CADS (Cheddington Amateur Dramatic Society), in association with Samuel French, are staging Seasons’s Greetings, a play by Alan Ayckbourn at Cheddington Village Hall on Friday, November 21 and Saturday, November 22.

In this hilarious comedy half a dozen relatives and friends are celebrating Christmas with Neville and Belinda. But what is Christmas without a few petty (and some 
not so petty) squabbles, a home-made puppet show, martyrs in the kitchen, a love triangle and maybe even a shooting?

Enjoy Christmas with this complicated family – it may help you to appreciate your own family Christmas all the more!

Tickets £6.50 adults £5 concessions from 01296 662398. Doors and bar open at 7.30 pm, show starts 8pm.

An Inspector Calls by Insp James Davies, Thames Valley Police’s Neighbourhood Inspector for Aylesbury Vale...

Last time I spoke about the increase we see in house burglaries at this time of year and how we are working to prevent these occurring.

It would of course be nice if the police had one focus that we could throw our resources into but clearly this can never be the case. Criminals commit all sorts of crime that must be investigated, the public and other agencies call for our help in all sorts of ways. One crime type which tends to be specific to our border with Bedfordshire is that of hare coursing. Now if you live in a rural area you will understand some of the issues with coursing.

Undoubtedly the cruel way the hare dies when first chased then killed by the dogs is important, but somebody who has just had their house broken into may ask ‘why worry about a hare when my house has been ransacked?’.

There is the damage to the crops and the threats to local farmers who try to intervene, but that’s not all! As a police officer what I find interesting is the profile of the average hare courser. These aren’t your average members of the public, who owns a dog and fancies a bit of gambling, and this is the crux of the matter. Hare coursing is big business and the organised criminals who take part in the events can bet thousands of pounds on each hare. The average courser has a long history of criminal activity and are usually the member of an organised crime group who’s day job may me be burglary, armed robbery and so on.

If you live on the Berkshire-Oxfordshire border it is more of a regular issue. On the Aylesbury Vale we rarely suffer from hare coursing so when officers are sent to a report it might be the first time they have dealt with it. Penalties for hare coursing are not severe, however one useful power is that we can seize the vehicles and dogs involved.

So why mention this when our focus is reducing burglaries? Policing is a difficult balance of competing priorities.

We have huge successes around catching burglars, however if we can’t get them through traditional means then we have to look at other avenues. Catch them hare coursing and take their cars, catch them drink driving and take their liberty. To summarise then the public expect the police to deliver in a whole host of different ways. Often it is not clear why we are focussing on a particular area of business, but rest assured that in these days of austerity we do not deploy resources on a whim, there is always a plan.

If you see hare coursing dial 999 and do not approach these individuals.

There was a victory for renewable energy after proposals for a solar farm to be built in the parish of Mentmore was given outline approval subject to conditions.

Councillor Peter Cooper was among the local politicians who vigorously opposed the application, arguing it would have a detrimental impact on the landscape.

Speaking after the meeting of the Strategic Development Committee of Aylesbury Vale District Council last week, he said: “I don’t have a problem with green energy projects, particularly solar farms. In the right place, they can work very well.

“But where they are situated in large flat areas as in this case, the site is overlooked by so many places.”

Talking about the residents of Mentmore, he said: “I think they are a bit shell-shocked, they went to the trouble of contacting the Secretary of State and I don’t think they were expecting this.”

In spite of local opposition, the application had received no objections from agencies during official consultations and was recommended for approval with the conditions attached.

Premier Division supported by Sportsform action this weekend sees 100% league leaders Renhold United make the short journey to face third from bottom of the table Pavenham.

The game is at Pavenham Playing Field where the hosts will be looking for just their second home win of the season. Whilst second place Shefford Town & Campton will be defending their own seasons unbeaten ways when tenth place Wootton Blue Cross come calling on them at Hitchin Road.

Over at Hillgrounds, seventh place AFC Kempston Town & Bedford College will be seeking their first league home win when called upon by bottom of the table Lidlington United Sports who themselves will be in search of their own first away win.

Also in search of their first home success will be AFC Turvey when they go into Thurleigh Playing Field action against fourth place Marston Shelton Rovers who thus far have lost just the once on the road in league action this season.

For second from bottom of the table Caldecote at Harvey Close it will be home action against eighth place Eastcotts AFC whose lone success on the road this season to date came at Sandy just over a month ago. Whilst at the Flitwick Community Football Centre, fifth place Flitwick Town having been beaten by just Renhold United on home turf this season play hosts to third place AFC Oakley M&DH whose away record to date reads played six, won four, lost two.

