Leighton Buzzard-based Musical Theatre High! is thrilled that one of its students, Alfie Humphreys, is currently making his West End debut as Lawrence in School of Rock.

We caught up with the 11-year-old who tells us how performing in the musical has exceeded all his expectations.

> What discipline of singing, dancing and acting do you like to do most? 

I love them all! I love playing music too

> Do you play an instrument? 

I play piano, clarinet, guitar and drums. My piano teacher Mrs Wallace has been to see the show and is really proud of me for being the keyboard player!

> When did you realise you wanted to perform? 

I’ve loved the stage since I was tiny! I started drama clubs when I was 5.

> How did you get seen for School of Rock?

My agent put me forward for an audition, although the auditions are open to the public so you don’t have to have an agent to try out for a part.

> What did you have to do to get into the show? 

Last July I attended an audition, where I played the keyboard and sang, and I was shortlisted for a final audition in December. As I wanted to be a musician in the show in between I was asked to attend Rock School once a month with other shortlisted children. Some of them are now in my team in the show!

> How did you find out you had got it? 

My parents surprised me on Saturday morning just before Christmas after getting an email saying “I’m in the band!”

> What is School of Rock about and what do you do in it?

School of Rock is about a loser called Dewey Finn who fakes his best friends identity to become a supply teacher so he can pay the rent. He realises his class students are excellent musicians, so he turns them into rock stars! I play Lawrence, a nerdy pianist who turns into a cool dude keyboard player.

> How long did you rehearse? 

I rehearsed 5 days a week for about 2 months

> What is the routine of a typical show day from waking up to going to sleep like? 

On a usual day I wake up and go to school as normal, then after school I go home, get changed and travel to London on the train with a picnic tea! When I arrive at the theatre we do a physical and vocal warm up followed by a band jam (practice). After this we change into our costumes and get our mics on ready for the show. After the show I take the train home.

> How do you fit school in around being in a show? 

I only miss Thursday afternoons at school when there’s a matinee performance. Usually I’m at school all day.

> What’s it like working in the West End and travelling into London? 

Being in the show has exceeded my expectations! The travelling is OK - as long as the trains aren’t delayed!

> What is it like backstage and what do you do when you are not on stage performing? 

It’s really exciting backstage as the power chords and the ballads sound great from the wings. Two teams attend each show, the team that are not performing are on stand-by so we get to play games and chat backstage.

> If you could be in any show, what would it be and why? 

School of Rock!! It’s awesome! I’ve wanted to be in it for ages.

> Would you like to be an actor when you are older? If not, what would you like to do? 

I would love to be a professional musician and perhaps work as a Musical Director in a theatre.

> Has being in a professional show met your expectations? 

Exceeded them! It’s so much fun and I’ve made loads of new friends

> Has it made you want to continue to do it?

Definitely. I wouldn’t stop for the world!

An outraged wildlife enthusiast has criticised a quarry operator for using its ‘giant hoover’ to suck away an island which he says is home to rare bird species.

Tony Donnelly, former volunteer warden for the Bedfordshire Wildlife Trust, has been bird watching at Grovebury Quarry for 30 years, along with many others who visit the site.

But he was furious, when operators Aggregate Industries/Garside Sands recently began extracting sand from the island located within the large lake on the site, which is situated on the southern side of the Leighton Buzzard bypass.

With sand reserves at the quarry nearly exhausted, Mr Donnelly said the island had shrunk to a third of its original size in just a few weeks and criticised Aggregate of trying to ‘milk’ the land for ever last grain of sand with little regard for the wildlife.

He said: “They get the sand with a giant hoover and suck it out of the lake. The island was about 19ft high. Three weeks ago they started sucking the island up. Two-thirds of the island is gone.

“It was about 80-100ft wide with gradual banks. But now on the side where they are working there’s a 13ft high cliff. It’s near where Lesser Black Backed Gulls are nesting. It’s a really important site, one of the few islands in the county for birds to nest on.”

He raged: “Billions of tonnes of sand must have been extracted in the last 30-40 years, and they must have made hundreds of millions of pounds - even more when they sell the old quarries for massive housing estates like they have elsewhere in Leighton Buzzard.

“But they’ve got to suck up the last few tonnes of sand there. Birds are nesting there at the moment. It’s outrageous. I think it’s pretty mean.”

Mr Donnelly said there were plenty of fairly rare bird species at the quarry. “In the last year there’s been 100 Sand Martins nesting on the island, seven pairs of Common Tern, a pair of Oystercatchers, and Little Ringed Plovers which are a protected species. There’s also Canada geese and other more common birds.

“Sand Martins are starting to nest now. If they are starting to work while they are nesting, that’s not allowed. The Plovers too, they are quite rare and protected.”

Kirsten Hannaford-Hill, Estates Surveyor at Aggregate Industries, said: ​“I can confirm that we propose to retain the island located within our site, as illustrated on our revised restoration plan submitted as part of a recent planning application to the council.

“The company still has remaining reserves within the lake floor which will sensitively be extracted to reduce any impact upon the local habitat which thrives on site.”

