With the six week summer holidays looming parents will be pleased to know Waddesdon Manor has it covered with all welcome to join the Estate’s feathered mascot Mimi the Mynah for a family fun European tour.

Mimi’s European Adventure runs from July 26 to August 28 (Wed-Sun, 10am-4pm). You will join Mimi the Mynah for a European tour in the grounds of Waddesdon Manor. Celebrating the Rothschild family heritage, try a new themed activity each week inspired by the five countries where the Rothschild brothers made their homes.

If you’re still feeling the effects of a night out this weekend, it may be because you’re now “too old” to go to a nightclub.

New research has revealed 37 is the age we are officially “too old” to be seen a nightclub.

Researchers took a look into the nation’s social lives and revealed over half (46 percent) of us dread nights out, preferring to cosy up in front of the telly, no matter what the weather.

And according to the respondents, 37 is the age it becomes tragic to go to nightclubs, with 31 emerging as the age we officially prefer staying in to going out.

Nights out being too expensive was the main excuse for six in ten unsociable Brits and a further 29 percent said they simply can’t face a hangover the next day.

Nearly half said evenings out were no longer “their scene” and a further 14 percent moaned about the unpredictable weather when hitting the town.

Having to get dressed-up (22 percent), the laborious process of arranging babysitters (12 percent) and the hassle of booking taxis (21 percent) were also among the reasons adults are shunning evenings out.

A long-suffering 13 percent of women said their feet hurt too much wearing high heels, so it just wasn’t worth the effort. 46 percent said they love nothing more than changing into comfortable clothes for a night-in - and 44 percent said they like to kick back and slouch on the sofa for hours on end.

Three in ten of the adults polled said a perfect night-in would be devouring a boxset and nearly a quarter like to spend an evening in whiling away the time on social media the poll found.

Eight in ten adults polled said they feel relieved when having a night in and they see friends posting pictures on social media of raucous, boozy gatherings.

The survey also found that on a typical night out, Brits will fork out £35, however the perfect night in with a take-away, drinks and snacks will only set you back £17, according to the results.

Matt Walburn, Brand and Communications Director, Currys PC World commented: “The Great Indoors study recognises the fact that there comes a time when we appreciate our home comforts more than a hectic social life and it can often be a drag to play the social butterfly at parties and nights out.

He added: “Technology is a big lure of staying in and our findings show how it’s transformed home habits, with Brits proudly investing in their households more than ever before. “It’s now almost impossible to get bored at home, with endless box sets and the latest technology, such as 4K TV, enhancing the in-house experience, so much, that it often surpasses its ‘outdoor’ equivalent.

“That coupled with social media, online shopping, and gaming with pals often means more pleasure can be had on a night IN than a night out.”

37 percent of respondents said there is nothing more tragic than seeing adults in their 40s and 50s surrounded by twenty somethings in pubs and bars.

Of those polled, nearly 7 in ten said they were relieved when they met ‘the one’ as it meant they no longer had to trawl the local haunts for a suitor and could finally embrace cosy nights in.

But 29 percent said they still have an active social life, preferring to have big nights in, where they order in food, watch films or cook big curries.

In fact, 14 percent said when they invite friends round, their favourite pastime is to stalk people on Facebook and 28 percent play computer games.

A lively 17 percent crank up the karaoke machine and 18 percent watch box-sets or streaming binges as a group.

The secret to a long life might be three cups of coffee as a landmark study reveals it reduces the risk of death from all disease.

Scientists at Imperial College London have found that people who drink coffee may live longer than non-coffee drinkers.

And even decaffeinated coffee had a similar effect, though there is a hint of caution as researchers could not exclude that decaffeinated coffee drinkers may have been consuming caffeinated coffee as well in different periods of their life.

The findings come from the largest study of its kind, in which scientists analysed data from more than half a million people across 10 European countries, including the UK, to explore the effect of coffee consumption on risk of mortality.

Researchers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and Imperial College London found that higher levels of coffee consumption were associated with a reduced risk of death, particularly from circulatory diseases and diseases related to the digestive tract.

Coffee is one of the world’s most commonly consumed beverages, with an estimated 2.25 billion cups drank around the world each day.

It contains a number of compounds which can interact with the body, including caffeine, diterpenes and antioxidants, and the ratios of these compounds can be affected by the variety of methods used to prepare coffee.

Previous studies looking for a link between coffee consumption and health outcomes have revealed conflicting results, however, large studies in both the US and Japan have since revealed the potential beneficial effect of drinking coffee.

In the latest study, published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers carried out the largest analysis of the effects of coffee-drinking in a European population - where coffee consumption and preparation methods vary, from an espresso in Italy, to a cappuccino in the UK.

Dr Marc Gunter, of the IARC, said: “We found that higher coffee consumption was associated with a lower risk of death, and specifically for circulatory diseases, and digestive diseases.

“Importantly, these results were similar across all of the 10 European countries, with variable coffee drinking habits and customs.

“Our study also offers important insights into the possible mechanisms for the beneficial health effects of coffee.”

Using data from the EPIC study (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition), the group analysed data from 521,330 people from over the age of 35 from 10 EU countries, including the UK, France, Denmark and Italy.

People’s diets were assessed using questionnaires and interviews, with the highest level of coffee consumption (by volume) reported in Denmark (900 mL per day) and lowest in Italy (approximately 92 mL per day).

