Speaking to us ahead of his show coming to Aylesbury’s Waterside Theatre (a venue he said he has never performed at before) on Wednesday and Thursday May 30 and 31, our chat takes in everything from the ubiquitous nature of mobile phones, the impact that YouTube has had on stand up comedy and performing in the Far East.

This is the second leg of his tour entitled Larks in Transit based on the Dickensian definition of larks, and is a show which has already travelled.

Bill said: “The show has gone to Australia, China, Vietnam and Thailand after the first leg of the UK tour, before coming back to this country.

“It’s a little more autobiographical than previous shows but lots of stories and jokes.”

But he says there is a huge appetite for comedy in the Far East even if you have to be careful with the subjects they talked about.

Bill said: “There is a lot of censorship especially somewhere like China where president Xi Jinping who has declared himself in charge. You are asked to avoid subjects like Tianamen Square, Taiwan and Tibet. It will get a reaction on the night but it has an impact.

“It’s not so much a censorship for me as I will go there, do the gig and swan off somewhere else. But for the owners of the club who have hosted the gig, you might read that their licence hasn’t been renewed.”

But Bill says despite this, comedy doesn’t suffer in an environment like this.

He said: “What you can do is make allegories towards it. You can point out situations which are similar and let people draw their own conclusions.”

He also says that he very rarely has to adapt his act depending on the venue.

Bill said: “Ever since YouTube was launched, there is a huge wealth of comedy material out there, and there is a great demand for English speaking comedy all over the world.

“People have become a lot more savvy about their comedy tastes.

“There is not even much variance between the gigs within the United Kingdom. People will tend to travel quite far. I did a gig in Swansea and there was a couple who had travelled in from Amsterdam for it.”

He has even promised some new songs for his show including taking an every day object and turning it into a song.

Bill said: “Mobile phones have become so ubiquitous, I am talking on one now but it is my alarm in the morning and has notes on it.

“It is the sounds of phones so there is a song in there attempting to reclaim the sounds that a mobile phone makes for a little bit of light relief.

“There is also a new take on some nursery rhymes so there is a version of Old McDonald’s Farm if it was sung in a Blues story.”

We have most recently seen Bill in the sitcom In The Long Run on Sky One alongside Idris Elba and has nothing but praise for his co-star.

Bill said: “It is quite a brave move for Idris I think to put something that was autobiographical and all about his family and the relationship he had with his dad.

“But it was a very sweet heart warming story set against the backdrop of the mid 80s and casual racism.

“It was also great because we don’t have enough of those different voices on British television. It was a lovely series.”

Tickets can be booked by visiting www.atgtickets.com/venues/aylesbury-waterside-theatre. He also appears at Wycombe Swan on June 15 and 16. Visit www.wycombeswan.co.uk for further information or to book.

Visitors at a Linslade swimming pool say that poor maintenance is continuing to be a problem, with reports of pervasive foul smells.

Tiddenfoot Leisure Centre has already received criticism for its cold temperatures in March – which was put down to faults with the air handling units.

Now, visitors claim that changing rooms are dogged by a persistent foul smell and the small swimming pool was reportedly evacuated on April 17 after someone defecated.

One visitor said: “For months now, I’ve been reporting a bad smell and the thing I keep getting told is, ‘We’ll sort it’ or ‘Managers are taking care of it’. I travel from outside of Leighton Buzzard in order to go with friends to the pool so it’s a bit of a social outing us.

“But that is being ruined by the smell and the state of the changing rooms.”

In 2014, the centre which was described by CBC as “old and tired”, received a £2million revamp to a large fanfare with Olympians Fran Leighton (water polo), Adam Whitehead (swimmer) and Hannah Green (synchronised swimmer).

A CBC spokesman said: “The changing rooms and the drains are cleaned every day to a strict regime... We are not aware of any recent complaints relating to the smell in the changing rooms, but we will always seek to rectify any issues as quickly as possible.

“We have since assessed the drainage and the area is clean, clear from odour and there are no underlying issues. Unfortunately accidents do happen in the pool, so it is normal practice to evacuate.

“This is to allow time to clear the pool and increase the chemical levels to treat the water. The variable base pool was closed on April 17 due to an accident and reopened in the morning of April 18.”

Stevington lifted the Britannia Cup with a 4-0 victory at Caldecote in front of 225 spectators at Kempston Rovers on Bank Holiday Monday.

Th eonly goal of the opening half came just seven minutes from the break when Caldecote defender Harry Elkin twice failed to clear his lines and allowed Keiran Souter to nip in and opening the scoring.

However the turning point of the game arrived in the 72nd minute when Caldecote were reduced to 10 men following a second yellow for Tom Wallace as, just three minutes later, Billy Roberts doubled Stevington’s lead with a rocket from 40 yards.