She confirmed that the island’s final shape would alter as part of ongoing operations but added: “The company understand its importance as a habitat and shall preserve this feature as part of the final restoration scheme.”

Grovebury Quarry sand extraction is currently due to finish at the end of July 2021.

However Aggregate has now submitted a planning application to Central Beds Council to extend quarrying to the east of site by 1.6 hectares, which would allow an additional 300,000 tonnes to be removed. Work would then continue for an additional year.

The company states: “An approval of this planning application avoids the unnecessary sterilisation of the silica sand reserves beneath the proposed extension area. It would make a small contribution towards maintaining the supply of silica sand and provide a further year of working with the economic benefits that would flow from what is recognised as a nationally important mineral.”

Silica sand is extracted using a suction dredger where sand is sucked from the underwater quarry face and then pumped to the processing plant via a long pipe where it is washed and graded. This method of extraction has been adopted since the quarry first opened in the 1920s.

The quarry produces around 350,000 tonnes of sand per year, although it has reached as high as 500,000 tonnes during the early 1990s.

The revised restoration scheme for the site features a large recreational (sailing) lake set within a mixture of restored agricultural land and fishing to the west and recreational beaches situated below wooded side slopes to the north and east and extensive areas of reedbed to the south.

Shefford Town & Campton went five points clear in the Bedfordshire League after they chalked up their fifth win on the bounce with a 4-0 victory at Sharnbrook on Saturday.

Ryan Lewis netted twice and he was joined on the Town scoresheet by single strikes from Lewis Taylor and Kier Boyd.

They extended their lead in the Premier Division supported by Sportsform as second place Caldecote were beaten 3-0 at Stevington, Kieran Souter, Martin Danobrega and Billy Roberts netting the goals to do the damage.

Also losing were third place AFC Kempston Town & Bedford College, 3-2 at home against fifth place Crawley Green Reserves who, having played less games than all those above them apart from Shefford, still remain in the chase for the title.

Henry Mungira, Rob Newman and Temitayo Akerele netted the visitors’ goals to take their unbeaten away sequence up to six games against Town replies via Mark Stephenson and Daniel Church.

Returning to winning ways on home soil for the first time in seven outings were last season’s champions Flitwick Town with a 3-2 victory over Kempston Rovers Development who were suffering their eighth straight away defeat. Oliver Banfield, Daniel Stafford and Phil Matthews scored for the Town against Rovers replies via Scott Dummett and Paul Garrett.

Marston Shelton Rovers ended their run of seven games without an away win with a 5-0 victory at Wootton Blue Cross. Wes Burrows with a hat-trick and Nick Skolsky with a brace brought up the nap hand.

For sixth place AFC Oakley M&DH it was the share of the spoils from a 4-4 home draw against Queens Park Crescents. Elijah Hukin, Robbie Alder, Jack Hadden and Matt Barnes all found the back of the net against Crescents replies via Shahinur Rahman with a brace plus single goals from Hassan Yousaf and Serge Kadji.

Wilstead and Cranfield United shared the points from a 0-0 stalemate.

Division One supported by O’Neills

There is no change at the head of Division One supported by O’Neills following wins for the top two sides. For leaders Totternoe Reserves it was a 5-1 home victory over a Cople & Bedford SA side who were suffering their first defeat in eight outings. Johnny Clarke led the way with a hat-trick and was joined on the home scoresheet by single goals for Tom Howson and Lee Fromant against a lone reply from James Munns.

Second place Riseley Sports claimed a 2-1 home victory over Lea Sports PSG to take their unbeaten ways up to 18 games. The visitors via Joe Hennem, led 1-0 at the break before a brace in the second period from Jack Healy won the day for the home side.

Elsewhere both Biggleswade FC Reserves and Flitwick Town Reserves completed their seasons with home wins. Biggleswade, with a hat-trick from John Veal, were the 3-0 winners over Shefford Town & Campton Reserves whilst Flitwick ended a run of seven games without a win by beating AFC Kempston Town & Bedford College Reserves 4-1. Mark Bartlett, Liam Keane, Benn Ward and an own goal marked their scoresheet against a lone reply from Martin Ivy.

Also enjoying life on home soil were Cranfield United Reserves who took their unbeaten home ways up to five games with a 3-2 win over Sandy. Jordan Conway with a brace plus a strike from Andre Anderson netted for the home side against Sandy replies via Matt Baines and Liam Brophy.

Division Two.

There is no change at the head of the league following wins for the top three sides. For leaders Bedford Albion it was away win number five on the bounce and their unbeaten ways now up to 12 games with a 3-1 victory at Atletico Europa. Michael France with a brace and Gavin Matthews netted for the Albion against a lone home reply from Jalilu Osman.

Henlow Reserves were 3-0 home winners over Luton Leagrave AFC. James Campbell, Chris Powell and Atilla Balazsi all found the back of the net.

Meantime third place Wilstead Reserves ended Marston Shelton Rovers Reserves’ 10 game unbeaten run by beating them 2-0, Robert Booth and Jamie Hall netting the goals to do the damage.