Those who drank more coffee were also more likely to be younger, to be smokers, drinkers, eat more meat and less fruit and veg.

After 16 years of follow up, almost 42,000 people in the study had died from a range of conditions including cancer, circulatory diseases, heart failure and stroke.

Following careful statistical adjustments for lifestyle factors such as diet and smoking, the researchers found that the group with the highest consumption of coffee had a lower risk for all-causes of death, compared to those who did not drink coffee.

In a subset of 14,000 people, they also analysed metabolic biomarkers, and found that coffee drinkers may have healthier livers overall and better glucose control than non-coffee drinkers.

Dr Gunter added: “We found that drinking more coffee was associated with a more favourable liver function profile and immune response.

“This, along with the consistency of the results with other studies in the US and Japan gives us greater confidence that coffee may have beneficial health effects.”

According to the group, more research is needed to find out which of the compounds in coffee may be giving a protective effect or potentially benefiting health.

Professor Elio Riboli, head of the School of Public Health at Imperial, who established the EPIC study, said: “These findings add to a growing body of evidence which indicates that drinking coffee not only is safe, but it may actually have a protective health effect for people.

“While further research is needed, we can be confident that the results from a large European study confirm previous findings seen around the world.”

Dr Gunter added: “Due to the limitations of observational research, we are not at the stage of recommending people to drink more or less coffee.

“That said, our results suggest that moderate coffee drinking - up to around three cups per day - is not detrimental to your health, and that incorporating coffee into your diet could have health benefits.”

So-called ‘paedophile hunters’ should be recruited to work alongside police forces to help tackle child sexual exploitation says a leading police and crime commissioner.

The controversial and unregulated groups, which pose as under age children in online chat rooms to snare potential child abusers, have had success in catching paedophiles over the years, however, their vigilante approach to justice has been condemned by the Home Office and police in the past.

But a leading police and crime commissioner, Jeff Cuthbert, believes having the police and such groups working alongside each other could take the pressure off the forces,

‘Let’s work together’

“I understand in this and many other aspects of crime or anti-social behaviour that there is often an impatience and I can understand that when people want to get on with things,” said Cuthbert on BBC Wales’ Week In Week Out programme.

“What we don’t know of course is how many potential perpetrators have got away with it because it’s not been done properly or walked away because it’s not stood up in court, so it’s a question of balance.”

‘Paedophile hunting’ is legal in the UK and most recently in April a judge ruled that a Newcastle based group, Dark Justice, could continue posing as children to catch sexual predators.

Cuthbert added, “The message is let’s work together.”

“Of course there are training implications, it would have to be done in a planned way - the right way - but I think in terms of the principle, it’s the right way forward.”

A Bedfordshire Police officer has appeared in court on a number of charges.

Detective Constable Jamal Hassan, 36, based at force HQ in Kempston, has been charged with three counts if making an indecent photograph/pseudo photograph of a child and perverting the course of justice.

He appeared at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court today (Saturday) and the case has been adjourned to a later date.

He has been suspended since the allegations came to light

Great Brickhill face their best chance of taking their first victory of the season next weekend when they play bottom club Reading.

Another batting collapse ensured Doug Aris’ search for the team’s first Home Counties Division 2 win of the season continued on Saturday as they went down by 10 wickets to Chesham.

Still sitting second from bottom of the league, they travel to bottom club Reading who are similarly win-less after 11 matches this season.

Hosting Chesham on Saturday, only the runs of Arjun Jhala and Satchi Mahendran rescued the home side from double figure embarrassment at the hands of the promotion chasers.

Batting at eight and nine respectively, Jhala (27) and Mahendran (39) steered Brickhill from 55-7 to 137 all out, with the top order simply unable to play Jason Rance, who escaped with 6-49.

The response was swift from Chesham. Opening batsmen Matthew Rance and Alex Morgan were in no mood to throw their wickets away, and carried the bat en route to a simple run chase.

Rance ended 78 not out and Morgan unbeaten on 60 as the visitors reached 141-0.

With Brickhill 77 adrift of Shipton under Wychwood above them, and 18 clear of Reading, neither side will have much to play for but pride next weekend, but the prospect of the first win of the season should be a huge incentive to both toiling clubs.

Luton airport is the most expensive UK airport for parking costs, three times more than the cheapest a survey has found.

A two-week stay in Luton’s standard on-site car park came in at £191, the online investigation by Admiral insurance revealed.

Exeter was the cheapest, where an equivalent space cost just £65 for the same amount of time.

Meanwhile, the study found Stansted charges the highest drop-off rate at £8.50 for 15 minutes, followed by Luton and Doncaster at £8 and £6 respectively.

Six airports offered a free 15-minute stay.

Admiral compared three online car parking prices for an on-site space at each of 30 airports across the UK to cover a two-week break in the summer holidays, finding a “postcode lottery” for a 2.4 metre spot.

The average car parking rate for two weeks came in at £111, although those flying from Luton will pay £80 more.

The second most expensive airport was London City at £181, followed by Gatwick North at £175 and Gatwick South at £167.

Those flying from Heathrow terminals 2, 3 and 4 will pay £146, and £10 more at T5.

In comparison, six airports out of 30 offer a free 15-minute stay.