Caldecote’s heads were now dropping and it was no surprise to see William Pinney add to the scoreline in the 88th minute and Aaron Hewitt net a fourth some seven minutes into stoppage time. The lengthy stoppage time was due to a head injury to Caldecote’s Chris Richardson which in effect saw them play out the last 10 minutes with just nine men.

Wilstead Reserves followed up beating Henlow Reserves to the Divsiion Two runners-up spot by winning the Jubilee Cup against the same side on Friday.

Before a crowd of more than 150 the opening 90 minutes produced no goals and led to a penalty shoot-out. First up were Wilstead and into a 1-0 lead via Liam Philip before Henlow’s Chris Powell was to have his effort saved well on his near post by goalkeeper Frank Marshall.

Wilstead’s second effort from Gregory Turnball flew over to give Henlow hope but then James Campbell was to send the second Henlow straight into the arms of Marshall. Liam Fenton made it 2-0 and when Oliver Cattley crashed the third Henlow effort against the post it left Jamie Hall with the honour of stepping up to net the winner.

Totternhoe Reserves duly completed a league and cup double with another penalty victory, this time in the Centenary Cup final on Saturday. It was against Cranfield United Reserves who had ironically completed a league double over them.

United took the lead in the 38th minute via Joe Bygraves before the Totts levelled 13 minutes into the second period via Tom Howson to take the tie into a penalty shoot-out. With Totternoe going first after three kicks it was 3-3, The fourth kick from Totts Brayden Judge put them 4-3 ahead before a United miss from Jonny Lam duly allowed Adam Worthington to step up and net the winner.

Premier Division supported by Sportsform action saw runners-up AFC Kempston Town & Bedford College conclude their season with a 2-2 away draw at Wootton Blue Cross, Courtney Boughton and Gio Moscartitola netting their goals against home replies via Chris and Scott Harvey.

Ickwell & Old Warden climbed into fourth spot with a 4-1 victory at Stevington. Marko Tobdzic with a brace was joined on their scoresheet by Ashley Drummond and Connor Green against a lone home reply via James Bourke.

Crawley Green Reserves were gifted the three points when Sharnbrook failed to raise a side to travel into Luton to meet them.

The lone Division One supported by O’Neills action saw Shefford Town & Campton Reserves take their home winning run to four games with a 5-0 win over Riseley Sports. Ryan Lewis, Andrew Hayday, Sam King, Chris Clark and Adam Chambers all found the back of the net.

In Division Two Marston Shelton Rovers Reserves ensured they would finish fourth with an 11-1 home victory over AFC Oakley M&DH Reserves. Lorenzo Jordan led the way with four goals, Garry Russon and Carl Borromeo netting twice each and they were joined on the Rovers scoresheet by lone strikes from Dale Malciw, Kieran Day and Jake Cullum against a lone reply via Justin Muricroft.

Whilst the Houghton Athletic v Caldecote Reserves clash was abandoned with a 2-2 scoreline in place in the 81st minute. Nicky Albone and Oscar Smith were on the Caldecote scoresheet against Athletic replies via Gavin Watson and Petru Ciochina.

Division Three

In Division Three Harlington now know they will collect the silver medals despite ending the season being beaten 2-1 at home by Caldecote A. Roan Wedderburn netted their lone goal against Caldecote goals from Jack Stagg and Joe Rowley.

All this happened after Clifton were held to 2-2 home draw by Shefford Town & Campton A. Ross Donaldson and Kyle Davis netting the goals to ensure Clifton would remain unbeaten on home soil this season against Town strikes from Liam Chalkley and Alex Mitchell.

Elsewhere for Black Swan it was a 6-3 home victory over Wootton Village. Levi Yearwood with a brace was joined on the home scoresheet by Cathel Doherty, Corey Richards, Rhys Jean and Joe Carey against Village replies via Mohammed Aqueeb, Jason Churchill-Hall and Ross Milton.

Monday 7th May 2018.

On Monday the lone scheduled game top flight game Shefford Town & Campton v Crawley Green Reserves saw the visitors fail to raise a side and the league champions duly awarded the three points.

For Division Two champions Bedford Albion it was a 4-2 home victory over second place Wilstead Reserves. Three ahead at the break via a brace from Paul Babbington and a goal from Michael France they were pegged back to 3-1 just three minutes into the second period when Sean Harrod struck for the visitors. However France netted his second of the afternoon in the 72nd minute to restore the home lead to three goals at 4-1 before Ryan Davenport made it 4-2 three minutes from.

Elsewhere Caldecote Reserves were gifted the three points when Westoning failed to raise a side to meet them at Greenfield Road.

In Division Three for second place Harlington it was a 4-0 away win at Bedford Albion Reserves thanks to a brace of goals from Farrell Whitman and single strikes from Kyron Jackson and Roan Wedderburn. Fourth place Black Swan were the 3-1 winners at Flitwick Town A. Matt Byrne netting twice and Rhys Jean the once against a lone Town reply via Dave Keefe.

The NHS will be banning free prescriptions for some ‘over the counter’ medicines such as constipation and athletes foot by the end of this month.

