A fake Costa Coffee voucher scam is catching people out on Whatsapp and allowing criminals to steal personal data.

Police have issued an urgent warning about this new scam that starts with Whatsapp users receiving an offer for a £75 voucher in celebration of Costa’s 50th birthday.

Victims are then asked to enter personal information before they can access the ‘voucher’.

Costa has confirmed the message is a scam.

If you get this message, do not click on the link and do not enter any personal information.

Scams can be reported to Action Fraud UK on 0300 123 2040 or visit https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/report_fraud

A church is offering guests a magical night under its roof, as campers can sleep inside and watch the sun rise in its magnificent stained glass windows.

The Church of St Mary the Virgin in Edlesborough has opened its doors to a scheme called ‘champing’ - camping in a church - where friends and families can pay to spend a night in the 800-year-old building.

Fondly known as ‘The Church on the Hill’, and in the care of The Churches Conservation Trust, the scheme was started to help preserve the historic place of worship for future generations.

Chana James, of The Churches Conservation Trust, said: “We are a national charity looking after churches at risk - those that are not used regularly for worship. They are all our own and run by volunteers.

“This is the first year of champing for Edlesborough and it has been really popular so far. If you think of it as camping of some sort or other, you expect a tent - but you don’t have to put one up; the church is like a rather big tent!

“Inside there are beautiful Victorian wall paintings, stained glass windows and Medieval misericords, some with owl and mermaid designs.

“You can immerse yourself in history.”

The champing season runs from March to September and guests are given the key to the church for their night’s stay, also having the opportunity to enjoy breakfast in the nearby Heirloom Café (£12.50).

Champers can bring a group of two to ten people, and there is even a composting toilet outside which is eco-friendly and works via solar panels.

Chana said: “You could bring games, cards, a bottle of wine; it’s a chance to get away from it all, to get away from the digital world.

“It’s completely exclusive, so you have the hall to yourself - you are not sharing with other groups.

“It makes it really special and it is very atmospheric.

“We look at rural churches for champing because it lends itself to going out into the countryside and it is good for cycling. St Mary’s is beautiful with views of Aylesbury Vale and the Chilterns, and with the Dunstable Downs nearby you can point out lots of things to do.”

Camp beds are set up inside the church, with a cosy sitting area, rugs and cushions, so all guests need to bring is bedding.

Rates are from £49 per person, plus there are group discounts for eight or more. Dogs are welcome too.

Chana concluded: “Champing is the unique concept of camping overnight in historic churches, brought to the world by The Churches Conservation Trust and the income will go towards conserving the Trust’s historic churches.”

To book, visit: http://www.champing.co.uk .

A team of officers from Bedfordshire Police cycled 200 miles and raised £7,500 in memory of officers who have passed away.

The officers completed the Police Unity Tour on Sunday, July 29, in honour of fallen officers including Bedfordshire officer PC Jon Henry who was stabbed to death while on duty in Luton on June 11, 2007.
The Police Unity Tour is held every year and sees over 300 officers from across the country take part in a three day bike ride to raise money for the charity, Care Of Police Survivors (COPS). The charity provides support to the families of officers who have died while on duty.

The cyclists finished their ride at the National Memorial Arboretum where a service was held to commemorate fallen officers, alongside the families and friends of those who have lost loved ones.
Sergeant Matt Crouch, organising the Bedfordshire Chapter, said: “I am so proud of everybody for their efforts, their enthusiasm and their determination to get round the challenging route.”

“My thanks go to the police motorcycle escorts who were incredible ensuring the safety of the team and public on route, the van support crew who without their tenacity we would still be riding, and to every single cyclist for putting themselves out to train, fundraise and volunteer to make this event possible.

“Not forgetting the support we received from our colleagues and the public and I thank everyone for the donations they made towards the COPS charity to help families who have lost loved ones in the line of duty.

“As a force we have raised £7,500 which is invaluable to help families cope with their loss.

“My final thanks goes to Bedfordshire Police Federation for supporting and sponsoring the event and to Chief Constable Jon Boutcher who has been 100 per cent behind me and the tour.

“This was just a beautiful weekend with amazing people doing an amazing thing. Without doubt we will be doing it next year.”

A fearless Leighton Buzzard photographer and filmmaker captured a spectacular shot of extreme weather, as he stood right at its heart to achieve the perfect picture.