Also ranked in the most expensive airports for drop-offs are Luton at £8, Doncaster at £6 and Edinburgh and Cardiff, which both charge £5.

Admiral spokesman Alistair Hargreaves said: “We all know that an overseas holiday in the summer time can be costly, but our investigation has revealed that holidaymakers can end up feeling short-changed before they’ve even boarded the plane.

“This study demonstrates that airport parking prices are a postcode lottery with extortionate price discrepancies for the same 2.4 metre-wide car parking space, depending on where you are flying from.

“By planning ahead and researching other car parking options, such as those off-site and factoring these prices into the total cost of the holiday before booking anything, consumers can make sure there are no surprises.”

The number of children getting just 60 minutes of daily physical activity has dropped by almost half, Public Health England has revealed.

A shocking 43 per cent of kids aged between five and 12 are no longer getting their recommended 60 minutes of physical activity to maintain a healthy weight.

Experts warned the activity levels are “alarmingly low” and may impact heavily on development as well as mental and physical health in adulthood.

The latest figures show that just 23 per cent of boys and 20 per cent of girls meet recommended levels of activity while one in five kids start primary school overweight or obese, rising to more than a third by the time they leave.

Eustace de Sousa, National Lead for Children, Young People and Families, Public Health England said: “Children’s physical activity levels in England are alarmingly low, and the drop in activity from the ages of five to 12 is concerning.

“Children who get enough physical activity are mentally and physically healthier, and have all round better development into adulthood, getting into the habit of doing short bursts of activity early can deliver lifelong benefits.

“This programme is part of our work to help children get the right amount of physical activity, both in school and out, as set out in the Childhood Obesity Plan.”

More than one in five (29 per cent) of 11-year-olds say a worry of “not being very good” prevents them from taking part in physical activity.

But kids are motivated to be active by having friends join in and having a wide selection of activities to choose from.

Despite a drop in physical activities, the majority (79 per cent) of five to 11-year-olds said being active made them feel more confident and sociable and 93 per cent said they liked being active.

In an effort to make exercise appealing Disney, Sport England and Change4Life has launched a ten minute ‘Shake Ups’ programme, backed by Team GB Olympians.

The selection of ten minute activities for kids features favourite characters from Disney’s Cars, Beauty and the Beast, Moana, Frozen and stars from The Lodge.

Last year the ten minute Shake Ups helped more than a million children get more active.

Mike Diaper, Sport England’s Executive Director of Children and Young People added: “Tackling inactivity is a key part of Sport England’s strategy Towards An Active Nation, and we’re supporting families and children to get active together, using National Lottery funding.

“We know that parents can find getting their kids to be active a challenge.

“That’s why we’re proud to be supporting the Change4Life 10 Minute Shake Ups with Disney, which uses storytelling to create a fun, and imaginative way for children and their parents to get moving, perfectly timed for the summer holidays.”

Firefighters are warning dog owners not to jump in to the water after their pet after a woman became stuck in the river at Biggleswade on Thursday afternoo.

Firefighters from Potton and Biggleswade were called to rescue the woman at 2.12pm. She had become stuck in 4ft of water after getting in to rescue her dog. The dog escaped from the water but the woman was then unable to get herself out of the water as the bank was too steep. Officers used an extension ladder to free her from the water.

Both the lady and her dog are safe and well.

The Fire and Rescue Service are asking dog owners to follow this safety advice if they are walking near water:

Avoid throwing sticks or balls near the water for dogs - they will go after it if they think you want it back even if you’ve thrown it too far or into dangerous water

Never enter the water to try and save a dog - the dog usually manages to scramble out but you put yourself in danger

Even dogs that like swimming can usually only swim for short bursts - keep an eye of your dog and don’t let it enter the water if it’s older or tired

If your dog loves the water keep it on a lead and make sure you have control to prevent it jumping into hazardous or unsafe areas

Remember the wet riverbanks, steep edges or jagged rocks can make it hard for a dog to scramble out and be a slip risk for owners

Don’t lean into water and try and lift your dog out - you can topple in

Dogs can have cold water shock too

If your dog has struggled in the water it may have inhaled water and should see a vet as dogs can drown after the event if water has entered their lungs

If you see someone in trouble in the water call 999 for our assistance

Peli BioThermal, the global name in cold chain packaging, has won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Innovation for its pioneering product Chronos Advance.

Leaders from the company, based on Stanbridge Road, were invited to a royal reception hosted by her Majesty The Queen.

CEO Lyndon Faulkner and President David Williams joined fellow winners at the event staged at Buckingham Palace, after the company’s innovation accolade was awarded in recognition of its Chronos Advance range of single-use shippers, which utilise advanced insulation and phase change material to give consistent, reliable temperature stability.

Mr Faulkner said: “It was a great honour to attend the Queen’s reception at Buckingham Palace and for Peli BioThermal to be a recipient of this award.

“Innovation is at the very forefront of everything we do and our successful Chronos Advance Range is a prime example of the pioneering products we produce for our customers worldwide to meet the rigorous requirements of the global transportation of pharmaceuticals.”

Following the winners’ reception, Peli BioThermal hosted a presentation ceremony at its offices in Stanbridge Buildings, the Lord-Lieutenant of Bedfordshire Helen Nellis conducted the official presentation of the Queen’s Award.