The NHS will be banning free prescriptions for some ‘over the counter’ medicines such as constipation and athletes foot by the end of this month.

NHS England is hoping to free up almost £100 million for frontline care each year by bringing in the changes.

The NHS will no longer be funding medicines such as cold treatments, paracetamol, probiotics, cough mixture, eye drops and laxatives.

However, the rule changes will not affect the prescribing of over the counter items for ‘longer term or more complex conditions’, NHS officials have confirmed.

NHS England have said that curbing these routine prescriptions for minor conditions, many of which will cure themselves, will free up vital funds.

The NHS announced the move at the end of the March and the new guidance to GPs across the country will start from May 31.

NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens said: “Across the NHS our aim is to: ‘Think like a patient, act like a taxpayer’.

“The NHS is probably the most efficient health service in the world, but we’re determined to keep pushing further.

“Every pound we save from cutting waste is another pound we can then invest in better A&E care, new cancer treatments and much better mental health services.”

The NHS have said that some of the products can be purchased over the counter at a lower cost than that which would be incurred by the NHS.

The new guidance will curb the routine prescribing of products for self limiting conditions that do not require any medical advice or treatment.

These conditions, including sore throats, coughs and cold, will clear up on their own.

It will also apply to conditions that are suitable for self care which can be treated with items that can easily be purchased over the counter, such as indigestion, mouth ulcers and warts and verrucae.

NHS England have said that the guidance will not apply to people with long-term or more complex conditions who will continue to get their usual prescriptions.

However, people who receive free prescriptions will not automatically be exempt from the guidance.

Once CCGs have adopted the new guidance locally, it will apply to everyone who is not covered by the general or condition-specific exceptions listed in the guidance document.

According to the Mirror, these are the conditions affected by NHS prescription crackdown

• Acute sore throat

• Infrequent cold sores of the lip

• Conjunctivitis

• Coughs and colds and nasal congestion

• Cradle Cap (seborrhoeic dermatitis – infants) • Haemorrhoids • Infant colic

• Mild cystitis

• Mild irritant dermatitis

• Dandruff

• Diarrhoea (adults)

• Dry eyes/sore (tired) eyes

• Earwax

• Excessive sweating (Hyperhidrosis)

• Head lice

• Indigestion and heartburn

• Infrequent constipation

• Infrequent migraine

• Insect bites and sting

• Mild acne

• Mild dry skin

• Sunburn

• Sun protection

• Mild to moderate hay fever/seasonal rhinitis

• Minor burns and scalds

• Minor conditions associated with pain, discomfort and/fever. (e.g. aches and sprains, headache, period pain, back pain)

• Mouth ulcers

• Nappy rash

• Oral thrush

• Prevention of dental caries

• Ringworm/athletes foot

• Teething/mild toothache

• Threadworms

• Travel sickness

• Warts and verruca

Eight young hedgehogs have been released at Center Parcs in Woburn Forest after many months of care at a special hedgehog hospital.

CLICK THE LINK ABOVE OR THE GALLERY ICON IN THE MAIN IMAGE TO SEE THE PICTURES

Before their new life of freedom, the prickly creatures were given pampering baths by staff at the Shepreth Hedgehog Hospital.

They were then put into familiarisation pens at Center Parcs’ newest resort, Woburn Forest in Bedfordshire - near Milton Keynes - which is an official hedgehog release site.

The hedgehogs will spend two weeks in the pens to get used to the sights and smells of their new environment before they are set free to venture into the wild.

All eight of them were found last year and were either injured or too small to hibernate for the winter.

Becky Morley, voluntary procurement manager at Shepreth, said: “Through our care and rehabilitation over the long winter they are now fully grown and ready to be released.”

Becky is pictured bathing the hedgehogs.

The hospital has manged a hedgehog rehabilitation programme for the past 25 years and has helped rescue over 800 hedgehogs over the last 12 months.

For more details on how you can support the hedgehogs http://www.swccharity.org/hedgehog-hospital

A system of penalties should be available to punish Central Bedfordshire residents who can’t be bothered with recycling, it has been claimed.

A new waste strategy has been drawn up by the local authority, without any punitive measures in place.

But Conservative CBC councillor Nigel Young (Dunstable Watling) told an executive meeting penalties should be an option “if people are ignoring recycling”.

“It’s a confusing world we live in, where so many things we think should be recycled can’t be,” he said.

“It’s extremely important how we carry out the detailed education programme (for residents).

“It could make most difference where there is a blatant disregard for recycling.

“The recommendation says no penalties, but I would be grateful that we keep that in mind if there’s blatant ignoring of recycling,” added councillor Young, who’s the executive member for regeneration.

He said: “Contaminated recycling occurs noticeably more in particular areas where everything gets thrown into the recycling bin.”

The council’s director of community services Marcel Coiffait said: “We’re not at this time looking at fines. That’s not contained in the report.