Following eight straight defeats Houghton Athletic returned to winning ways with a 1-0 home win over Sundon Park Rovers thanks to a strike from Antony Nerves Simms.

Elsewhere Elstow Abbey ran out the 3-2 victors at AFC Oakley M&DH Reserves. Billy Mills with a brace and a strike from Charismo Agyemang were on the Abbey scoresheet against home replies via Justin Muricraft and James Grandidge.

Caldecote Reserves were gifted three points when Westoning failed to raise a side to visit them at Harvey Close.

Division Three

Kempston Athletic are the 2017-18 Division Three champions after claiming win number eight on the bounce and the taking of their unbeaten ways up to 18 games with a 2-0 victory at Shefford Town & Campton A. Josh St Clair Pierre netted both goals to kickstart the celebrations.

The biggest win of the day saw Sandy Reserves take their winning home ways up to seven games with a 7-0 victory over Stevington Reserves. Toby Keast with a hat-trick, Aiden London with a brace plus single goals for Toren Purser and Mark Jennings did the damage. Bedford Albion Reserves were 4-2 winners at Lidlington United Sports. Guiseppe Lamberti with a brace and single strikes from Tom Wade and Adam Chlapinski were only being replied to by home goals from Carl Pearson and Dale Crocker.

Over at Lewsey Park the Black Swan v Clifton game was abandoned just two minutes from time due to a serious injury to Clifton player Toby Gibbs, At the time of the stoppage the Swans, with two goals from Ben Smith and a strike from Henry Hewitt, were leading 3-2. Jamie Parker and Dale Houghton netting the Clifton goals.

Elsewhere Caldecote A were gifted the three points when Flitwick Town A failed to raise a side to host them at the Football Centre and AFC Kempston Town & Bedford College A likewise gifted three points when Dinamo Flitwick failed to raise a side for their visit to Kingsfield.

There’s no better place for a day out for chocolate lovers than Cadbury World this spring, with Afternoon Tea and more to enjoy.

Served on bone china crockery in the Cadbury Café, Cadbury World’s Afternoon Tea puts a chocolatey twist on the classic British experience. Combining classic items with sweet treats, guests can enjoy savoury sandwiches with delicious macarons, chocolate brownies and a special rocky road, made to an exclusive Cadbury recipe, complete with a cup of tasty Cadbury hot chocolate, tea or coffee.

Available from Monday to Friday*, the Afternoon Tea offer is the perfect way to complete a fascinating tour of the popular Bournville-based attraction. For a combined price of £21.95 per person, visitors can explore the Cadbury World zones with admission into the attraction, before indulging in the delicious Afternoon Tea in the Cadbury Café.

Visitors can experience the magic of the attraction’s impressive chocolatey zones - from discovering the origins of the cocoa bean in the Aztec Jungle and growing your own virtual cocoa tree in Purple Planet, to watching the talented chocolatiers in action in the popular Chocolate Making and Demonstration zones.

Not to be missed is the exciting 4D Chocolate Adventure zone, where you can experience the feeling of diving into a pot of melted Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate and ride the Crunchie Rollercoaster, all without leaving your seat. Take a trip down Advertising Avenue to relive some of Cadbury’s most iconic advertising campaigns and complete your trip with a visit to The World’s Biggest Cadbury Shop.

Afternoon Tea is available to book online or by calling 0844 880 7667. For more information about the offer, visit the website

*Afternoon Tea is available from Monday to Friday, and is only valid on attraction entry between 1.10pm and 1.20pm with the Afternoon Tea to follow. Not available during school holidays. Afternoon Tea can be booked up to 48 hours before you visit.

FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN SIMPLY ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION:

Where is the popular Cadbury World attraction based?

A) New York

B) Birmingham

C) Paris

Send your entry to damien.lucas@jpress.co.uk by Monday May 7th with CADBURY COMP in the subject header and incluing your full name, address and a contact phone number.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Open to UK residents aged 18 and over only.

The competition is open until Monday 7th May 2018

One winner will be selected at random from all eligible entries.

The winner will win Afternoon tea and a tour of Cadbury World for two people.

Afternoon Tea is valid until Sunday 30th December 2018.

Afternoon Tea is available Monday to Friday with attraction entry at 1.10pm or 1.20pm with Afternoon Tea to follow.

This prize excludes school holidays.

Afternoon Tea and Cadbury World tickets must be booked in advance by calling the reservations team on 0844 880 7667 (calls cost 7p per minute plus your telephone company’s access charge) and quoting your unique booking number.

Travel and accommodation expenses are not included and the winner will be required to make their own travel arrangements to and from Cadbury World, Linden Road, Bournville, Birmingham, B30 1JR.

Entrants must be over the age of 18.

The winner will be notified by Johnston Press after the closing date of Monday 7th May 2018.

The winner will have 7 days following initial contact to claim the prize. Your complimentary family pass will be posted to you by Cadbury World.