Mr Williams received the award on behalf of the company, he said: “We are delighted to receive this award in recognition for the company’s innovation in the design and expert engineering of our Chronos Advance range. It demonstrates how Peli BioThermal continues to provide the best solutions and high performance products to serve our clients’ needs within the life sciences industry.”

Presenting Peli BioThermal with its Queen’s Award at the ceremonial event, the Lord-Lieutenant congratulated the company, she said: “This is a very significant achievement. The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the UK’s most prestigious business awards, given only to companies or individuals who are outstanding in their field. At Peli BioThermal you can all be really proud of your outstanding achievements.”

An eye-catching bed push took place at the town carnival, as Leighton-Linslade Homeless Service (LLHS) celebrated their new management.

The caring charity started their bed push at The Stag, on Saturday, July 8, before visiting town pubs the Black Lion, Leighton Buzzard Conservative Club, the Red Lion and The Wheatsheaf.

It was the team’s first big event since new charity head, Paul Latimer, took over its management in the autumn.

Heather Tester, marketing and fundraising co-ordinator for LLHS, said: “It was a little bit mad but really good!

“We found ourselves in the middle of cars en-route to the pubs, and we were collecting the charity goblets in which they had been raising funds.

“We want to give everyone a great big thank you, as we have raised £792!”

The team were humbled by the Black Lion, who raised £430 for the charity, the LLHS paying rent to the Black Horse Hotel, North Street, so as the team can give the homeless a bed for the night, clean washing, and breakfast.

Heather said: “Since Paul took over we’ve planned huge changes! We’ve got an outreach team who come once a week and try to find them places to live and we are hoping to get laptops so they can search for jobs.

“We’re also delighted that Mayor, Cllr Rahman, has chosen us as one of his charities.

“The homeless have been given bad press recently because of the street drinkers,but the latter are people who choose to leave their home for the evening.

“In contrast, the homeless at LLHS have lost their job or are here due to a relationship breakdown but we can turn people’s lives around; that’s why I love my work.”

Call: 01525 381129.

One new act and a returning band provide the entertainment at The Wheatsheaf in Leighton Buzzard this weekend.

Electric Souls will perform on Friday night with The Banned playing on Saturday.

Coming from the Herts

and Beds area, Electric Souls will be covering a variety of music from across the decades and offer something for everyone.

The band are relatively new but their members have performed in different bands before.

Covering three decades of rock, blues and pop, the Banned are back at The Wheatsheaf on Saturday to delight the audience with their repertoire from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s and a few more recent numbers.

The Banned, together now for over 10 years, have a play list of well over 100 numbers and can possibly be persuaded to waive from the plan if a reasonable request is made.

The A to Z range of artists covered includes AC DC, Blonde, Beatles, Deep Purple, Hendrix, Kings of Leon, Kinks, The Monkees, Muse, The Police, Queen, Stevie Wonder, The Stones and T Rex.

However, visitors can expect to hear a few off beat numbers ranging from Darkness, Mika or Jessie J to test the higher octaves of the lead singer.

Organisers have said that the band always give 110 per cent for every gig and that visitors will be in for a treat.

Music starts at about 9.30pm on both nights and admission is free.

Parents beware - the average child will utter their first ‘I’m bored …’ just TEN DAYS into the summer holidays.

A detailed study found while the majority of the nation’s school children are longing for the six-week break to begin, they will soon ‘run out of things to do’.

But even more worrying is the fact that once the kids hit the boredom breaking point, parents can expect to hear the dreaded moan up to FOUR times every day.

It also emerged more than half of parents reckon their children will start to look forward to going back to start a new school year around halfway through their time off.

Furthermore the study also revealed the most popular replies for long-suffering mums and dads, with: “But you’ve got loads of toys’ coming top.

“If you’re so bored you can always help with the chores”, “Go and amuse yourself”, and “When I was your age I had a lot less, and I managed”, are also favourites.

Overall seven in ten parents said they find it difficult to keep their kids entertained through the school summer break.

The research was carried out by Nick Jr. to highlight the channel’s summer ‘Make It and Bake It’ campaign, which encourages kids to bake cakes and treats, the best of which will be shown on the channel’s most popular shows.

Virginia Monaghan of Nickelodeon, said: “The school summer holidays can seem endless and full of possibilities when you are younger.

“In reality, staying entertained for such a stretch of time can be a challenge and parents will need to get their thinking caps on for activities if they are to keep their kids busy through the seven-week break.”

The national survey, by OnePoll.com, also uncovered the top 50 ways to keep your kids entertained in the summer months.

Family days out came out as the number one distraction for restless youngsters, followed by watching TV as a family, and a visit to the cinema together.

Forty eight per cent of parents occupy their kids with a bit of messy home baking, while one in two play video games as a family.

Just over a third sit down to play board games together.

To break up the summer, 71 per cent of parents make sure they go away on holiday with their kids for an average of ten days across the break.

When their child tells them they are stuck for things to do, 37 per cent of parents suggest that they do their chores to occupy their time, and a quarter will tell them to tidy their room.

As kids near a loose end, two thirds are likely to moan to mum and dad about their situation, and 17 per cent have thrown tantrums in frustration.

MOST POPULAR THINGS PARENTS SAY TO BORED KIDS:

‘But you’ve got loads of toys’

‘If you’re so bored you can always help with the chores!’