The final game comes at Lodge Road, the venue at which sixth place Sharnbrook now without a home win to their name since beating Eastcotts AFC on the opening day of the season take on a Wilstead side whose lone away win of the season also came at the expense of Eastcotts AFC back in early September.

In Division One for league leaders Henlow who still hold down a season’s unbeaten away record its a trip to King George VI Playing Fields to face tenth place AFC Oakley M&DH Reserves who will be playing just their third home game of the season.

For second place Elstow Abbey its home action at the Warren against second from bottom of the table AFC Harlington who will hit the road in search of their first away point/points of the season.

For third place Cranfield United its a trip to Dallow Road to be hosted by bottom of the table Brache Sparta where they will fully expect to collect all three points whilst just down the road at Stockwood Park Athletic Stadium, sixth place hosts Sundon Park Rangers receive a visit from fifth place Meltis Albion who removed them from the Bedfordshire FA Intermediate Cup just three weeks ago.

For the in-form fourth place Great Barford its the search of away win number three on the bounce when they journey to Hillgrounds to be hosted by seventh place AFC Kempston Town & Bedford College Reserves who are still awaiting their first home league win of the season and at Rectory Road, eighth place Shefford Town & Campton Reserves play hosts to Bedford SA losers of five of their seven away outings to date this season.

Other action comes in Allen Park, the new home base of Queens Park Crescents who receive a visit from a Riseley Sports side in search of just their second away win of the season. Whilst Ickleford Playing Fields is the venue at which third from bottom of the table hosts Marabese Ceramics go in search of their first home win of the season against the visiting ninth place Potton Town who will travel in search of just their second away win of the season.

In Division Two for sixth place Kempston Hammers Sports it will be like home from home when they travel to Cutler Hammer in search of their first away league win of the season against the hosting eighth place Kempston Athletic who themselves will be looking to return to winning ways on home soil following two consecutive defeats.

Whilst over at Greenfield Road, league leaders Westoning now on a four game winning run play hosts to a Bedford United side looking not to suffer their third consecutive away defeat.

For bottom of the table Wilstead Reserves at Jubilee Playing Fields the quest will be their first home league win of the season against the visiting fifth place Elstow Abbey Reserves and for third place Clapham Sports its a trip to face second from bottom of the table Marston Shelton Rovers Reserves at their Playing Field headquarters.

Over at Miller Road, seventh place Meltis Albion Reserves receive a visit from eleventh place Caldecote Reserves who have been defeated in all of their last five trips away from their Harvey Close home and at Renhold Playing Fields, third from bottom of the table Renhold United Reserves now unbeaten in their last three home starts play hosts to tenth place Moggerhanger United.

The final games come at Wootton Recreation Ground, the venue at which ninth place hosts Wootton Village take on fourth place Stevington who will in search of their fifth win on the bounce.

The game of the day in Division Three takes second place Clifton on the road to Crawley Road to face the still unbeaten at home and sixth place Cranfield United Reserves. Whilst at Bedford Road Recreation Ground its local derby action between the yet to win at home this season hosts Sandy Reserves and the visiting third place Ickwell & Old Warden Reserves who come in search of their fourth league win on the bounce.

For ninth place Flitwick Town Reserves it’s a trip on the road to Pirton Recreation Ground to be hosted by fifth place Lea Sports PSG who will be looking for their third home win on the bounce and at the Bedford Academy, the new league leaders Atletico Europa receive a visit from tenth place FC Serbia.

Other action comes at Redborne School, the venue at which fourth place Dinamo Flitwick still unbeaten in home 3G action this season take on second from bottom of the table Westoning U20 the losers of their last four away outings.Whilst Hillgrounds is the venue at which seventh place hosts White Eagles receive a visit from eighth place Shefford Town & Campton A .

A property development firm and a contractor have been ordered to pay a total of more than £180,000 for safety failings after an Eaton Bray man was killed while driving a dumper truck during construction works at a former military base.

Geoffrey Crow, 48, of Greenways, suffered fatal crush injuries in the incident at the former RAF Chenies site in Hertfordshire on February 13, 2012. The dumper fell into a deep and completely unguarded excavation, overturned and landed directly on top of him. He was killed instantly by the five-tonne machine.

Harrow-based Lois Gastoneaux Ltd and Michael Brett, a self-employed contractor working on the site at the time, were sentenced on Thursday after an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) identified serious safety breaches in their operations.

St Albans Crown Court heard that Mr Crow was working at ground level while others were working to excavate a deep basement for a swimming pool at a new build property belonging to the sole director of Lois Gastoneaux Ltd, Kevin Andrews.