If for any reason any aspect of this promotion is not capable of running as planned, including by reason of infection by computer virus, network failure, bugs, tampering, unauthorised intervention, fraud, technical failures or any cause beyond the control of the Promoter which corrupts or affects the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of this promotion, the Promoter may in its sole discretion cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the promotion, or invalidate any affected entries.

The Promoter will only use the personal details supplied for promotional purposes and for no other purpose, unless we have your consent. Your personal details will at all times be kept confidential and in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998. Click here [https://www.cadbury.co.uk/privacy] for the Promoter’s Privacy Policy. By participating in the Promotion, you agree to the use of your personal data as described here. You can withdraw your consent at any time, but will no longer be able to participate.

Promoter: Mondelez Europe Services GmbH – UK Branch, Cadbury World, Linden Road, Bournville, Birmingham, B30 1JR

Bosses at the former B/E Aerospace plant in Leighton Buzzard have this week confirmed up to 85 jobs will be lost as roles are moved to the Philippines.

Speculation has been rife about upcoming redundancies at the plant on Grovebury Road, now owned by Rockwell Collins.

This week, a company spokesman stated: “Rockwell Collins has made the decision to shift some manufacturing and assembly work operations in the Aftermarket Services business from Leighton Buzzard, England, to its operations in the Philippines.

“Approximately 85 positions related to its Aftermarket Services could be affected, primarily in the machine shop, fabrication, plastics, assembly areas and associated indirect supporting functions.

“This decision was driven by the highly competitive landscape and price sensitive aftermarket business. We are committed to providing support for all employees impacted by this transition, including the opportunity to apply for other positions within Rockwell Collins.

“Several core business functions will continue to operate from the Leighton Buzzard location and the facility will continue to remain a vital location for our company.”

A devoted wife and mother from Leighton Buzzard died in a tragic road collision, an inquest heard yesterday.

Laura Jones, 29, was driving on the B655 Barton Road near Pegsdon on October 19 last year when her Ford Mondeo collided with an Isuzu heavy goods vehicle.

The inquest at Ampthill Courthouse heard that “for unknown reasons” the mum-of-three had lost control of her vehicle when the collision occurred.

Mrs Jones’s husband Lee attended the inquest and described her as a devoted wife and mother “with a strong sense of right and wrong”, who demanded the highest standards of herself.

“To describe her as amazing would be an understatement”, he said.

There were no signs of intoxication, speeding or mobile phone use, and the driver of the Isuzu was commended by the coroner for an “impressive” response time in applying the emergency brakes.

Coroner Ian Pears said: “This was a tragic accident. Whilst we know the mechanics of what happened, what we don’t know is the cause.

“Clearly, Laura lost control while proceeding down the B655 towards Pegsdon and that had tragic results when she impacted into the oncoming Isuzu.

“We don’t know why she lost control. There’s no drinking and it doesn’t appear that she was tired or distracted on her mobile phone.

“The cause will never be known.”

The coroner concluded that Mrs Jones died as a result of a road traffic collision.

Police are appealing for the public’s help in finding a man sought in connection with a collision which left a police officer with serious leg injuries on Tuesday.

Jack Mitchell, 18, from Essex, has links to Bedfordshire and north London, although it is thought he may have travelled to Harlow in Essex.

Police are continuing to investigate the incident at Sunderland Road, Sandy, on April 24, in which the officer was left with a broken leg. She has since been discharged from hospital.

Anyone who knows of the whereabouts of Jack Mitchell, or who may have seen him, should contact police on 101 quoting Operation Microphone, or by using Bedfordshire Police’s online reporting tool. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111

Leighton Buzzard residents claim they were being driven up the wall by several mystery bus stops that didn’t have any services running past them.

Highfield Road, Russell Way, and Crossway have five new bus stops between them, but commuters got in touch with the LBO when they were first erected in April to say that no bus services stopped at them.

The only service that did go past them was the no.34/5 - on the opposite of the road - while there were no bus numbers displayed on the posts.

Resident, Neil Cairns, claimed: “You could have been waiting there for an enternity!

“We also asked some bus drivers but they just told us, ‘We go where they [Arriva] tell us’. A bit of a mess I think!”

To add to their confusion, at the beginning of April, the no.32/33 that served the east of the town was cancelled and re-directed to run out to Tilsworth, as the village had recently lost its no. 70 bus.

The no.32 now starts in the High Street, runs down Hockliffe Road, Brooklands Drive, Brooklands Avenue and Stanbridge Road out to Tilsworth and back, once evey hour.

Neil added: “It used to run around the Brooklands estate including Highfield Road and Russell Way (hail-a-ride)every 30 minutes, but then it stopped. Residents were very confused - no-one was told!”

However, a Central Bedfordshire Council spokeswoman, said: “The No.32 service is still scheduled to operate via the Highfield Road, Russell Way and Clipstone Crescent areas in both directions, but it appears Arriva may have unfortunately been operating the amended route incorrectly, missing them.

“We have taken the matter up with Arriva to ensure that the service operates correctly.

“The new bus stops have been installed in Highfield Road and Russell Way to reflect this change.”