“But that’s not to say we cannot look at that in the future. We would rather educate than penalise at this stage.

“The contractors are  asked not to collect bins which are contaminated.”

A new waste and recycling contract for Central Bedfordshire will delay three-weekly black bin collections, but that remains a future option.

Residents won’t be charged for green waste collections, while bins will be available for anyone currently using bags.

The council consulted widely on its waste strategy, with 15,000 people having their say on the subject.

Conservative councillor for Aspley and Woburn, Budge Wells, told today’s meeting labels are stuck on bins which aren’t deemed fit for collection.

“The red and white label is put on the bin with a list of reasons why it has not been collected.

“I will be pursuing that with a vengeance,” added councillor Wells, who’s the deputy executive member for community services.

Conservative Dunstable Central councillor Carole Hegley praised the “harmonisation” of services between the north and south of Central Bedfordshire.

Describing it as “overdue and timely”, she said: “This is to be welcomed. The food waste collection in the north has worked, and residents in the south should take note of that.

“It’s taking food waste out of the general waste collection.

“This has been educational for me,” she added. “If you’re market shopping for fruit and vegetables you don’t get all that packaging.”

And Dunstable Watling Conservative Peter Hollick said: “The educational aspects are so important.

“We should put pressure on our MPs and other groups involved over packaging of things that we buy.

“Some times the packaging says recycle, sometimes it’s for the kerbside collection, some times it’s just blank.

“It’s very confusing. If they could sort that out it would be useful.”

Mr Coiffait said the new contract might combine responsibilities for the collection and disposal of recyclables to give the firm a greater incentive to “keep recycling clean”.

“I am confident the contract will save money,” he explained. “Harmonising services will lead to greater efficiencies for the operators.

“There’s no longer north and south services, but a single contract (instead).”

He accepted that food waste collections throughout the area and the wider availability of green waste bins will increase costs.

But he said the hope is that less waste will need to be disposed of with more things recycled as time goes on.

Councillors backed a recommendation which from late 2019 will allow for fortnightly black bin and recycling, with weekly food bin collections, as well as fortnightly garden waste collections between March and November.

Separate glass collections are planned, although the local authority will be keeping its 200 bottle banks throughout the area.

He appears in The Case of the Frightened Lady coming to Milton Keynes Theatre from Monday to Saturday May 21 to 26.
Gray said: “We’ve all got an opinion. There are people who don’t want to voice their opinion on religion or politics, but we all want to get involved in stuff like this.
“And we’re big quizzers. We love to quiz and work things out. Audiences are going to puzzle their way through The Case of The Frightened Lady and it will keep them guessing. That’s why you go and see a thriller, isn’t it?
He plays Inspector Tanner in the show entirely set within a country mansion.
Gray added: “The police are called because there’s been a suspicious death. Rather than get in the local constabulary, they bring in the big guns from London because they want to keep it quiet.
“It’s a bit of a pressure cooker situation. We’re all stuck in the reception hallway of this grand house. There are lots of shenanigans going on. So you don’t know exactly what’s happening and everyone’s doing the cloak and dagger thing.
“It’s set at a politically interesting time in 1932. It’s just after the Depression and employment has all changed. Service is about to stop and all these stately homes will become a thing of the past. So there’s a lot about class in there too.”
He also says there is a little bit more about his detective than the usual copper.
Gray said: “In the classic films of the period, the coppers were always a bit thick. We’re trying to get away from that.
“Tanner and his colleague Totti are smart guys. They’re educated. They’re old school coppers but with a modern attitude.
Gray added that the chance to reunite with producer Bill Kenwright persuaded him to work on this show.
He explained: “I did Sleuth for him in 2001, and he’s always come back and offered me work. This came up and I was available. I loved the script. I thought it was something exciting and new from a different writer, because we’ve seen all the Agatha Christies, haven’t we?”
He’s also excited to be out on tour.
Gray said: “You get to see absolutely fantastic places. I’m quite interested in cathedrals, so I always make a point of visiting those. And I’m a very keen cyclist, so I’ll be taking a road bike. I’ll be one of those lycra-bottomed chaps. I think it’s important to keep fit and healthy.
“I’m also a big afternoon tea fan. I do like visiting tea rooms and testing their Victoria Sponge. I don’t really do Twitter very much, but I will tweet a nice afternoon tea. You’ve got to be careful of the cakes, but if you cycle 40 miles you can work off a slice of Victoria Sponge.”
And despite it being eight years since leaving the cobbles and said his time on the show was stressful.
Gray said: “I don’t really remember Coronation Street because the work was so solid. It was three years. I think in one year I did 196 episodes, another 197, out of the 252 that were filmed. You just don’t have any time off. It just becomes crazy. It’s wonderful at the time, but you don’t get the chance to enjoy it.
“The guest artists like me are brought in to facilitate the regulars. You’re never going to be there forever, but you’re extremely busy while you are. I burned out.
“But I’m very grateful for the past television opportunities like Coronation Street, Peak Practice and Casualty. They allow me to be in something like this. I’ve been doing this job for 28 years now, and I’m in it for the long haul.”