The dumper went into the large excavation, which was up to 6.5 metres deep, shortly after he had freed the vehicle when it became stuck near the unguarded edge.

The HSE investigation found that despite operations being under way for some three weeks at the site, there were no measures in place to prevent people or vehicles falling into the excavation, or to prevent any collapse of the excavation faces onto those working below ground.

Additionally none of the workers on site, five including Mr Crow, were used to operating plant machinery, such as excavators and dumpers, as large as those they were asked to use here.

Neither did they have relevant construction experience despite being tasked with digging such a large excavation.

The seat-belt on the machine Mr Crow was driving was not operational at the time of the incident, and his colleagues also stated they would not usually wear seatbelts when operating the machines.

The court was told the range of issues were all contributory factors in the death, and that standards at the site fell well below those expected.

Lois Gastoneaux Ltd was fined £150,000 and ordered to pay £28,033 in costs after pleading guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and Regulations 37(6) and 31(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007.

Brett, of Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire, was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay £1,500 in costs after pleading guilty to breaching Regulation 37(6) and Regulation 31(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007.

Speaking after sentencing HSE Inspector Stephen Manley, said: “Working with construction plant can be extremely dangerous, which is why appropriate safety measures must be in place at all times to protect workers and others onsite.

“In this instance, Mr Crow died as a direct consequence of the lack of controls of the risks involved in the excavation operations.

“There was no protection whatsoever to ensure workers, whether driving machinery or otherwise, did not fall into the deep excavation.

“A number of people were at work with Mr Crow and they were all at risk of serious harm through the absence of physical controls, as well as poor maintenance of equipment and a lack of training and information provided to workers.

“There are clear industry standards setting out how to identify and manage risks, and guidance is widely available.

“So there is no excuse to let operations continue without having the proper health and safety measures in place.”

There were smiles all round at Keech Hospice Care yesterday (November 19) as children’s technology charity Lifelites arrived with a special package for little patients.

The cutting-edge equipment will empower young people with complex and life-threatening conditions to communicate effectively.

It’s designed specifically for disabled youngsters and its key element, Eyegaze, makes computers accessible.

Eyegaze allows them to track their eye movements through a camera, enabling them to move the cursor around the screen.

Children whose families and carers thought they were unable to communicate can now do so with this magical technology.

They can tell their carers what they would like to eat or drink and can even, for the first time, tell their parents that they love them.

It means these children can enter and stay involved in the world around them for as long as possible.

Lifelites aim to install an Eyegaze package in children’s hospices across the country.

Keech chief executive Mike Keel said: “Many of the children we care for are unable to communicate their wishes which is frustrating for them and their families.

“This new technology will make a hige difference and will provide them with the ability to express themselves and take enjoyment in technology like the majority of healthy young people.”

He added: “Cutting-edge tehcnology like this is very expensive so we are very grateful to Lifelites for this donation.”

Lifelites boss Simone Enefer-Doy said: “This has been a really exciting year for us.

“We’ve created a new training manager role which demonstrates our ongoing commitment to making sure children in hospices are getting the most out of our technology.

“As well as more laughter and smiles, we’re well on the way to providing Eyegaze at more than a quarter of children’s hospices in the British Isles.”

> Hospices do not pay for Lifelites projects and all the charity’s work is funded by donations.

The equipment, ongoing technical support and training at each hospice costs about £50,000 over a four year period.

Support for the Keech project came from Khoo Teck Puat UK Foundation, Revere Charitable Trust, Lodge of Tranquillity and Mrs B L Robinson’s Charitable Trust.

Leighton Buzzard Salvation Army Band is celebrating its 125th anniversary this Saturday and Sunday.

There will be special celebrations at the Citadel, Lammas Walk, being led by Commissioner William Cochrane, and renowned instrumental soloists Derek Kane (Euphonium) and Thomas Fountain (Cornet).

Many former members of the band are revisiting Leighton Buzzard on Saturday afternoon to take part in the reunion, which will feature a musical workshop conducted by Derek Kane (principal Euphonium of The International Staff Band of The Salvation Army).

A Celebration Festival will be given by Leighton Buzzard Band on Saturday evening at 7pm. Everyone is welcome.

Formed in 1889, three years after The Salvation Army was opened in the town, the band was not very well received (according to the local press at that time) as it consisted of a “squeaky clarinet, brass instruments blown out of tune, and an insufferable drum”!

However, a few weeks later another report appeared which said “The Salvation Army Band was pleasant to listen to on a Sunday afternoon”.

That was the early forerunner of the band celebrating its 125th anniversary this year.