And it seems that the No.32 has now made it to the mystery stops. On Thursday, Neil said: “A 32 went up Highfield Road/Russell Way today at 2.30pm.”

An Arriva spokesman said: “On March 12 our route 32 was extended to Tilsworth in order to provide service to those residents to Leighton Buzzard High Street.

“The original line of route was maintained, including Highfield Road and Russell Way, and should be served by all journeys in both directions.

“We appreciate our customers taking the time to feedback to us if they have experienced any difficulties since these changes were implemented, and will of course work to ensure that the route operates effectively to the revised timetable in future.”

Two customers at a Leighton Buzzard opticians had a lucky strike after winning a competition in aid of a children’s charity.

Leighton Buzzard locals, John Faulkner and Betty Minter, were both awarded Easter-themed prizes by staff at Specsavers as part of an in-store fund-raiser and bake sale, which raised £144 for children’s hospice, The Pepper Foundation.

John won a hamper full of goodies and Betty won Easter eggs.

Store director, Ekta Kotecha, said: “We are very proud of our fund-raising achievements here at Specsavers.

“We love to host in-store fund-raisers and take part in activities in the name of charity, and our competition and bake sale were a great way to raise funds for The Pepper Foundation.

“On behalf of the store, I’d like to congratulate John and Betty, and thank Shrey Kotecha, Willis Flowers and The Party Shop for their help in making our fund-raiser a great success.

“We’d also like to thank everyone who visited us in store and contributed to our fund-raising total. Without their help we wouldn’t be able to support The Pepper Foundation in continuing its vital work for families.”

To book an eye or hearing examination at Specsavers Leighton Buzzard, visit 18 Waterborne Walk.

To find out more about The Pepper Foundation, go to www.pepper.org.uk

Congestion, roads, access, vehicles, enforcement and safety... it’s time to have you say on these hot topics in Leighton Buzzard.

Each year the Community Forum Steering group get together to talk about issues within the town. The group has been going since 2013 and is open to local residents, community groups and businesses.

This year the focus is on safer use of our roads and footpaths in Leighton-Linslade. The Highways Team will join the town council and Central Beds Council along with other key local groups to discuss the issues facing on our highways from congestion, potholes and damaged roads, access, vehicle issues, enforcement areas and of course safe use of our roads and public highways. Other topics include emissions, schools, crossings, new estates, road planning and signage, cyclists, parking and general highway issues.

This event will educate and promote better use of local highways, safer access for emergency vehicles and our health and well-being.

The event is a drop-in session for you to come and have your say. A large map will be on display to make it easy to pinpoint your problem areas, a graffiti board for you to make notes and give ideas and suggestions and of course experts and local groups will be on hand for you to speak with.

It takes place on Saturday, May 5 at the town’s library from 10am-12noon.

For more information on this event or if you are interested in joining the group, then email: Partnerships.CommunityEngagementTeam@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk or telephone: 0300 300 6166.

Sebastian Vettel starts the Azerbaijan Grand Prix from pole position as he seeks to build his championship lead over Lewis Hamilton.

Get all the latest from the race here.

A young musician who goes to Vandyke Upper School has recently passed a tough music exam.

Hannah Thomson passed the ARSM (Associate of the Royal School of Music) Diploma with Distinction. She took the exam in March and is the first to take this new post Grade 8 diploma at the Leighton Buzzard Exam Centre.

Her programme had to be a 30-minute performance and was selected by Barbara Springthorpe, her piano teacher, to reflect Hannah’s versatility and piano skills, as well as being a challenge beyond Grade 8, which Hannah also passed with Distinction over a year ago.

It means Hannah can now add letters after her name before going on to study music at university.

Matt Adcock reviews Avengers: Infinity War (12A)

Nothing can fully prepare you for this most epic of superhero showdowns. Over ten years Marvel have brought the Avengers and their allies from their comic books to impressive big screen life. Infinity War though is the first time pretty much all of them have been together and even throws the Guardians of the Galaxy into the action too.

We’ve seen the heroic Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk and friends protecting the world before but they’ve never faced a threat as huge as this. You see there’s an unstoppable mad titan named Thanos who is collecting six ‘Infinity Stones’ - artefacts of unimaginable power – with the plan to kill half of all beings in the universe.

Plot wise you don’t need to know much more, except that everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment - the fate of Earth and existence itself has never been more uncertain.

Thanos (Josh Brolin) is potentially the first all CGI baddie to really have a soul. He’s an incredible creation evoking fear and grudging admiration for his sheer iron will. Our heroes are in disarray after the costly their civil war, so with the Avengers scattered it falls to Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) and Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to convince Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) and Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) to join the fight. It is a lot of fun to see the various alpha males bantering with each other – a highlight is watching Star Lord (Chris Pratt) get all defensive when his ship is gate-crashed by Thor (Chris Hemsworth).

As the various groups divide to take on various perilous quests in a bid to try and stop Thanos and his minions – the huge arcing narrative holds together by the scale of the common threat. From the first scene, there are no guarantees as to who will survive – so be prepared to swallow hard as it does get emotional.