‘Go and amuse yourself’

‘When I was your age I had a lot less and I managed’

‘Tidy your room’

‘You don’t know how lucky you are’

‘Can’t you go and see your friends?’

‘We’ll go and see your grandparents, then?’

TOP 50 ACTIVITIES TO KEEP KIDS ENTERTAINED THIS SUMMER:

1. Take them on family days out

2. Watching TV/movies

3. Cinema

4. The beach

5. Swimming

6. The park/Play park

7. Computer games

8. Cooking/baking together

9. Outdoor walks

10. Playing with them in the garden

11. Play time with their toys

12. A play date with their friends

13. Board games

14. Read a book

15. Bike ride

16. Arts and craft at home

17. Take them to a theme park

18. Museums/Galleries

19. Go sightseeing

20. Take photos

21. The library

22. Gardening

23. Visit a fair

24. Jigsaw puzzle

25. Bowling

26. Camping

27. Fruit picking

28. Build a den

29. Go to the arcade

30. Sports clubs

31. Play dress-up

32. Fly a kite

33. Play group

34. The theatre

35. Bug hunting

36. DIY

37. Draw pavement art

38. Youth club

39. Roller-skating

40. Bird watching

41. Writing stories/poetry

42. Organise a treasure hunt

43. Take them to a music festival

44. Stargazing

45. Plant a tree

46. Play parlour games

47. Sailing/Kayaking

48. Flower pressing

49. Teach them a magic trick

50. Watch a Punch and Judy show

Leighton-Linslade residents will be pleased to hear that much-loved Yirrell’s Butchers is not moving from its home on Old Road, as the site is just acquiring a new landlord.

Yirrell’s is a family run butchers which has been supplying the people of Linslade and the surrounding areas with the “highest quality meats” since 1820, its site, a freehold building with two apartments and a commercial shop front unit, currently advertised on property website Rightmove for £550,000.

Alec Davies, proprietor of Yirrell’s Butchers and Abbey Cheese, said: “We are not moving. I have a lease on the building with me as a sitting tenant.

“We are not closing; the landlord is just selling the building with me as a sitting tenant.

“I bought the business three years ago and we have got very loyal customers and it is because of them that we keep the shop open.

“We are passionate about Yirrell’s and support British agriculture, also serving some very good restaurants.

“We have been developing the website and offer a delivery service.”

Yirrell’s Butchers is here to stay and you can visit the shop on Old Road or view their website at: http://www.yirrellbutchers.co.uk/

The delivery service is free to orders that “are over £25 and are within a five mile radius”.

If you are looking to buy the site and become its landlord, you can view details on the Rightmove website: http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-66347087.html

Pages Park, Parson’s Close Recreation Ground and Vandyke Road Cemetery in Leighton Buzzard have been recognised by the Green Flag Award Scheme as some of the very best in the world.

The park and cemetery are among a record-breaking 1,797 UK parks and green spaces that have today receive a prestigious Green Flag Award – the mark of a quality park or green space.

This international award, now into its third decade, is a sign to the public that the spaces boast the highest possible environmental standards, are beautifully maintained and have excellent visitor facilities.

Ian Haynes, head of grounds and environmental services at Leighton-Linslade Town Council, said: “We are absolutely delighted to retain all three of our Green Flag Awards from Keep Britain Tidy.

“We know how much quality green spaces matter to residents and visitors, and these awards celebrate the dedication that goes into maintaining Pages Park, Parson’s Close Recreation Ground and Vandyke Road Cemetery to such a high standard.

“This award recognises and highlights that people in the parish are benefitting from green spaces of the very highest quality.”

International Green Flag Award scheme manager Paul Todd said: “We are delighted to be celebrating another record-breaking year for the Green Flag Award scheme.

“Each flag is a celebration of the thousands of staff and volunteers who work tirelessly to maintain the high standards demanded by the Green Flag Award. The success of the scheme, especially in these challenging times, demonstrates just how much parks matter to people.”

> Linslade Wood and Tiddenfoot Waterside Park retained their Community Awards.

Central Bedfordshire Council has decided to defer the committee discussion over Checkley Wood turbine for up to two months after issues arose over Green Belt.

Today, a CBC spokesman said: “It is recommended that consideration of the application be deferred for up to two committee cycles.

“Legal advice from counsel has been received in respect of the construction of the report with particular regard to Green Belt issues and consequently Counsel advises that consideration of the application be deferred.”

As reported in today’s Leighton Buzzard Observer, the proposed turbine is the same model as the current Double Arches turbine and had previously been recommended for approval by council planning officers in their official report.

But within Heath and Reach, a lobby group – Stop Checkley Wood Turbine (SCWT) – has been formed in opposition to the plans.

SCWT spokesman Terry Ellis said: “TV reception and interference is one problem we’ve had [with the current turbine]. There’s also noise and the blight on the landscape.

“You can see the current turbine from almost anywhere in South Bedfordshire and we know the impact that it has had on every day life. These are not unfounded fears of something that may happen, we’re speaking having already lived with a massive turbine.”

Eight parish councils have submitted objections and SCWT has shored up a petition of 582 signatures against the proposals, as well as a 42-page document outlining the lobby’s grounds for opposition.