Gary Nunn, 40, of Elephants and Ants, took this incredible image of a sandstorm in Morocco whilst he was working on a project for Expedia.

Caused by heavy winds that blow over loose sand, the storms are a common occurrence in deserts and can seemingly appear from nowhere, emerging from behind the sand dunes.

Gary said: “I was asked by Expedia to make a short video over three days and I was driving through the desert to film part of a studio where famous films have been made.

“It was day two of the trip and the first day had been blue sky.

“A small clump of cloud was coming and gradually grew over the mountains.

“The formations were incredible. I quickly took a picture using my tripod, which managed to capture the image of me in the storm.

“I was standing in it as it went past me, and I think it could perhaps blow a person over if you were not standing far enough away!”

Although Gary claims that the picture looks “more dramatic” than it actually was, the storm lasted for around eight to 10 minutes and the photographer took care not to get too close.

Meanwhile, back home in Bedfordshire, some of Gary’s favourite picturesque places are Stockwood Park and Rushmere Country Park, while he especially enjoys walking his dog, Hugo, in Heath and Reach.

He said: “I’ve lived here for 10 years and I’m still amazed by people who don’t know about these places - I think they are absolutely beautiful and we have so many lovely green spaces.

“Leighton Buzzard? I think I have photographed it all. These are some of my favourite spots and I’m also known as a wedding photographer locally.”

To break into the industry, Gary recommends networking as much as possible and sharing your work on social media.

He added: “Sharing your personal work can get you noticed by industries or companies, who can ask you to recreate that moment for them.

“It goes for any job, whether it’s being a journalist or a banker - just follow your dream.

“Too many people write inspirational quotes or post them online, but don’t actually go out and do it. Life’s too short!

“I used to work as an IT project manager and it used to stifle my creativity- I couldn’t be the person that I naturally am. Now, I get to be my own boss and I couldn’t be more grateful.”

Gary has a wife, Stephanie, aged 40, and two daughters, Chantelle, 21, and Adelie, 12.

To see more of Gary’s work:

www.elephantsandants.co.uk

www.garynunn.co.uk

www.instagram.com/garynansome

A man from Linslade has called for Buckinghamshire County Council to use sound reducing tarmac when carrying out repairs to the Western Linslade Bypass.

The works, which involves resurfacing the Stoke Hammond and Western Linslade Bypasses (A4146), will take around eight weeks to complete and will start on Monday, August 13.

Tom Daly, of Derwent Road, has called for the council to use sound reducing tarmac for the works.

He said: “My enquiries to Bucks County Council have shown that they will be disregarding the original specification to use sound reducing tarmac (as laid originally) on the section of the bypass which is closest to Derwent Road, Cotswold and Malvern Drives.

“This is outrageous we have an opportunity to relieve some of the horrendous road noise which comes across to us. It is now like standing on the edge of an airport runway, and of course will only get worse.

“They say we have not complained but that is because we believed they had done everything they could to reduce the noise, but we found out that when the road was resurfaced a few years ago they used the normal tarmac.

“We request that sound reducing tarmac is used at least on parts of the road which are nearest to local housing.”

Buckinghamshire County Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Transportation, Mark Shaw said: “I’ve had to weigh up the surfacing options for the bypass in terms of durability, value for money and future maintenance costs over the next 20 years.

“Although a lower noise surfacing is an option, the better choice overall is hot rolled asphalt and I expect to confirm this when I sign my formal decision next week.”

So, I finally get to complete the trilogy (of four), assuming that’s is that nobody ever does the first series, which looks unlikely.  As a big fan of the Richard Curtis/Ben Elton series it was something I was very much looking forward to.  Once again directed by Colin Aldous after his very enjoyable production of Blackadder II in 2016, it would appear he is also a devotee.

The set by Mike Ward, who was also the producer of this show by Leighton Buzzard Drama Group, was certainly an elaborate sight to behold. Full of detail with the rear half of upstage right being General Melchett’s headquarters and upstage left being the underground dugout for the front-line soldiers. Brought on to downstage right on trucks was a mobile prison cell and cell door for the first episode, Private Plane and for the second episode, Private Hospital, against the wall downstage right was the bed for the romantic liaison between Blackadder and Nurse Mary, with the clever use of hospital screens providing the backdrop to the rest of that episode downstage left. The front drop of the stage to the auditorium was lined with sandbags and barbwire with a duckboard to serve as the trenches themselves. A great deal of work had obviously gone into its design and construction and that certainly paid off handsomely. I have never been backstage at the Library Theatre but I imagine the space certainly must have been limited as with such a well worked set, entrances looked tight as, for example I noted when our lone damsel was carried off she had to be put back on her feet in order to exit the stage. Clearly every square inch had been cleverly used. Finally, a full length Cyc curtain was drawn across to allow the use of video at various times (more about that later). But all in all this was a pretty impressive set by any standards.

