities: the Bedford Hospital Charity & Friends and St Paul’s Church A separate dedicated Paediatric A&E unit at Bedford Hospital was one of the projects suppor ted by the 2021 Festival Why not star t the countdown to Christmas by helping to raise even more funds this year?

The Bedford Pipe Band will lead visitors to the opening of the Festival by Sue Lousada, our new Lord Lieutenant, at 10 30 am on Wednesday, November 30

The Festival is sponsored by Jayne Beard Associates

Opening hours: Wednesday Saturday 10 5, with a Christingle ser vice at 4 Sunday 12 4

It’s beginning to sound a lot like Christmas

Its jingle all the way at Kempston East Church, Kempston on Saturday, December 3, at 7pm when Bedford Brass will be giving a traditional Christmas Concer t The Band will be playing Christmas favourites that will have you rocking around the Christmas tree

Band Member Jenny Gellatly said: ‘We are delighted to be bringing the sound of Christmas to Kempston for our annual Christmas Concer t All we want for Christmas is for you and your family to buy tickets and enjoy a festive evening’ Doors open at 6 30pm Adults £5 00 Children under16 Free

Sandy Historical Research Group:

Kempston & District Model Railway Society:

Bedford Local History Society:

Oakley Rural Day Centre for the elderly:

Bedford RSPB Local Group:

Folk Dance Club:

Music Club:

Reeds Folk Dance Club:

B E D F O R D S H I R E B U L L E T I

United suppor ting women’s football

Unbeaten run of five matches

league

Saturday October 15

Hadley completely dominating the play after the break But despite several chances, they could not make it count and the game swung again in the 59th minute when Peter Rosemin got his marching orders after a second yellow card

The 3 points were heading back to Bedfordshire in the 82nd minute when a poor goal kick saw Tom Coles win the header which fell to Daniel Bond who split the defense and fired a nice finish past the Bricks keeper

Hadley did get a consolation with the last kick of the ball but the game was won after the red card

So FC up to third, albeit having played a game more than their rivals but it’s the highest they’ve been in their short history and they’ll be looking forward to Wednesday’s trip to Hertfordshire in what promises to be another tough game against a good FC Romania side

Wednesday October 12 FC ROMANIA ..........................0

BIGGLESWADE FC ................1 FC moved into second in the league after a dominant performance did not reflect their 0 1 win

FC were on their game straight from kick off, seeing most of the ball and creating early chances for Alex Marsh and Pat McCafferty However, the best chance found Luke Oswick unmarked at the near post from a corner, his header was well saved and somehow FC Romania managed to clear their lines from a goal mouth scramble

BIGGLESWADE FC ...............0

WALTHAMSTOW FC .............0

Biggleswade’s fifth game in two weeks looked to have taken a toll as a scrappy 0 0 was played out at the Eyrie

Biggleswade started the brighter and were the better team in the first half A couple of early corners and set pieces all came to nothing Charlie Hayford, FC’s dead ball specialist since he joined in the summer was on the bench through a minor injury and they missed his ability as Walthamstow flew into some late tackles in what seemed to be a game plan to upset FC’s momentum

FC despite seeing most of the

play we’re just unable to fashion the final ball and test Bradley Robinson in goal for The Stow

The second half was pretty much the same pattern of play but this time in favour of Waltham stow, as they grew in confidence and FC tired, probably as a result of playing two games a week for the last month, FC sat deeper and despite being under pressure for most of the second half they defended very well and Tyler Josephs deputising for the injured Dan Green remained untroubled

Biggleswade rallied in the last five or so minutes as they tried to nick the three points but it wasn’t to be, a point a piece then which neither side can complain too much about It’s another point for FC, stretches their unbeaten run to nine

BIGGLESWADE TOWN FC

Faultless display by Waders sees them through

FA CUP 3RD QUALIFYING REPLAY

Tuesday October 4

BIGGLESWADE TOWN .........3

BILLERICAY TOWN .............0 was the word from manager Robbie O’Keefe as the Waders finished the job in style, a job that started last Saturday and finished on a Wader ’s high, continued into last night

The match started with both teams playing a passing, let’s wait and see game

By Guillem Balague Chairman Biggleswade United

THE rise in the popularity of women’s football especially since the victory of England’s women in the recent European Championships has been expo nential and here at Biggleswade United we are proud to be playing a not inconsiderable part in its long overdue renaissance