But this document has drawn criticism from the agent behind the application, Engena Ltd, who claimed the document contained “inaccuracies”, “general statements” and lacked scientific evidence, with one case study regarding birds quoted from The Spectator magazine.

Engena director John Fairlie said: “SCWT state that they have been given a mandate by local people, through their parish councils, to oppose this proposal... Given the inaccuracies in the SCWT document, we are concerned that objections based upon this document have been established against incorrect information.

“We note that the text present in the SCWT document is also within the Woburn Parish Council objection and the document is referred to within the Heath and Reach Parish Council objection.”

The applicant for Checkley Wood Turbine is Checkley Wood Farm Ltd, a subsidiary of Arnold White Estates. Engena Ltd also acted as agents for the original turbine.

A journey on the Rocky Mountaineer, the luxury train service that operates on four routes in western Canada, offers a comfortable way viewing landscape and wildlife, plus insights into the important role played by the railway in the country’s history.

That’s fitting as this year marks the 150th anniversary of Confederation, the act of union of British North American colonies that is viewed as the origin of the modern Canadian nation.

“Especially after working for Rocky Mountaineer I realised how important the railway was to the foundation of Canada and specifically the west coast of Canada.

"It very easily could have gone the other way, and we could have been part of the United States, had the Canadian Pacific Railway not been built,” said guest services manager Ira Young.

We sat and chatted in one of the train’s double-decker GoldLeaf carriages, enjoying the panoramic views of the Canadian Rockies from the dome windows of the upper level.

The transport link provided by the Canadian Pacific Railway was promised as an incentive for British Columbia to join the newly formed Dominion of Canada in 1871. The vast, transcontinental railroad was completed on 7 November 1885, when the last spike was ceremonially driven into the track at Craigellachie in British Columbia.

As we rolled past the cairn commemorating the location of that event tourists visiting the Last Spike Gift Shoppe waved at us from the wooden porch and snapped photos. The elegant blue and gold livery of the Rocky Mountaineer ensured that the train is well photographed as it snaked along valleys, canyons and through spiral tunnels.

Ira was named after his grandfather, the driver of the royal train that crossed Canada carrying King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) back in 1939. One of their duties during that journey was to open the grand, Art Deco property that is now the Fairmont Vancouver Hotel. It’s one of the hotels that accommodates guests travelling on the Rocky Mountaineer.

Prior to setting off on the 375-mile journey eastward from Vancouver to Banff, the service’s First Passage to the West route, I had a couple of days to explore British Columbia’s most populous city.

For an overview I headed to the Vancouver Lookout, whose Observation Deck provides 360° views from 553ft. Some of the best views of the city skyline were from across the water at Hallelujah Point, in Stanley Park, a couple of minutes’ walk from the totem poles that are a reminder of the diverse First Nations’ heritage of this part of the world.

A boat tour, departing from Sewell’s Marina, meant opportunities to view bald eagles gliding above the Howe Sound and porpoises breaching the surface of the Pacific’s water.

The Rocky Mountaineer has a dedicated terminal on the outskirts of Vancouver and a bagpiper, in full Scottish regalia, piped us aboard. As we rolled away the piper continued to play as the company’s staff waved us off, prompting a flurry of photography from carriage windows that are cleaned before each day’s travel.

The first day’s journey, before overnighting in Kamloops, saw us passing through some of the driest areas of Canada. Early European settlers to the region panned for gold in the fast-flowing Fraser River which we skirted. Bighorn sheep and groundhogs counted among the wildlife that could be viewed from the train.

“Some of my favourite wildlife, I would have to say, has been coming out of Banff,” said Zebulon Fastabend, the train manager. One of his most memorable sightings was of a grizzly bear.

“I could tell it was a female as there were two cubs with her. She was a silver-grey colour. She turned to face the train and she was going to take on the whole train… she was maybe 30 feet away and the cubs disappeared into the bushes. I was so impressed by that motherly instinct. For us it was a great photo opportunity.”

Nearing Banff National Park, the first to be established in Canada, all of us on board experienced the excitements of seeing a large male bear tramping through a shallow, icy lake close to the left-side of the train.

Staff informed us he is known as The Boss, and is often spotted as the train rolls through his habitat. To get better photos of the 500lb creature I dashed to the open vestibule at the back of the carriage.

Like the bears who live in this part of Canada, guests riding the Rocky Mountaineer have opportunities to dine on salmon. For those of us enjoying attentive GoldLeaf service, which included alcoholic and soft drinks, that meant leaving our reclining seats and heading downstairs to the dining carriage for breakfast and lunch.

“Every season we do a brand new menu. We work with local suppliers to see what’s on the market. When something is good, like the Alberta short ribs, we keep then on the menu.

"They are cooked in wine a long time – it’s comfort food that isn’t extremely original but I can’t tell you how many hundreds of thousands of portions we’ve served,” said executive chef Jean-Pierre Guerin as we chatted during one of his breaks.

Remarkably, his teams send out half-a-million well-presented plates of food every year. Jean-Pierre strives to ensure his food compares with the quality of cuisine served on cruise ships and restaurants, despite the paucity of space in the galley kitchens aboard the trains.

Mealtimes meant an opportunity to chat with fellow guests. In addition to numerous Britons there were travellers from Australia, the USA and Canada. Several were combining the train journey with a cruise up the Pacific coastline to Alaska or driving holidays in the Rocky Mountains.