Lighting and effects by Dave Miles and Emma Ayre lit this elaborate set extremely well from the dingy dugout to the opulence of Melchett’s HQ and with sound by Tom Davies which was spot on throughout, a crew of Nigel and Christine Allen and Mark Croft with the authentic costumes sourced by Sheena and Mike Ward being supplied by Admiral Costumes this completed a top notch backstage team.

The three episodes chosen were Private Plane, where our heroes all volunteer to join the Royal Flying Corps despite the presence of the arrogant flying ace Lord Flashheart. Also picked was General Hospital, where Private George is injured by a bomb on the dugout ends up in hospital where the search for a German spy begins and Blackadder has an eye on Nurse Mary, Goodbyeee, the iconic final episode where Blackadder does everything he can think of to avoid being involved in the dreaded final push.

Allowing for the fact that it’s almost impossible to duplicate all to the physical characteristics of the original cast, the characterisations really couldn’t be faulted with top notch impersonations throughout.

Rob Taylor certainly made Blackadder his own, but I have to say I took a bit of getting used to him in the part, partly as in the LBDG’s previous sortie into this series he made his excellent acting debut playing Lord Melchett and partly because the first episode, Private Plane doesn’t have too much of Blackadder’s cutting ‘nasty’ streak, but by episode two, General Hospital the script was in full cutting mode and in the iconic episode three, Goodbyeee, he was perfectly demonstrating the full locker of Blackadder’s mannerisms and delivery, as one would expect of an actor of this calibre.

I would never have recognised Colin Delamore. I did a double take when I read the programme to see who was playing the part. He nailed Baldrick perfectly, cunningly disguised, getting the voice and the facial expressions spot on. Loved it!

Randall Moll, makes something of a speciality of playing zany military characters in my presence, I last saw him as Major Gower in Faulty Towers, so it was no surprise he metaphorised splendidly into General Melchett complete with the most wonderful moustache. Baaa!!

Tony White, as the unfortunate Darling was again characterised to a tee with great delivery of comic lines. His delivery of the iconic line ‘Bugger!’ when describing his diary entry having been sent to the front, was just sublimely funny and incredibly poignant at the same time!

Russel Bennett pulled off the innocent boyish Lieutenant George with consummate ease, again faultless.

Lorna Daggett, certainly held her own in this otherwise all male cast as Driver Bobby Pankhurst and Nurse Mary. A strong confident performance that kept the boys on their toes.

What can one say about Flashheart, a part that was made in heaven that is impossible to over act! Ben Clarke went for it big time and kept us all in stitches, dominated the stage as of course he should and provided us with plenty of ‘Woofs’ along the way.

Mike Ward (Lt Von Gearhardt) and Bob Kempster (Barron Von Ritchhoven, Brigadier Smith and Field Marxhall Haig) played their parts to the full and completed an excellent cast.

To be slightly critical, I did find the pace a little off at times especially in the early episodes, not helped by one or two awkward scene changes, but it certainly picked up in Goodbyee and the use of the video at the end was excellent, with real footage from the Great War metaphorizing into poppies and then finally a sea of red. Well done, I had wondered how LBDG would deal with the most iconic of comedy show ending and this was very cleverly and poignantly done.

So, thank you Leighton Buzzard, another excellent show, cunningly planned and well executed.

The production raised £540.43 to be split between Comic Relief and The Poppy Legion. Leighton Buzzard Drama Group's next show is the play Natural Causes to be staged in September.