Directors Anthony and Joe Russo craft the huge action scenes with a deft touch, each fight has resonance and cost – this is by far the most satisfying super hero film for years. The special effects are simply jaw-dropping (which you’d expect from the massive budget and resources Disney can throw at such a huge project) but this sets the bar very high for anything following.

For once you can believe the hype. Avengers: Infinity War is an epic cinematic event not to be missed.

Strong safety concerns have been raised about the 3,000 extra vehicles which are passing daily along the A5 through Hockliffe since the M1-A5 link road opened.

At a recent Hockliffe Parish Council meeting, representatives from Highways England attended and spoke to residents and the council about the traffic issue.

They explained that prior to the construction of the A5/M1 Link Road there was a public inquiry which identified that it was likely that there would be a daily increase of 3,000 vehicles through Hockliffe.

That has materialised with the 13,000 vehicles travelled through Hockliffe on a daily basis, now increasing to a total of 16,000. The Highways Agency told the meeting there would be a post opening evaluation carried out in May 2018 (a year after the link road opened) to look at the impact on surrounding locations.

It was revealed at the meeting that there is no plan to deliver a bypass for Hockliffe.

Residents also raised concerns about the potential effect of new homes at Houghton Regis on traffic through the village, the speed of HGVs, how the weight restriction on surrounding roads impacts the A5 through Hockliffe, and asked if the speed limit could be reduced from 40mph to 30mph.

Hockliffe resident John Gilbey said: “Officers from Highways England came to the parish town council meeting and listened to what we had to say.

“They are open to hear our suggestions on how to improve the traffic in the village, they are coming back and I have been asked to walk around with them and speak to them about the concerns and suggestions the villagers have.

“Since June last year there have been 285 incidents on the M1 which has led to extensive tail backs on the A5. During this time there have also been 9 separate overnight closures of the M1 which has led to a constant flow of traffic through the village, which have made property shake and kept residents awake.

“The amount of traffic on the A5 through Hockliffe is unbelievable and is getting really out of hand, it has got a lot worse since the A5-M1 link road opened in May.”

Peter Edwards, of Hockliffe, witnessed a dumper truck crash into the back of an Astra on the A5 when the car was in a stationary traffic jam last month.

He said: “We are used to sitting in traffic jams now, when travelling home from Milton Keynes on the A5, pretty much every day there are traffic jams, if you live in the village it can sometimes take about 40 minutes to get home on the A5 from the Heath and Reach roundabout, it is ridiculous, it has been like it since the A5-M1 Link Road opened in May.

“We stopped in the traffic jam and when I checked my mirror I saw a large truck coming down the road and it wasn’t stopping. We had just moved forward when we heard the truck crash into the back of the Astra behind us, the car spun and it ended up in a ditch on the other side of the road, luckily the driver of the car was able to walk away from the crash. I spoke to the driver of the truck and he said why are there cars parked on the A5, I said don’t be ridiculous, they are not parked it is a traffic jam.

“I have lived in Hockliffe for years and it has always been busy but it has got ridiculously busy since the A5-M1 Link road opened.”

“It is 60mph as you come from Heath and Reach into Hockliffe and there are lot of hills and blind spots, it is very dangerous.

“They could ease the problem by stopping HGVs going through Hockliffe on the A5, Central Bedfordshire Council have put restrictions to stop them going through the surrounding villages but not Hockliffe. The village is getting choked with traffic and it is very dangerous for people who live here , Central Bedfordshire Council should stop HGVs travelling through here as well.”

Central Bedfordshire Council enforced a 7.5 tonne weight limit in Houghton Regis, Dunstable, Toddington, Woburn and many local roads, but Hockliffe does not fall into the restriction.

A spokesperson for CBC said: “Hockliffe does not fall into the Central Bedfordshire Council’s weight limit ban, as that remains the A5 and so is still operated by Highways England and part of their strategic network through to Milton Keynes.

“Residents with concerns should therefore contact Highways England. Senior managers at Central Bedfordshire Council have been made aware of residents’ concerns about the impact of future growth impacting on the A5.”

Highways England will be sending out representatives to Hockliffe again to meet members of the Parish Council and discuss the issues again.

A Highways England spokesperson said: “Representatives from Highways England attended a meeting with the Parish Council last month where we discussed the A5 through Hockcliffe.

“We have offered to meet members of the Parish Council again where we will discuss in more depth their areas of concern, and whether any measures to address these can be put in place.”

Did you see The Beatles when they rocked Bedford back in the 1960s? Then you could play a starring role in a sensational show coming to Bedford Corn Exchange.

The world’s favourite Liverpool-born Beatles tribute The Mersey Beatles are playing the very same towns, cities and historic British venues the original Fab Four did during the days of

Beatlemania.

Fresh from sell-out shows across America and Europe, the band’s ‘Get Back UK Tour’ hits Bedford on Wednesday, November 14.

And, as part of this interactive show, The Mersey Beatles will feature treasured stories and memories from fans who saw John, Paul, George and Ringo in Bedford in the 1960s.

The Beatles performed at Bedford Corn Exchange on December 13, 1962 when they headlined a bill which also featured Robin Hall and Jimmie Macgregor.