For tickets call 0844 871 7652 or visit www.atgtickets.co.uk/miltonkeynes to book.

St George’s Lower School held an afternoon of memories and music, as pupils past and present celebrated its 65 years of teaching.

The school first opened on East Street in September 1952, and is organising several events to mark its history.

Its second exhibition took place on April 21 in Hockliffe Street Baptist Church hall.

A spokeswoman said: “On display were photos of the school, its pupils and staff over the years as well as other memorabilia. The school choir performed songs from Matilda, Oliver and The Jungle Book, and governor Pam Skinner commented on how brilliantly they performed in front of such a large audience.

“The pupils had also produced an exhibition of portraits of The Queen; vibrant and endearing pieces of work that really added to the exhibition. The Leighton Buzzard history society also attended and had displays related to the history of the town.”

PTA chair, Jo Bucki, concluded: “The event had a very good turn out and many previous pupils that had attended the event in September had returned.

“Again, it was so lovely to see old school friends reunite and to hear of their personal accounts about their time at St George’s, and judging by their remarks, it is a school that they are very proud of.

“It was a real joy to see the looks on new visitors’ faces, as they discovered photos of not only themselves, but old friends and other relatives that had attended the school.

“As people left, many commented on how well the event had been organised and how much they had enjoyed the event.

“We hope that the event was able to provide the opportunity for the pupils and staff of St George’s school to get involved with this wonderful part of the school’s history.”

Will it be a dinosaur, an inspirational quote, or perhaps your favourite cartoon character?

A Rockin’ Treasure Hunt (RTH) has arrived in Leighton-Linslade, as creative families and friends are invited to paint a stone with a fun design and leave it for someone to find!

The initiative has been started by local mum Katie Mitchell, 26, as she hopes to encourage children to become more active and brighten up town with the colourful rocks.

Katie said: “I first heard of the idea from a friend in Hemel Hempstead, but instead of having it in one place, I hope to expand it.

“It started off with my Facebook page called a ‘Rockin Treasure Hunt’; I put a lot of stones out and they all disappeared. However, not everyone has Facebook so I’d like more people to know about it and let them know that there is a meaning behind it.

“A lot of children are boisterous and naughty because they are bored and stuck indoors. Youngsters don’t have many things to do here or it involves money.

“I hope the treasure hunt gets children more active and brings families together.”

All you have to do to join in is paint a rock and then hide it somewhere in your local community.

If you find a ‘RTH’ rock, you can take it home and then replace it with a stone with your own design - or you can move the rock somewhere else for another child to find.

Katie added: “I do it with my little boy, who is three, and we’ve been painting.

“I also did the treasure hunt with the Ladybird Toddler Group in Wing and got all the children to decorate their own rocks - it was amazing to see how many children we got involved.

“It was nice to see the different designs and they all wanted it to be special - they painted instructions such as ‘Be Happy’, ‘Smile’, ‘Trust People’ and ‘Believe in Yourself’.

“Some of the older brothers and sisters helped, too, and it was lovely to see them write such nice messages.”

Katie advises painting the rocks or using a permanant marker, and then covering the design with a coat of varnish or clear nail polish, so it seals the colour and makes sure it doesn’t run.

>Search: “Rockin’ Treasure Hunt #rth” on Facebook.

A mobile phone mast while was vandalised in Heath and Reach is back up and running to the relief of businesses and residents.

Locals had experienced a loss of service since the incident at the water tower site off Eastern Avenue about two months ago.

But EE this week confirmed the mast was fully functional again on May 3.

It has pledged to invest in extra security at the site.

Central Beds Council says it is still investigating the precise cause of extensive flooding at Leighton Buzzard Library – five months after the incidents which have led to the building’s prolonged closure.

The council announced today (Friday) that the full reopening of the Lake Street building has been scheduled for Tuesday, June 12.

But it appears no nearer to getting right to the bottom of what caused the flooding which occurred twice within the space of a fortnight during December – although it has previously stated it was linked to issues with recently installed pipework.

The ground floor of the building was badly affected by the second incident, with the children’s library and adult fiction and non-fiction areas worst hit.

Since January 2 a basic library service has been offered from the first floor, with the theatre operating as normal.

The council says the last few months has seen it carry out repairs following the extensive damage, which accounted for more than £21,000 of books and up to £17,000 of furniture.

It says the length of time taken has been necessary to allow the concrete floor to dry out completely.

The next steps are to make good the floor, level it and lay new carpet tiles before returning furniture and brand-new stock to the first floor, while also reorganising and tidying the first floor.

To complete this work the library will close from June 8-9 before reopening on June 12.

Cllr Ian Dalgarno, Executive Member for Community Services, said: “We’re looking forward to seeing Leighton Buzzard Library restored and getting back to offering a full service.