We have history here with our Biggleswade United women’s team of the 1980s Regular winners of the Midlands league they used to play in, their moments of glory came back in the 1985 86 season and in their last season in 1988 89 making it both times to the quarter finals of the Women’s FA Cup

Here at Biggleswade United the amazing growth we have enjoyed recently means that we have no fewer than 40 women signed on to train and play for our Red and Blue women’s sides and scarcely a day goes by when we are not approached by more women and clubs looking to climb aboard the Biggleswade women’s football bus

But it is still a long way from being an level playing field between the men and women’s game although now with the help of VEO the new sponsors of our women’s section we have been able to go one stage further and make things fairer

Veo was founded in 2015 The company’s vision is to democratise the video broadcasting and analyt ics that up until today have only been available to professional teams, giving access to quality video technology to clubs, players, coaches, scouts, families and fans at reasonable prices

Their valuable and much appre

ciated financial support has allowed our club to end the iniqui tous situation whereby women at most clubs have to pay to play while men who play at a similar standard on the FA pyramid don’t

We can now boast one of the very few women’s set ups at this level in the country that do no charge their senior women subscriptions

In addition the funding will also be used for the funding of 10

training courses for women coaches/referees from the Biggleswade area, not necessarily just for those women who are already at the club

The money couldn’t have come at a better time with the popularity of women’s football both at the top level as well as at grassroots at an all time high and growing by the day and any women out there keen to find out more should contact us as biggleswadeunited@gmail com

It was Tom Coles again that got what would prove to be the winner in the 25 minute An excellent move saw Coles fouled on the edge of the penalty box He stepped up to take the resulting free kick and smashed a low shot under the wall and into the net FC Romania were better in the second but never really troubled Tyler Josephs in goal for FC

Biggleswade had plenty more chances of their own to kill the game but were unable to make the most their midfield dominance and excellent football

However, it didn’t matter as they collected another three points and moved into second place in the

After their last encounter each knew where the danger could come from Billericay had the best of the early exchanges but were unable to get clear sight on goal Notice was served when a Charlie Smith free kick destined for the top corner was pushed away by Seaden in the visitor ’s goal on 30

This confidence booster put Biggleswade on the up and more and more the attacks came The infectious Jon Clements chased and tackled and harried and it was his dipping shot that resulted in a corner on 36

In came the ball to the far post where Joe Howe made the connec tion to give the home side the advantage

Unbelievable, two minutes later Harry Draper running on the right beat two defenders before passing to Clements who made no mistake from two metres out on38 The wind taken out of the Billericay sails, they were happy to hear the half time whistle

After the break, as expected Billericay applied the pressure, but such was the Wader ’s defence that scares occurred but nothing to cause concern At the other end Clements and Draper were still asking questions of the Billericay On 60 with Charlie O’Keefe hav ing to go off through injury, a re shuffle meant Draper dropping back

On came Obi Onyeagwara to tease the defence causing all sorts of problems to the Billericay right side On 77 a through ball saw Clements run free from his marker, his early shot at goal, powerful from 20 metres fooled the keeper and he could only parry the ball into the net At 3 0 the game was up, just to keep a clean sheet

Resilient to the end, another proud performance for the Waders putting Biggleswade Town into the fourth qualifying round away at Farnborough

World Cup and multiple Spanish league winner, Xavi Hernandez shows his support for Biggleswade United when he met up recently with club chairman, Guillem Balague

Faultless display by Waders sees them through

by Mike Draxler

aged to push the ball away The game even and against the run of play John Ufuah got his head to the ball to give the home side an advantage

Timmy, Joe, Dan, Luke, Harry, Charlie, Liam, Obi, Aaron, Max, Charlie, Marcus, Jon, Harry, Lanwre, Jake, Robbie, Danny, Harry and Bradley all take a huge bow and enjoy the rapturous applause still ringing twenty four hours later

Just shy of a thousand football reports for the Waders, this match is up there with the best The whole squad did Biggleswade Town fc proud and hopefully that can con tinue in the replay Tuesday

Always going to be a tough question against higher opposition, both teams came out prepared to play the football that near to 650 spectators wanted to see The early stages saw the Waders give as good as was repaid by the home side Smyth had an early one on one with the keeper, but too early as Seaden in the home goal man

Doubling the lead on 45 Toby Stevenson headed home from a corner to give the early leavers for the break, satisfaction of an easier second period