Prior to flying back to Gatwick from Calgary, I spent a couple of days based in Banff. A day trip to Lake Louise presented an opportunity to walk on the frozen surface of body of water named after Queen Victoria’s fourth daughter. For views of snow-capped peaks the observation platform at the top of the Banff Gondola proved outstanding.

Rocky Mountaineer – Fact File

An eight day/seven night Canadian Rockies Adventure package, with including two days aboard the Rocky Mountaineer and transfers to and from the train, costs from £2,065 with SilverLeaf and £2,764 with GoldLeaf Service. The package includes visits to the Vancouver Lookout and Calgary Tower, a summit sightseeing tour of the Canadian Rockies by helicopter, a tour to Lake Louise with a trip on the Banff Gondola, a trip along the Icefields Parkway plus a tour of Yoho National Park.

Phone: 0800 088 5541 – www.rockymountaineer.com

West Jet

West Jet flies direct to Calgary and to Vancouver, via Toronto, from London Gatwick Airport.

Phone: + 1-888-937-8538 – www.westjet.com

Air Transat

West Jet operates direct flights to and from both Calgary and Vancouver from London Gatwick Airport.

Phone: 0207 616 9187 – www.airtransat.com

Sewell’s Marina

6409 Bay Street, West Vancouver, V7W 3H5, British Columbia, Canada

Phone: +1-604-921-3474 – www.sewellsmarina.com

Fairmont Hotel Vancouver

900 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6C 2W6, Canada

Phone: +1-604-684-3131 – www.fairmont.com/hotel-vancouver

ACT Venture

Guided walking tours of Kamloops

Phone: +1-250-574-1615 – www.actadventures.ca

Sandman Signature Kamloops Hotel

225 Lorne Street, Kamloops, V2C 1W2, British Columbia, Canada

Phone: +1-250-377-7263 – www.sandmanhotels.com

Moose Hotel and Suites

345 Banff Avenue, Banff, Alberta, Canada

Phone: +1-866-379-0021 – www.moosehotelandsuites.com

Travel Alberta – www.travelalberta.com

Banff and Lake Louise – www.banfflakelouise.com

Tourism British Columbia – www.hellobc.co.uk

Tourism Kamloops – www.tourismkamloops.com

Tourism Vancouver – www.tourismvancouver.com

Destination Canada – www.canada.travel

Now open until November, a new exhibition at the Natural History Museum in Tring explores the weird and wonderful world of animal eyes.

Animal Vision creates spectacle and inspires wonder at the diversity of life, giving insight into how and why humans and other animals see the world differently.

The family exhibition is filled with light and colour and through hands-on activities and eye catching specimens, visitors will discover why vision can be fuzzy or focused, full of colour or shaded in grey.

Alongside an amazing range of animal eyeballs on display, from the alligator to anteater, penguin to python, games and activities newly developed for the exhibition will help visitors understand how eyes process light and allow us to experience colour.

Look a shark in the eye, find out whether a cheetah has bigger eyes than a puma and get up close to the eye of a viper.

Highlights of this free exhibition include the captivating and wonderfully diverse Eyeball Wall where visitors are challenged to test their own vision by getting eyeball to eyeball with the animal kingdom.

Alice Adams, interpretation and learning manager at the museum, said: “I’m most looking forward to seeing visitors checking out the Eyeball Wall and trying their spying skills in the Cunning Camouflage game.”

Other star attractions include a huge horseshoe crab, a deadly box jellyfish and a four eyed fish.

Visitors can see for themselves the strange range of eyes in the animal kingdom, helping them to understand the diversity of life in the world.

This exhibition of shared discovery is expected to encourage children to see the world differently and question their own gaze.

The exhibition is open from 10am-5pm Mondays to Saturdays and from 2-5pm on Sundays.

Entry is free.

The museum opened in the late 1800s to house the collections of Lionel Walter, second Lord Rothschild, and offers some outstanding examples of nineteenth century taxidermy.

The museum was bequeathed to the nation and became part of the Natural History Museum in 1938.

Cycling legend Chris Boardman has slammed Beds Police which said it will not investigate an incident in which a white van “almost killed” a Leighton Buzzard cyclist.

The force said it “did not have the capacity” to investigate the incident which was recorded on a bike-mounted camera by cyclist Tom Littlehales, 27.

The video shows Mr Littlehales, a life-long cyclist and member of the Leighton Buzzard Road Cycling Club, narrowly avoiding being struck from behind by a van which was travelling at around 30mph.

This week the Olympic gold medallist got involved in the row and asked Beds Police if it thought “deliberate intimidation and endangering is okay?”

Software engineer Mr Littlehales contacted Mr Boardman on Twitter after the police told they would only log his cycle-cam footage on their systems.

He tweeted a link to his video and asked: “Do you think it’s enough for @bedspolice to ‘log this as intel’?”

Mr Boardman, 48, whose mother died after a pick-up truck hit her while she was cycling last year, replied: “No I don’t think it’s enough @bedspolice.

“Do you think deliberate intimidation and endangering is OK? How much more evidence do you require?”

BBC Radio 2 presenter Jeremy Vine also weighed in on the public spat after a spokesman for the force replied: “Hi Chris, unfortunately we don’t currently have the capacity to review non-serious incidents or incidents which aren’t currently in progress.”