“It has been a frustrating period, but unfortunately the full extent of the damage could not be determined until the ground floor was completely dry, so I thank all residents and library users for their patience over this issue.

“Investigations are ongoing to determine what caused the flood, but our first priority is making sure our residents have a library that is fully operational and an enjoyable and safe place to visit.

“When the library opens on June 12 we will have a host of new titles to choose from, the children’s library will be restored, and we’ll have a full range of services on offer once more.”

One library user described the situation as a “fiasco” and said: “I wish to know if the council has claimed costs for the disruption and have established how this sad state of affairs was allowed to occur. I wish to know if our rates money is being spent wisely and whether the contractor is likely to be used again.”

He added: “Was the work undertaken to a satisfactory standard? Was the contractor paid before the work was checked as satisfactory? Was the same contractor involved in the first set of repairs and why was the library flooded a second time?”

Central Beds Council has previously stated: “If the fault is directly attributable to workmanship or faulty fittings we will address this with the contractor or manufacturer accordingly and would seek compensation for all costs incurred and loss of service.”

Love was literally in the air at Woburn Safari Park when an animal keeper received a marriage proposal with the help of a cheeky cockatoo!

Charlie Simpson, 27, was absolutely stunned over the bank holiday weekend by the unique proposal from her partner of five years as one of Woburn’s bird displays was taking place.

John Stirling, also 27, had spent the last few weeks working in cahoots with the other animal keepers, who secretly trained Charlie’s favourite bird, a lesser crested sulphur cockatoo named Zoe, to carry a ring to present to her as part of the proposal.

The team had been working hard to keep the secret for nearly a month, since plans for the proposal were first made at another colleague’s wedding.

Charlie did not suspect a thing as Zoe swooped in and dropped the ring into the bowl in front of her. She didn’t realise it was a marriage proposal until her partner John was announced as a special guest with a big question for her by keeper Louise Moody, whilst the crowd cheered him on.

John got down on one knee and Charlie went to pieces and said yes, then hugged him and started crying.

The groom-to-be was extremely nervous before the big proposal and said: “I always knew that I wanted to do something with the parrots, as it was always going to be a definite way to get her to say yes! I have been planning this for at least a year. Not telling her and trying to keep all of her friends and family quiet has been the hardest challenge of my life.”

Charlie, from Milton Keynes, was absolutely thrilled. Surrounded by her family afterwards she said: “This is insane, I can’t get my head around it. I felt like, is this a dream? I didn’t even have an inkling.”

Charlie has worked at Woburn for three years and has worked with birds since going to college, with Zoe a special favourite of hers.

Zoe has been trained by Woburn’s keepers to bring materials to her nest, with keepers swapping sticks and twigs for an engagement ring, until she was comfortable carrying it in her beak.

The Animal Encounters keepers gathered round to congratulate her and toast the happy couple with champagne, along with her close family. They said they were glad they didn’t have to keep the secret any longer, and they all agreed it was a nightmare keeping anything from her!

Zoe, Charlie’s favourite parrot, is one of the stars of Woburn’s Birds in Action parrot show, where the crowd is wowed by giant macaws and cheeky cockatoos like Zoe, free flying above the audience and demonstrating their natural behaviours, while keepers educate the audience about the plight of wild parrots and threats to their populations.

A Luton-based nurse has called for action to axe fees paid by overseas nursing staff to allow them to use NHS services.

Evaline Omondi said the surcharges are unfair given the contribution overseas staff already make in taxes and their work keeping the NHS afloat.

She led a debate at RCN Congress in Belfast on Saturday calling for the Government to waive the fees for nursing staff and their dependents.

In April 2015, changes were made to the way the NHS charges overseas visitors for NHS hospital care in the UK.

Non-EEA nationals who apply for a visa to enter or remain in the UK for more than six months now have to pay the health charge. The Government recently announced plans to double it from £200 to £400 a year per person.

The Government’s aim in introducing the surcharge was to ensure those coming to the UK who are not “ordinarily resident” contribute towards the cost of their healthcare.

But some have questioned whether it is right to charge overseas nurses working on visas a surcharge given that they already pay National Insurance and income tax, as well as helping provide vital public services.

Evaline, an RCN Eastern board member and steward, said: “We already pay all the taxes which fund the health services. It feels like we are being taxed twice.

“I also pay this fee for my husband and my children. As well as visa fees it amounts to a very large amount each year.”

She added: “The Government says that NHS services are so excellent so those coming into this country should pay something in return to use them.

“But we are already contributing to the economy of the country by paying all the taxes.”

Evaline also pointed to the pressures all nursing staff currently face, dealing with staff shortages and rising demand as well as pay restraint which has lasted a decade.

“The NHS depends on these nurses who are on work permits to keep health services afloat,” Evaline said.

“They depend on us and we are the ones working extra hours under intense pressure to run services.

“We are constantly struggling to make enough money, borrowing from friends, doing anything we can to cope.”