But and you know there is always a BUT, straight from the kick off the ball found its way to Obi Onyeagwara whose jinking, dazzling run on goal beating the keeper low to his right to give hope and elation at the break 2 1

After the break Billericay upped their game coming on strong against a resilient Wader ’s defence Timmy Smith was outstanding, pulling off save after save

Beaten finally on 54 by Bradley Stevenson who shot through a crowd of players hit the net At 3 1 it might have looked game over but under estimation of this squad is misplaced Austin came off to be replaced by Marcus Goldbourne

On 70, I assume the manage ment went for a do or die approach as on came Clements and Ladipo

to give a cutting edge Draper moved up field to add more pres sure It was all Waders as they went in search of goals Brilliant play in the midfield finally released Max Granville to pull one back beating the keeper from a tight angle on 81

Concerned Billericay played deeper inviting Biggleswade on, time was running short but with encouragement from a vocal Green army somehow Jon Clements got his shot through a crowd of players to level up the game on 90+2

The home crowd were stunned but appreciative in the way the goals had been carved out I have to say it was a pleasure being at Billericay, making us feel very welcome from the off

We hope to repay the compli ment in the replay with perhaps the score line favouring the greens This match was pure magic, if the replay is half as good you will want to be there

Premier Plus Biggleswade, man of the Match Timmy Smith

FA CUP 3RD QUALIFYING REPL AY REPORT ON PAGE 19

Unbeaten run of five matches

by Antony Molinari

Saturday October 1

HERTFORD FC ........................2

BIGGLESWADE FC ................2

A thrilling 2 2 draw saw Biggleswade stretch their unbeaten run to five games in the league

With a good surface and two teams that like to play the ball on the deck, this was always going to be an entertaining game and so it proved

From the off it was end to end stuff and both keepers were called into action saving their respective sides numerous times

However, it wasn’t until the second half that the deadlock was broken and it came in fortuitous circumstances, almost from the kick off saw FC break, Tom Coles sent in a low cross and the Hertford defender ’s clearance ricocheted off Daniel Bond and into the net Dan Green kept FCs lead with a fine penalty save in the 50th minute and shortly afterwards it was two nil Alex Marsh with a fine lob after he beat the offside trap from a superb ball clipped over the top from Reiss Oteng

However, Hertford were not to be denied and soon after they made it two one with their second penalty of the match, this time Green unable to produce any heroics

And 10 minutes before the end it was 2 2, Hertfords Charlie Payne rose from a corner to ensure a share

of the spoils for the home side

It felt like a defeat for FC but in the end a point a piece was a fair result

Wednesday October 5

BIGGLESWADE FC ................3

CIRENCESTER TOWN ..........1

Goals from Jack Dryer and twins Lawrie and Alex Marsh saw FC win 3 1 on a chilly Wednesday evening under lights at the Eyrie

The hosts started brightly, Jack Dryer going close in the opening stages and he was on the scoresheet soon after In the 15th Minute Adam Hunt with a trade mark run down the right wing, beat his defender and his cross found Dryer at the back post, who calmly nodded in from close range

Town fought back well though, enjoying more of the play after the goal, they were soon level A result ing corner from a good set piece saw Town skipper Jack Lee win the header, which deflected into the FC net

After the break FC were soon back in front Lawrie Marsh scor ing from a tight angle after being forced wide from a good ball from his brother Alex Alex then made it 3 1 and effec tively seal the 3 points when club captain Tom Coles slide in a superb pass to Marsh who sent a well struck shot low past the stranded Harris in goal

Despite the difference in league

positions this was an evenly fought game and FC will be delighted to take the 3 points despite not being at their best

MOM Alex Marsh

Saturday October 9

HADLEY FC .............................1

BIGGLESWADE FC 2

FC moved into 3rd place in the league as they travelled to Hadley FC in what proved to be a lively encounter in North London

FC dominated the early exchanges, Lawrie Marsh prod ding wide after a mistake from the Hadley keeper However, the Bricks keeper soon made up for his mistake by making a fine double save, first diving to his right to deny Charlie Hayford’s penalty and then saving the rebound effort from Alex Marsh

There was nothing he could do a few minutes later though when Tom Coles hit a powerful shot into the top corner, it took a deflection, but the FC Captain won’t be both ered by that as he notched up yet another goal to add to his season’s tally

The chances continued to come in a one sided first half for FC, Pat McCafftey should’ve scored after his close range header came back off the bar in the 40th minute

It looked like FC would rue the missed chances from the first half,