The Beatles played Bedford on two further occasions – both in 1963 – at the Granada cinema which was demolished in 1991.

So, were you at the gigs? What was your highlight? Did you meet the band? Did you scream? Have you got photographs?

Did you meet your sweetheart while Twisting and Shouting? What made The Beatles so special?

The Mersey Beatles will project these stories – and the names of the fans who supplied them – on to a screen on stage at their Corn Exchange show.

Formed in 1999, The Mersey Beatles – Mark Bloor (John), Steven Howard (Paul), Craig McGown (George) and Brian Ambrose (Ringo) – were the resident band at Liverpool’s world-

famous Cavern Club for more than a decade and have toured the world many times over.

Mark said: “All our shows are a massive celebration of the best band and best music ever made and audiences always play a huge part in the experience. We like people to get up on their feet,

dancing and joining in.

“For this, our biggest ever UK Tour, we are playing the same venues and towns the Fab Four played back in the days of Beatlemania. We want as many of those fans who were at the

original gigs to relive those golden days. And what better way than to capture their stories and memories and include them as part of the show?

“So, if you were at the original gigs, or your parents or grandparents were, then please get in touch. We’d love to hear those stories and share them at each show.”

Please email your memories of The Beatles in Bedford to merseybeatles@rhodesmedia.com

Fab Four fans attending The Mersey Beatles’ Corn Exchange gig – which covers all areas of The Beatles career from Beatlemania to Sgt Pepper and Abbey Road – are in for a real treat.

Steven added: “We take the audience on a real journey through all the Beatles’ albums and hits, and for this historic tour we have also added two special sections. We will play the same

set list as played by The Beatles the last time they played the Corn Exchange and a special 50th anniversary tribute to the hits and seminal tracks from ‘The White Album’.

“There are some truly sensational tracks on ‘The White Album’ that we know audiences will absolutely love. We cannot wait for the tour to start – it’s going to be incredible!”

Tickets for The Mersey Beatles show at Bedford Corn Exchange on November 14 are on sale now from the venue and www.ticketmaster.co.uk

A gull had a lucky escape after he was spotted struggling to fly because a plastic shopping bag had tangled tightly around his foot.

Luckily, a passer-by called the RSPCA for help and waited with the gull until animal welfare officer (AWO) Peter Warne arrived to help.

The gull was struggling to fly and flapping his wings in a panic, close to the White Lion Retail Park on Boscombe Road, Dunstable on Thursday. (26 April.)

The bird had made its way into the bus lane of the road, and Peter knew he’d have to act fast to confine him so he could remove the bag safely.

Peter said: “This poor bird was struggling to walk with the bag on his foot and couldn’t fly higher than around 4ft, which put him in real danger. Every time he flapped his wings and lifted off the ground, the plastic bag blew open with air and weighed him down.

“When I arrived he was in the road, but a bus driver had stopped his vehicle to create a barrier so I could get hold of the bird. It took me a little while as the gull was understandably nervous of me, but I did manage to catch him and was able to remove the plastic shopping bag from his foot. As the gull was otherwise unharmed, I released him straight away and watched him fly off.

“It could have been a very different story for the gull had we not been called to help, as he was vulnerable to dangers such as an attack from a predator like a fox, or being hit by a vehicle.

“It was very sad to see a wild bird trapped in litter like that, and I’d like to remind people of the importance of properly disposing of their rubbish. Such a simple act of throwing your rubbish away can prevent this sort of thing from happening.”

You can find out more about how to help animals by getting the RSPCA’s Guide to Animal Kindness online, which includes lots of suggestions for little acts of kindness towards animals.

Anyone who finds an injured wild animal can contact the RSPCA’s emergency line on 0300 1234 999.

Leighton Town have missed out on promotion after a defeat and a draw this week ended their chances of a top two spot in SSML Premier Division.

Town were still in with a chance of snatching second spot from Berkhamsted, but a shock 1-0 defeat to bottom club Stotfold in their final home game of the season last Tuesday left them toiling, while a last-gasp effort from Tom Bryant rescued a point in a thrilling 3-3 draw with Wembley on Saturday.

The results leave Town seven points adrift of Berko, who nearly threw away a 3-0 lead against Edgware on Saturday, winning 3-2, with a game remaining.

Town could still finish as low as fifth in the division, but that would need Harpenden Town and Biggleswade FC to win their remaining fixtures, while Scott Reynolds’ side would need to lose away from home against champions Welwyn Garden City in their final game next Saturday.

Town’s focus though now switches to the Buckingham Senior Charity Cup, with the long-awaited first leg of the semi-final taking place tonight, Tuesday, against Buckingham Athletic.

At the beginning of the season, Reynolds earmarked silverware as a mark of a successful season, and his side will now look to secure the Cup, while holding on to third spot.

Town travelled to Wembley on Saturday knowing they would need to win and hope other results to go their way if they were to stay in the promotion hunt, irrespective of their result against the London side. And though Berkhamsted raced into a 3-0 first half lead against Edgware Town, the Reds did their bit too.