Between 1889 and 1912 the band played under the leadership of eight bandmasters, but in 1912 Mr George Reeve became the Bandmaster 
and held this commission until his retirement in 1960, completing 48 years in this position.

To commemorate the occasion his retirement ceremony took place in Market Square and BBC TV cameras recorded it. Since this date the leadership of the band has been undertaken by six further Bandmasters, the present leader being Gordon Camsey assisted by Deputy Bandmaster Richard Guess.

Now celebrating 125 years of service and witness in the town, the band still thrives, having given unbroken service throughout all the years, and surviving two World Wars in the process.

A number of bandsmen paid the Supreme Sacrifice during the Great War.

The band has maintained a regular presence in the town over the years by assisting at many civic occasions, in particular the Christmas Eve Carol Singing, and supporting many charitable events, as well as being ever present at Sunday services held at the Citadel.

Over the many years the band has travelled extensively throughout the country to conduct weekend services at the invitation of other Salvation Army Corps.

A spokesman said: “The band today numbers some 26 musicians, men and women, ranging in age from students to retirees, and from a variety of vocations.

“It is the hope and desire of every member of the band that it may long continue in its service in The Salvation Army in Leighton Buzzard.”

Leighton Buzzard Canal Society and Leighton Buzzard Narrow Gauge Railway Society are holding a film evening with Frank Banfield at Dobbers Restaurant, Pages Park tonight (Friday, November 21).

Come along and relive the scenes of the 40s, 50s, 60s age of steam railways, narrowboats and veteran cars

Refreshments available andthere willbe a raffle. All are welcome. Admission £4 , raffle £1. Arrive at 7.15pm for a 7.30pm start. More details on 01525 378656.

Doc Spot by Dr Chris Marshall of Salisbury House Surgery

Some of the truth about Alzheimer’s is hard to write about in a non-medical paper. The average length of time from the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s dementia to dying is seven years.

Fifty per cent of people in care homes have dementia and this is a great cost for families. But the harder burden is for carers looking after their loved ones in the family home. With regard to our health we are not just passive recipients of what life throws at us. It is true we can randomly get some bad things - some odd cancers, accidents and some types of arthritis for instance. Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia do come along as we are getting older, but 30 per cent of cases can be attributed to potentially modifiable risk factors.

Alzheimer’s is what occurs in 60-80% of the 500,000 people affected by dementia in the UK. So if this burden can be reduced by 30 per cent it would be a massive improvement and help for spouses, carers, families and society as a whole. I would recommend that you think about what you are doing now that can impact on your risk.

So what are the modifiable risks? They are the usual suspects if you have seen some of my earlier articles, which are still accessible on the LBO website, plus a couple of other factors: smoking, hypertension in midlife, obesity in midlife, physical inactivity, diabetes, depression, low educational attainment and use of benzodiazepines (such as Valium, Diazepam or Temazepam).

Our Government and governments worldwide need to help with access to good education. After thinking about it, the important thing is to make a positive change.

Make changes for yourself, your future and also for the future of your children and family. A lot of the above factors are our own responsibility, but the health service needs to support with good treatment and efforts to reduce the prevalence of above risks. (It may be worth revisiting the ‘23 and a half hour’ YouTube video). The health service cannot pick up all the broken pieces, especially if we started breaking the pieces 25-30 years earlier.

Building work is finally due to start on the country’s biggest on-shore wind turbine at Heath and Reach, three years after its planning application was originally approved.

The 450ft tall turbine will be situated at Double Arches Quarry in Eastern Way.

It will be a commanding feature, standing twice the height of the spire of All Saints Church in Leighton Buzzard.

Construction of the turbine is due to start on the week beginning Monday November 24, and is expected to be completed by Friday November 29.

Ian Foll, of AWE Renewables Ltd who are co-ordinating the project, said: “Assuming we don’t get dreadful weather, it should be built by the end of next week.

“The turbine comes in five sections, with a large nacelle – the main turning facility – that goes on the top of the turbine.

“In terms of generating renewable electricity, this is an exciting project. We anticipate it will generate 5.5 million kilowatts perhour.”

It is estimated the turbine alone would produce enough energy to power well over 1300 homes.

The project is currently being run by AWE Renewables on behald of applicant Engena Ltd, specialists in renewable energy projects.

A Germany company have been hired to carry out the construction, which should take only a few days.

Back in 2011, plans for the turbine received strong support from environmentalists, Friends of the Earth, local quarrying companies and the Leighton Narrow Gauge Railway, who stated the country needed to embrace renewable energy.