Mr Vine, whose helmet-cam footage of a confrontation with road rage driver went viral last summer, said: “You think that’s not serious? Are you kidding me?”

Mr Littlehales said the police gave Mr Boardman more information about their response on Twitter than they did to him privately.

A force spokesman told the three-time yellow jersey holder in the Tour de France: “However we do still get in touch with the motorists reported to give them advice.

“Hope this helps clarify things.”

Mr Littlehales said: “They told Chris Boardman they contacted people but they didn’t tell me they did that!

“I’m not sure that they have spoken to the driver, they told Chris Boardman that they do but they didn’t specifically say they have spoken to this driver. I think that would be a start but still not enough.

“It feels that they have got lots of other things to focus on and without enough pressure on them to deal with this it’s easy for them not to do a lot about it.”

He decided to contact the cycling legend after his front and rear-mounted cameras captured the moment the van narrowly avoided hitting him from behind at more than 30mph.

“I was considering ways to put the message out there and a friend suggested to make a fuss on Twitter,” he said.

“I’m very grateful - it’s good to have advocates like that.

“I thought I had about half a chance of him responding - but it was pretty much what I hoped for him to say - spot on really and he has said it should a national thing, dealing with close passes and I agree with that.”

Mr Littlehales said “there’s a strong possibility” he would have died if the van hadn’t seen him.

He contacted Mr Boardman after police told him they would only use his footage as “intelligence” if the same van was reported for bad driving again.

“At the very least they should review the footage and do something more about it,” he said.

“If I had evidence of someone threatening me with a knife and it was clear-cut what was going on, I would have thought they would get a police man to go to their house and do something about it.

“I already contacted them once before in the winter about something similar and they said similar things - that they would log it as intel - and to me this one was pretty much as close as it could be without actually being a crash so I was curious to see if even that didn’t count.

“They looked at the footage but then they said they would log it as intel - but you could crash into a cyclist long before anyone picks the driver up.”

His cycling cameras filmed the van swerving away to avoid hitting the cyclist from behind while he was cycling to work on a two-lane rural road going under the A505 in Leighton Buzzard on July 5.

Mr Littlehales said: “My impression is that he didn’t notice me till the last moment and swerved away.

“You’re supposed to give a cyclist as much distance as a car - 1.5m - but it felt like less than half a metre.

“It felt like I could have touched it quite easily and it was probably going at least over 30mph.

“It’s sad but at this point, I’m almost used to this sort of driving.

“I would say I have probably one or two [near misses] a month.

“I don’t see as dangerous as some people assume because I ride five to six thousand miles a year and I haven’t had an accident involving a car but at the same time there’s quite a noticeable minority of drivers that don’t give a damn.”

Leighton Buzzard’s lower order put in a performance England captain Joe Root would have been jealous of on their way to victory over Sandford St Martin on Saturday.

Slumped at 62-6, Antony Francis and Lee Selfe, batting at seven and eight, put on a match-saving 173 partnership to put Town’s promotion aspirations back on the table.

And the pair chipped in with wickets too to ensure the 21 run victory, lifting them back to third in Cherwell Division 2.

But for the duo’s partnership, it would have been a completely different tale for Town.

With both openers James Raine and Tom Light out for two each, and Gareth Benger going for a duck, Leighton looked in trouble from the off.

And despite having scored more than 300 runs in his last three innings, Phil Whatmore was also quickly back in the pavilion for just 11 at Leighton rocked.

It wasn’t until Francis and Selfe were at the crease together though that things began to go in the away side’s direction.

Both scored quickly, with Francis’ 88 coming from 109 balls, while Selfe’s 77 came off just 91 as Leighton went from 62-6 to 235-7.

Thomas Goffe, the destroyer of the top order, would go on to remove both on his way to 6-38, but the pair had done the damage and put Leighton on course as they were all out for 242.

Midtable Sandford didn’t have as many highlights in their order. Opener Steve Dobson top-scored with 42, but with each batsman making a decent fist of it before losing their wicket, the finale threatened to be a close one.

Wickets fell regularly for Sandford though. Francis took two top order wickets, with Selfe also taking one, but it was left to opening bowler Tom Pope to return for a closing spell, taking out the tale on his way to 2-45 to bowl out the home side for 221.

The result sees Town move within five points of top spot, and just a point off the second automatic promotion spot.

Next Saturday, Tom Light’s side are back at Bell Close to host fifth placed Didcot, who lost to Buckingham Town at the weekend.

A sensational spell of bowling from Andy Smith saw Leighton Buzzard 2nds move up to fourth in Division 5 with a win over Kingston Bagpuize.

Brilliant batting from Rhiaan Krynauw (89) and Richard Raine (57) saw Leighton pile on the runs, eventually declaring on 266-5 , with Mark Burfoot also chipping in with a strong 42.

But with the ball in hand, Smith, who contributed 14 not out to the scoreboard, would prove unplayable for the visiting side.

After watching the opening bowlers toil without much luck, Smith took a remarkable nine wickets for just 37.

Only Bertie Barrett (1-31) prevented Smith from taking the lot.

The result sees the 2nds move up the table to fourth, just 18 points adrift of the second automatic promotion spot, currently occupied by Cumnor 2nds.

Next week, the 2nds take on Didcot 2nds away.