Tom Silford made a great run down the left for Town and Lorrell Smith headed cleverly home to open the scoring.

The lively Alex Witham for Wembley had two good efforts well saved by Town keeper Tom Wyant before Town doubled their lead just before the break.

Great work by Lorrell Smith set up Carl Tappin to strike sweetly home from just inside the box.

Wembley were a different , more positive side in the second half but Town could have and perhaps should have scored and wrapped up the game when Smith was put clean through by the industrious Alex O’Brien , but he failed to beat keeper Przemyslaw Mierzwa.

Wembley then had a golden period and got one back , but again Town failed to score when Lewis McBride set up O’Brien only to be denied by Mierzwa.

Buoyed by their own keeper’s sting of saves to keep them in it, Wembley fought back and peppered Wyant’s goal.

The Town stopper made several good saves as Town were under great pressure, but eventually that pressure told.

Disappointingly for Town though, Wembley not only equalised but then took the lead to set up a result which appeared unlikely at the half time interval.

However, with time almost up Town earned a corner on the right and the ball into the box was cracked home by sub Tom Bryant with his first touch.

The draw was fair result, but along with Berko’s 3-2 win, it meant Town’s hopes of a promotion spot were gone.

It’s cricket season once again, but the weather put paid to all the action in the Four Counties Cricket League opening weekend.

Eaton Bray’s Division 1 season was due to start at home to Westcroft, but will look to next Saturday’s game away at Thurleigh to get their season underway.

Eggington Foresters are in Division 2 action, and will take on Biddenham next Saturday, while Ivinghoe & Pitstone hope to launch their Division 3 season against Cranfield after the reverse fixture on Saturday was rained off.

Also in Division 3, Milton Bryan take on Whitchurch, Soulbury play Buckland & Aston Clinton and Stoke Hammond take on Sharnbrook.

In Division 5, Milton Bryan 2nds will play Drayton Parslow, and Great Brickhill 3rds face off against Buckland & Aston Clinton 2nds.

The Cherwell Cricket League season begins this weekend. Leighton Buzzard suffered relegation from Division 1 last time out, and will look to bounce back to the top flight at the first time of asking.

Their season begins away at Horspath 2nds on Saturday.

Great Brickhill also suffered relegation last season, dropping out of the Home Counties League, returning to Cherwell Division 1.

Great Brickhill 2nds are in Division 3 and begin their season away at Banbury 3rds, while Leighton Buzzard 2nds take on Aston Rowant in Division 5.

Police are investigating after three watches and a ring were stolen from a property in Ivinghoe Aston.

The incident happened between 7am and 4pm on Thursday April 26 when offenders forced open the rear kitchen window of a house.

They searched the premises and stole property including a Breitling watch, a Michael Kors watch, a third watch and a diamond ring.

Investigating officer PC James Lacey said: “I am releasing pictures of the stolen watches as they are quite distinctive.

“It’s likely that they will be offered for sale somewhere, so please call me if you have any information.

“A small red car was also seen in the area that morning, so I would like to track down this vehicle as the occupants might have vital information regarding this burglary.”

If you have any information you can contact PC Lacey on the police enquiry centre number 101 - quoting reference number 43180125597.

Alternatively you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Bedfordshire Police stopped and searched 31% fewer suspects last year, marking a significant move away from the policy despite a national focus on knife and drug crimes.

But only 33% of the searches led to any further action, with the majority of suspects found to be carrying nothing of interest.

Home Office figures show stop and search powers were used 1,405 times by the force last year, 31% less than in 2016. Just 17% of searches led to an arrest or a summons to court.

In the majority of incidents, 55%, people were searched on suspicion of drug possession. Of those suspects, 15% were arrested or summonsed to court and 13% were given drugs possessionwarnings.

Suspicion of carrying offensive weapons, such as knives, accounted for 220 searches in 2017, with 16% leading to an arrest or court summons. A further 13 suspects were searched for firearms, with none arrested or charged.

Other potential outcomes from stop and search include the suspect being given a police warning, the issue being resolved on the spot, or, most often, no further action being taken.

Earlier this month, the shadow home secretary, Diane Abbott, told BBC Radio 4 Today programme that stop and search had been ineffective in combatting violent crime.

She said:”The truth is, when stop and search was at full throttle, the main thing they found were small quantities of drugs.

“Evidence-based stop and search will always be an important weapon against all types of crime. But random stop and search has poisoned relationships between the police and the community, and inthe end we need the cooperation of the community to deal with the issues.”

A spokesman for the Home Office said: “We have been clear that stop and search is a vital policing tool, and officers will always have the Government’s full support to use these powers properly.”

Across England and Wales, 38 forces reported details of their stop and search incidents for the whole of 2016 and 2017.

Among them, there were 17% fewer stop and searches in 2017.

The figures also showed the extent to which black people are disproportionately likely to be the subject of stop and searches. Officers identified suspects as black in one in four cases, despite black people making up just 3% of the population in England and Wales in the 2011 Census.

Data: https://data.police.uk/data/