No councils formally opposed the plans, although there were some concerns at the time from nearby residents

Leighton Buzzard Writers’ Group weekly column. This week by Sarah Thorogood...

When was the last time you bought a new book? By book, I mean an actual copy you can hold in your hand, not an ‘e-book’.

I was in Waterstones the other day buying a handful of books (with a well-thought out present of a book voucher) and it occurred to me that 
although books seem to still be popular, smaller independent bookshops are disappearing.

Take Leighton Buzzard, it used to have two independent book shops tucked away as well as a WH Smiths. Now only WH Smiths is left and the other two stores have sadly closed. The trouble is that the chains and supermarkets get all the brand new titles and can afford to sell them at ridiculous prices and with special offers.

The smaller, independent shops have no chance of keeping up with them and their bread and butter is taken away.

This is such a shame, as even with the takeover of technology (kindles, e-books), people are still buying hard copies of books from the high street and online. That’s a testament to how important they are to both reader and writers alike.

For me there’s nothing quite like the feel and smell of a brand new book, I’m excited every time to open to the first page and begin reading. I was pleased to find out that 56% of all book buying decisions are made by customers in a bookshop and high street book shops (both chains and independents) still account for almost 40% of books bought by customers (figures from Books are my Bag campaign).

Yet as Leighton Buzzard clearly shows (and I’m sure this is true for towns and cities all over the country), many high street bookshops are under threat from technology as well as the ease of online shopping.

There is something special about standing in a bookshop.The opportunity to browse hundreds of titles, to feel and smell the paper on which they are printed and the calm, yet buzzing atmosphere.

You just don’t get this online or in a busy supermarket.

So if books are ‘your bag’ as they are very much mine, let’s try and ensure that our town doesn’t lose its last bookshop.

An Albanian man who tried to evade capture in his Audi A8 when National Crime Agency officers foiled a drug deal which also involved a Slapton man, has been jailed for 13 years and six months.

Luiz Gjergji, 29, of Sydney Road, Enfield, was under surveillance at the White Lion Retail Park in Dunstable on the afternoon of Wednesday, September 24 when officers observed a parcel being handed over during a meeting with his younger brother Adriatik, 26, of Mount Road, Hendon, and Julian Perry, 40, of Church Road, Slapton.

When officers swooped, Gjergji sped off in his Audi A8, with an officer trying to hold on to the door handle. He crashed through a hedge and punctured his tyres by driving over a central reservation in the busy car park.

He abandoned the car outside Homebase in Luton Road, Dunstable and ran into a police motorcyclist. After a violent struggle he was caught and found to be in possession of a kilo of cocaine.

Gjergi’s Audi had a concealed compartment within the glove box, which was used to store drugs and cash.

The other two men were arrested in the car park. The parcel contained £42,200 and five kilos of benzocaine.

Component parts of a handgun and ammunition were found at Gjergji’s house, and a further kilo of cocaine and drug wrappings were found at Adriatik’s home.

All three men appeared at Luton Crown Court on Thursday and pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, money laundering and firearms offences. Gjergji’s brother Adriatik and Perry were also jailed, and received nine years four months and six years eight months respectively.

Neil Smith, from the NCA’s Specialist Operation Unit, said: “Gjergi and his criminal associates thought they could get away with doing their drug deal in broad daylight. Little did they know we were watching their every move.

“Gjergji’s desperation to save his own skin put the lives of shoppers and our officers at risk but thankfully no-one was injured.

“The NCA will continue to target those responsible for trafficking illegal drugs .”

An ancient Greek warrior becomes famous as highly exaggerated tales of his exploits spread throughout the land in HERCULES (12: Paramount) .

He is forced to live up to his mythological status when he joins forces with a group of mercenaries to restore a deposed king to his rightful throne.

Several Hercules movies have been made recently and this is by far the most successful as it finds the correct balance between self-deprecating humour, heart and epic action.

Hercules (an imposing Dwayne Johnson) and his five-man army of loyal followers are hired to train the Thracian army to fight an evil warlord. But the muscle-bound hero learns too late it’s a double-cross, part of a plan for megalomaniac King Cotys (John Hurt) to rule Greece.

The story plods in places and the only companion of Hercules to really register is Ian McShane’s seer with his amusing death predictions.

Yet the cracks are papered over with incredibly exciting battle scenes, bladed chariot combat and warrior hordes, enhanced by CGI that sends the adrenaline racing.

> The follow-up to The Inbetweeners Movie is unlikely to win over non-fans, but series devotees will enjoy this latest outing for the kings of uncool.