Now that spring has arrived and the bluebells are in flower, the Friends of Linslade Woods are organising a guided walk on Friday, May 18, to enable people to experience and enjoy the sights and sounds of local wildlife in the woods.

The walk starts at 7pm at the Knaves Hill footpath entrance to the woods, led by Steve Halton, Countryside Officer of Central Beds Council, with the chance to learn about, and hopefully see, plenty of birds, wild flowers, bats and insects.

All ages are welcome, but under-16s must be accompanied by an adult. Visitors are advised to wear strong footwear as some of the paths can be muddy or uneven.

Visitors are welcome to visit the woods at any time, but the Friends urge all visitors to keep to the marked paths, particularly while the bluebells are in flower. Bluebells are very vulnerable and can easily be damaged or destroyed if trampled on.

The Friends have an active programme of working parties and educational and social events throughout the year. New members are welcome. Contact Ken Barry at 01525 372036 or John Creasey of the Greensand Trust on 01525 237760.

No great technical leaps but a worthy addition to Switch.

South Park: The Fractured But Whole received widespread acclaim when it was released back in October last year and now it has landed on Switch.

There have been plenty of games in the past which have merely piggybacked on the name of a TV show or movie.

Some of them have been epic - think Die Hard - others epic fails - think E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (one for the 80s gamers out there).

I can happily report that South Park: The Fractured But Whole sits comfortably in the former. Having not read much on the new South Park game in the build up to its release and not being a die hard fan of South Park - although I loved it as a teenager - I wasn’t sure what to expect from the game.

But from the off the toilet humour jokes and sketches hit the spot and the graphics were as good as the cartoon series. You take the role of the new kid thrust into a neighbourhood battle of monumental proportions. With an entire town of people to meet for selfies to increase your status and a costume wardrobe bigger than a Lady Gaga concert, South Park has lots to offer.

The role play element allows lots of depth with you levelling up powers and gaining team mates along the way to help you take on enemies like the Sixth Graders.

There are plenty of places to search for collectibles to help you craft items which aid in your battles and boost your power. There are also secret locations to find for items and of course the obligatory quest items to collect. If all of this isn’t enough then you can always visit various locations to use their toilets to do a number two using a combination of stick movements and button taps (yes seriously). Overall South Park The Fractured But Whole is a South Park fans’ dream.

There are plenty of jokes along the way and the actual gameplay mechanics and combat system holds up against some of the top games in the class with some amazing super powers to behold.

But just how does the Nintendo Switch version differ? Well not a lot is there answer and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. From a negative point of view some of the loading screens between certain areas of the town take far too long to load BUT the pay-off is that there is no noticeable slowdown on screen or while navigating the app-style menus. With full support for all the DLC as well, you’re getting the full experience on Switch that you will get on any other platform but with the distinct advantage of being able to play remotely anywhere you like with the freedom of the handheld.

The Nintendo Switch version of SPTFBW boasts no major technical leaps in mechanics to the likes of PS4 and PC. And if like me you are not a hardcore RPG-er then South Park makes for an ideal introduction to turn-based RPGs, particularly with the added bonus of the freedom only the Switch can offer gamers.

Roy and Jean Dennis were joined by their family to mark 50 years of married life, with a special party at Carey Lodge care home in Wing.

The happy couple reflected on their wedding day, in May 1968 at St Thomas Church in Dagenham, and re-enacted the cake-cutting tradition to mark the milestone.

Jean moved to Carey Lodge, run by the Fremantle Trust, in September, while Roy remains at the family home in Winslow.

The couple were joined by their three children, Ruth, Amy and Matthew, as well as their five grandchildren – Elise, aged 18, twins Sienna and Tenesse, 11, Olivia, 13 and Teddy, two. The family enjoyed a buffet lunch followed by entertainment from male vocalist, Florin.

Jean and Roy reminisced about their wedding day, when Jean wore a long, fitted white silk dress with a lace coat overlay, flecked with gold, and remembered their honeymoon at Lake Como, Italy.

Their romance has stood the test of time and they claim the secrets to a long and successful marriage are “love, friendship, care and happiness”.

Roy added: “It was a wonderful afternoon sharing treasured memories with family. Thank you to Carey Lodge for letting us all be together on this lovely occasion and for the kind gesture of offering us a memory stick with all the photos saved on it from the celebration, as a record of our anniversary.”

The emergency services were called to an incident in Wing on Saturday evening when a car hit a house.

This picture shows what is believed to be a Volkswagen Polo striking the front of a property on Aylesbury Road in Wing just before 9pm on Saturday evening.

Firefighters assisted a woman, who was uninjured, from the house.

Two women were assessed by the ambulance service at the scene but did not require hospital treatment.

Politicians have pledged to fight for key services to accompany the housing growth which could see Leighton Buzzard’s population reach 50,000 in the near future.