THE INBETWEENERS 2 (15: Entertainment In Video) sees Will (Simon Bird), Simon (Joe Thomas) and Neil (Blake Harrison) head Down Under to reunite with Jay (James Buckley), who boasts of his new life in Oz.

Motivated by various romantic entanglements, the boys embark on a backpacking adventure that will see them flirt with disaster once again. While sticking with a familiar approach in terms of humour, enough freshness and conflict is mixed in to guarantee this is no mere retread.

There’s a hint of heart underneath the swearing and gross-out comedy. Although you may find yourself hiding behind your fingers at Will’s fireside serenade, or Neil’s dolphin encounter, most of the film’s success lies in teetering between hilarious and unbearable.

> The provocative premise of The Purge, released in 2013, was that for 12 hours every year, all crime goes without punishment.

It was essentially a watchable siege movie, but by the end of incident-packed sequel THE PURGE: ANARCHY (15: Universal) it’s evident that an intriguing idea might be stretching itself a tad too far.

Instead of one well-to-do family under attack, here it’s a soon-to-separate couple, a single mum and her daughter and a tooled-up loner.

They’re on the downtown streets and at the mercy of paramilitaries, masked biker gangs and other loons eager to “release the beast”.

> Miami street dancer Sean Asa (Ryan Guzman) moves to Hollywood with visions of fame and fortune, only to discover the almost insurmountable odds of making it in the professional dance world in STEP UP 5: ALL IN (PG: Universal).

But when the new dance crew he forms with the beautiful and headstrong Andie West (Briana Evigan) reaches the final rounds of a high-stakes reality TV competition in Las Vegas, he has a shot at finally making his dreams come true –if he can set aside old loyalties and rivalries.

Ollie Vee’s, Leighton Buzzard’s vintage and retro emporium, has officially launched its tiki cocktail bar in time for Christmas after transforming its cafe and basement into a tropical hideaway.

The shop, in Market Square, is celebrating the opening with free entry to its Hawaiian Christmas party on Friday, November 28, followed by an entire weekend of cocktails and music.

The launch comes as Ollie Vee’s aims to become the most exclusive music venue in Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, with live acts new to the region, the only tiki speakeasy in the surrounding area and limited ticketing for truly intimate gigs.

The tiki bar will open from the Friday night for the turning on of the Leighton Buzzard Christmas lights and fireworks display, with mulled wine and tropical cocktails available until 1am as DJs spin hula rock ‘n’ roll vinyl records from a bamboo hut.

On Saturday, November 29, Hazel and the Finger Choppers will play live rockabilly blues downstairs in the tiki lounge. Tickets available DJs and drinks will continue until 1am.

The bar will also open on the Sunday afternoon while the rest of the vintage shop will be open all day as usual.

For more details visit www.ollievees.co.uk

Leighton Steam got their first taste of victory last week as they beat Bedford Thunder 50-35.

This was the strongest squad assembled so far for a Steam game and it showed, as debuts were handed to Marcin Bucky, Dave Elliot, Ryan Peacock and Ollie Butcher.

From the off, Steam were well in control, and dominated the paint in the first quarter.

Steam overpowered the Thunder roster - a recurring theme for the night. Commanding performances under the rim from Peacock, Childs, Broome and Elliot meant that Steam constantly gave themselves second shot chances or were able to recycle the ball at both ends.

Richard Watts found his range early and started hitting three-pointers for fun.

Marcin Bucky, playing on the perimeter, took a different approach often using his speed and strength to drive the basket and score points off the board.

Lewis Manu took on the sixth man role for Steam and came off the bench to add a huge presence in defence - his hustle and assists going forward maybe going unnoticed by some, but not by his team-mates who benefitted.

Chris O’Donnell did an excellent job at point guard, stepping into a role he wasn’t used to to run the attacking play.

As the game went on, Steam were building on their lead, a very impressive performance from Tom Childs who lead the scoring for the black and white with 18 points.

Tom was sinking the ball from all over the court and his help in defence with as many rebounds helped him receive the MVP award for the game.

Steam are an inexperienced side but have veteran Ollie Butcher running the offence. Ollie not a veteran by age but certainly his playing years helped control and run the team on the court.

Ollie had a huge influence on this result and will be important going forward.

In all, it meant Steam were well in control as Thunder couldn’t match them at either end of the court, to win 50-35.

Steam train on Thursday nights at Vandyke school. They also need volunteers to help with refereeing and being table judges - training courses will be paid for and judges get paid per game. Email leightonsteam@hotmail.com for more information.

As the hit Yellow Flicker Beat by Lorde from the soundtrack says, “This is the start, of how it all ends…”

And it’s fitting because The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 is exactly that, the first part of the conclusion to the massively popular teen friendly near future dystopia-’em-up.

Picking up immediately after The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, we join the plucky heroine Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) who in the aftermath of the 75th Games has been whisked away to District 13 by the anti -Capitol rebels led by Plutarch Heavensbee (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) and President Coin (Julianne Moore).

But rebellion doesn’t come easy, especially as Katniss’s childhood friend Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) was left behind, captured and is being used by evil Capitol President Snow (Donald Sutherland) to spread morale-sapping propaganda messages.

What’s a girl to do? Well Katniss takes on being the rebels’ symbol of resistance – the Mockingjay – and inspires those sworn to take down the corrupt Capitol regime in planning just how they might fight for freedom for all the districts.

As the Capitol begins to up the ante by blanket bombing District 13, the rebels strike back by knocking out one of the main hydro-electricity dams which disrupts power to their anti-air defences and allows for a potential daring mission led by Katniss’s romantic interest Gale (Liam Hemsworth). As Katniss says: “I have a message for President Snow: If we burn, you burn with us!”

So Mockingjay moves the action beyond the original Hunger Games and replaces the life and death arena struggles with a grittier bigger picture of all-out civil war. Having not read the books I was pleasantly surprised because I wasn’t looking forward to any more ‘games’ and was wondering where author Suzanne Collins was going to take the action.

With kick ass special effects, several nail-biting set pieces and an overall ramp- up of tension, Mockingjay delivers not just an interesting political element but also a rousing human spirit adventure which is well worth checking out for fans of the books and sci-fi movie lovers, too.

As this is only ‘Part 1’ the end of Mockingjay is left hanging, meaning that viewers will have to come back and find out how it all ends.

Clare Shuffill faced her life long fear of spiders to raise money for Autism Bedfordshire.

The fundraising event was at Southcott Lower School, it was part of Loads Of Autistic Fun.

Jungle Jo, who does educational animal displays, brought her creepy crawlies to the event.

Ms Shuffill plucked up the courage and held the tarantula to raise money for the charity.

Gill Christmas, senior funding officer, said: “Fundraising events are a very important source of income for Autism Bedfordshire and we are extremely grateful for every penny raised.

“We find that not only do these activities raise valuable funds for the charity, but they also raise awareness in the community about autism and the work that we do to support people affected by it.”

She has raised £100 on her online fundraising page, to donate, visit: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ClareShuffill

For more information about Autism Bedfordshire, visit: http://www.autismbedfordshire.net/

Leighton Town let slip their lead as they went down 2-1 to Rugby Town on Saturday.

Christian Lester gave Town a 22nd minute lead when he struck from 20 yards.

But Rugby equalised just before the break, then took the lead with 25 minutes to go, holding on to take the win.

Craig Bicknell was without two regulars for the trip to Butlin Road, but it didn’t stop the visitors from looking the better side in the opening exchanges.

Aaron Morgan missed an early chance for Leighton, but Justin Marsden should have done better for Rugby when he found himself unmarked, but completely miscued his strike, injuring himself in the process.

Rugby were made to pay for their mistake though, when Michael Lyon’s shot ricocheted off the Rugby defence before dropping to Christian Lester, whose snap-shot volley sailed into the net to put Leighton in front.

But the lead wouldn’t last until half time. Having avoided a scare when Mark Bunker almost put into his own net, Richard Blythe’s surging run and shot managed to pull Rugby level five minutes before half time.

The home side could have taken the lead within seconds of the restart when Sam Youngs hit the upright. The loose ball fell to Marsden, but Dan Green spread his body to keep the ball out.

Leighton had a great double chance to regain the lead when Watson drew a great save from Richard Morris and then Alex Gudger cleared Morgan’s follow-up off the line.

Rugby would take the lead with 25 minutes to go though courtesy of a spot kick. Lester’s late challenge sent Youngs tumbling in the box, and the striker dusted himself off to send Green the wrong way, putting Rugby 2-1 ahead.

Not willing to go down without a fight, Leighton fought desperately to try and snatch an equaliser, with Lester and Tyrone Taylor both coming close for the visitors to no avail.

By Tim Carroll, Vandyke Upper School headteacher and chairman of the Leighton Buzzard Headteachers’ Group...

I am reading that the Ofcom regulator has said that many consumers are bewildered by the packages available for accessing TV and online media services. The fragmented market and way that companies promote their bundles is leaving many confused.

I feel relieved that somebody has at last come out and said this. It means that I can now say, “I too am confused”.