With the eastern expansion set to bring an additional 2,500 homes in the next few years, Leighton-Linslade Town Council is worried about how Leighton Buzzard , with a population currently of circa 41,000, will cope and is keeping planning applications under close scrutiny.

The urban extension has already been agreed in principal by Central Beds Council, but now developers are devising detailed planning applications for individual sections of the land.

The latest was debated on Wednesday night at the town council’s planning and transport committee and is a scheme for up to 270 homes on the Stearn land off Vandyke Road and Clipstone Lane.

The plans from Arnold White Estates include open space, parking, a cemetery, allotments, highway works, and a new link road providing access from Clipstone Lane to phase 2 of Heath Road to Vandyke Road.

Cllr Clive Palmer, committee chairman, said the application had led to “considerable discussion, especially in view of the wider implications for the town and our residents”.

He said: “A principal concern of the committee in responding to Central Bedfordshire Council on this application (and no doubt others as they arise) was to emphasise the absolute need for it to be seen as part of the wider development and to ensure that adequate infrastructure is put in place to service this expansion of the town.

“The whole needs to be more than just the sum of the parts. There is already a generally perceived infrastructure deficit in Leighton-Linslade and such a significant expansion over the next few years will, for example, require considerable and appropriate new leisure and community facilities, health services (bearing in mind that the town population could easily reach 50,000 in quite a short time), school provision and very serious attention to traffic and parking matters.”

Cllr Palmer said the committee had been particularly concerned about traffic congestion and inadequate parking which, he said, were already major issues in the town. He said the urban expansion was likely to see several thousand additional vehicles on the roads in Leighton-Linslade.

He added: “Studies, including those on transport, upon which the original approval for the expansion of the town was considered, are now a decade or so old and there is a clear need in Central Bedfordshire considering the current detailed applications to ensure that up to date statistics and situations are taken fully into account when new infrastructure provision is planned and finally consented, so that the quality of life for existing (as well as future) residents of the town is not worsened but rather improved, as a result of the new developments.

“The committee also felt that the town council should be consulted when consideration is being given to the allocation of finance associated with the Urban Expansion to new services and facilities in the town, to take advantage of our local knowledge.

“It is clear that this Urban Extension will take place over the next few years - that decision has long been taken - but the town council, while not being the planning authority, is equally clear in its wish to do all it can to minimise the issues which may result for our residents and to maximise the benefits which may be available.”

The documents supporting the Arnold White Estates plans state: “The application hereby submitted does not seek to change the form or amount of development from that which is already consented. Rather, it seeks to change only the access arrangements, to facilitate the early delivery of housing and the frontloading of key infrastructure within a sustainable urban extension for which planning permission has already been granted.”

A Leighton Buzzard man has pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply heroin and crack cocaine.

Scott Steen, 22, of Grebe Drive, appeared at Milton Keynes Magistrates Court on Saturday after officers executed a warrant at an address in Juniper Gardens, Milton Keynes the day before.

A large amount of cash and class A drugs were seized as well as several mobile phones.

The street value of the drugs was estimated at being worth £5,000.

The warrant was part of Stronghold, Thames Valley Police’s commitment to reduce organised crime in the region.

Steen will be sentenced at a later date - yet to be confirmed.

A finely poised afternoon of cricket was ruined by rain again on Saturday as Leighton Buzzard and Wolverton had to settle for a share of the points.

With only one game in Cherwell League Division 2 reaching a conclusion, Westbury’s two wins from two games give them a sizeable advantage at this early stage in the season.

After a week of sunshine, Leighton were met with grey skies for their first game back at Bell Close.

The visitors, who beat Bledlow Village in their opening game of the season, won the toss and elected to bowl first.

Some accurate swing bowling saw Town struggle for early runs with just 12 scored off the first seven overs.

Richard Raine (11) was the first wicket to fall, caught at square leg by Sean Potter. Mark Burfoot was the next casualty for Town clean bowled for 6.

At 31-2 from 15 overs and the conditions growing gloomier Leighton knew they needed to press on.

After last week’s century partnership Greg Proudfoot (44no) and Phillip Whatmore (32no) decided to adopt the same approach with boundaries beginning to flow.

Their partnership stood at 89 runs from 10 overs when the rain started and forced the players from the field. They didn’t return.

Leighton’s score stood at 120-2 from 26 overs when play was concluded, with both sides awarded six points.

It means Leighton drop to third in the table, already 19 points adrift of Westbury, who have two wins from two.

In Division 5, Leighton Buzzard 2nds’ progress was stunted by the weather as they were forced to abandon their game against Dinton 2nds.

After a disappointing defeat last week to Aston Rowant 3rds, skipper Andy Smith was looking for an improvement.

And he will have been pleased with Riaan Krynauw (53), Bertie Barrett (36), Gareth Benger (27), Jack Cowley (22), Matt Gurney (21) and a generous helping from extras (38) which all contributed to a total of 232 all out.

The team had batted through steadily increasing rain and the game was concluded at the tea interval.