But it is not so much the plethora and complexity of multi-media options that has left me confused, rather the changes announced week after week that will affect children’s work in schools.

To be honest I don’t care a great deal about TV, satellite, cable, online and multi-media deals – I have little inclination to watch these channels, no wish to play the games and am quite satisfied with my existing choices thank you very much.

If I can find time to read my newspaper and occasionally venture out to a cinema then I think I have done well!

Making time to be “entertained” or grapple with “pay-TV subscriber premium products” is a bridge too far.

But the complexity of changes coming to curriculum and assessment that will affect staff and students matters a great deal to me. This I do care about.

I will be so bold as to assert that schools are expert in managing change – we have had enough practice after all – but the fresh waves of legislation and proposals for reform are leaving most schools breathless and, yes, confused.

Breathless at the pace of change and confused about the purpose and unhelpful timetable.

To be clear, every GCSE course is being re-written and the grading moved from the A*-G scale to 9-1 (note that this entails an 8 point scale morphing into 9). On top of this all A-level courses are being re-written and AS-level and A-level separated.

The phasing takes place over the next few years starting from 2015.

One consequence of this plan is that students sitting GCSEs in summer 2017 (current Year 9 students) will receive some grades of A*-G and some on the numerical 9-1 scale.

For Sixth Form students some courses will have AS-levels that contribute to the final A-level result and some will not.

For many of us this is, if not confusing, at least unhelpful and needs an urgent re-think by all involved.

Euan Irwin’s try at the death snatched victory from the jaws of defeat for Leighton Buzzard as they beat Witney 17-15 on Saturday.

Leighton only led for a handful of minutes at the end, but it was enough to see off their rivals for sixth place, while closing the gap to Newbury Blues ahead.

Buzzards kicked off but it was the home side that replied forcing their way into the visitor’s twenty two and gaining a lineout close to the try line.

From the resultant catch and drive Witney second row Charlie Bennett bundled over to open scoring on three minutes. The conversion was missed.

Leighton replied with strong runs from the three quarters but the home side’s defence stood firm. However, after twenty two minutes it was Witney who extended their lead. Turning over Buzzard ball they put together an attack winning good ruck ball ending with neat handling to put left winger Ben Fisk in at the corner. Again the conversion was unsuccessful.

Six minutes later the home side were to suffer a cruel blow, Flanker Carl Campbell sustaining a serious leg injury. Play was held up for fifteen minutes whilst he received medical attention, later to be stretchered from the field and onwards to hospital. Everybody at Leighton Buzzard RFC sends their best wishes to Carl for a speedy recovery.

Play resumed under lights, with the home side reduced to fourteen men, Centre Henry Lamb having incurred the Referee’s displeasure. From the resultant penalty The Buzzards kicked for the corner to secure a lineout.

Unfortunately the ball was stolen from the throw, Witney cleared, and the opportunity was wasted.

The half ended with Witney leading 10-0.

The home side got the second half under way, and it wasn’t long before their powerful pack exerted pressure on Buzzards defence, forcing their way into the visitor’s twenty two.

From a Witney scrummage close to the Leighton line the ball was spun across the back line to find Fisk who scored his second try, touching down in the corner. Again the conversion was missed.

Leighton continued to press without being able to penetrate the home defence. With twenty minutes to go it was time to ring the changes. From the interchange bench Elliott Swann, Dan Baroux and Luke Stanbridge joined the fray.

With seventeen minutes to go, losing 15–0, the omens did not look good for Buzzards. However, sticking to their plan of keeping the ball in hand they finally penetrated the visitors defence, Stanbridge finishing off a trademark backs move scoring in the corner. David missed the conversion.

From the kick off Leighton returned to the home twenty two forcing the home side to concede penalty. Opting to kick for the points which would secure a bonus point, David’s kick was wide of the uprights.

Leighton’s pack was now dominant and causing problems for Witney.

With five minutes to go home Number Eight Rich Haire was yellow carded for punching an opponent.

From the resultant penalty Buzzards kicked for the corner, secured the ball from the lineout, set up a driving maul for Baroux to emerge from a pile of bodies with the successful touch down.

On not a good afternoon for the kickers David was again unsuccessful with the conversion.

Leighton were now totally dominant, Witney giving away penalties, scrum half Ed Ratcliffe taking quick taps, and from one ten metres out he set up skipper Euan Irwin to crash through two defenders to score under the posts.

Scores level – a conversion to come, which, if successful, as the last play of the game, would give Buzzards the spoils.

This time David made no mistake to seal the two extra points and secure the narrow 17-15 victory.

Next week, Buzzards have a week off, but play Maidenhead on December 6.