Pictures by AGF Photography

Milton Keynes Theatre has partnered with Vivo D’arte from Thursday to Saturday August 9 to 11.
The meek floral assistant Seymour Krelborn stumbles across a new breedof plant he names Audrey II - after his co-worker crush.
However the plant turns out to be a foul-mouthed, R&B-singing carnivore and promises unending fame and fortune to the down and out Krelborn as long as he keeps feeding it blood.
Over time, though, Seymour discovers Audrey II’s out of this world origins and intent towards global domination.
Leading cast includes Alfie Glasser as Seymour, Caitlyn Allen as Audrey and Luke Canavan as Mr Mushnik.
Nathaniel Thomas plays Orin Scrivello while Chris Gannon takes on the role of Audrey II.
Natasha Holland, Tia Antoine Charles and Chenise Trantum play Ronnette, Crystal and Chiffon respectively.
With a cast of more than 60, aged 10 to 25 from the area it provides an opportunity for young people to come together with a professional team to create high quality theatre.
Performing on the main stage at Milton Keynes Theatre in a full-scale production with live orchestra, professional lighting and sound, set, costumes, hair and makeup.
Tickets for the show cost from £17. To book call 0844 871 7652 or visit www.atgtickets.co.uk/miltonkeynes.

The ‘Just Ask’ project is taking to the road again next week, as it arrives in Leighton Buzzard to help residents find out more about social care, health, housing and children’s services.

Over 1440 visitors joined the roadshow when it was last out and about in 2017 and its stall will be in the High Street on Tuesday, August 7, from 9.30am until 1.30pm.

The ‘Just Ask’ project is hosted by Healthwatch Central Bedfordshire in partnership with the council, along with Aragon Housing and their residents group (ROAR).

The team will be visiting towns and villages across Central Bedfordshire on board the CHUMS (Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing Service for Children and Young People) bus, to offer advice, guidance and information on a wealth of topics relating to social care, health, housing, consultations and children’s services.

Cllr Carole Hegley, executive member for social care and housing, said: “It really is a one-stop shop, so please come and find out about local services that you, your family members, friends or neighbours can access.”

Horse owners looking for the perfect property for themselves and their pony need look no further!

These are five amazing equestrian homes on the market in our region, all for sale through Michael Graham Estate Agents.

1. Lilley House is in Lilley, Hertfordshire, and is on the market for £1.6 million.

This picturesque Georgian property is tucked away in the rural village of Lilley.

Built in 1810, the property boasts a separate one-bedroom annexe, stunning equestrian facilities and approximately two acres of land.

There are five bedrooms, four reception rooms, a large family kitchen/breakfast room with an Aga and a wealth of original features including beams, slate flooring and feature fireplaces.

With gorgeous gardens, a paddock, two stables and a tack room, this is the complete property package.

Visit michaelgraham.co.uk/property/rps_mig-HIT170231.

2. Boa Vista lies in Higham Gobion, Bedfordshire, and is available for £1.5 million.

This impressive modern house is set in grounds of about two acres with far reaching countryside views.

The characterful accommodation includes a leisure complex with a garden room, games room and home cinema room with seating for 12 people.

Six bedrooms, a large drawing room plus four other reception rooms and a heated outdoor swimming pool make this the perfect property for entertaining guests and their families.

With gardens and grounds including a stable yard with four stables - including a foaling stable, a tack room, hay barn, manege and paddocks, this is the perfect property for horse lovers.

Click on michaelgraham.co.uk/property/rps_mig-BED180195 for more.

3. Willow Barn is in Towcester, Northamptonshire, and is on the market for £1.35 million.

This charming Grade II listed barn conversion is set in 1.25 acres of stunning Northamptonshire countryside.

The property maintains many rustic features including a vaulted ceiling in the kitchen with exposed trusses and purlins, exposed brick work and slate flooring.

With seven bedrooms and a detached two storey leisure complex including an indoor pool, you’ll never be short of space.

The equestrian facilities comprise a stable, tack room, storage sheds and a paddock. This property is ideal if you’re looking for a small holding, rather than an entire farm.

Visit michaelgraham.co.uk/property/rps_mig-TOW180137 for more.

4. Garden Cottage is in Welwyn, Hertfordshire, and is on the market for £1.5 million.

If you’re looking for gorgeous views and light and bright interiors, this property could be the one for you.

This newly built five-bedroom detached house in Hertfordshire is the perfect family home.

Downstairs three reception rooms include a dual aspect sitting room with an open fireplace and double doors to the garden.

There’s also a detached one-bedroom annexe and a smart stable block and paddocks, all set in around 2.5 acres.

For more information visit michaelgraham.co.uk/property/rps_mig-OHO167352.

5. Field Cottage is in Beachampton, Buckinghamshire, and available for £1.2 million.

Boasting paddocks, an orchard and a heated outdoor swimming pool, this is an all-rounder family property.

A kitchen and breakfast room can be found at the heart of the property and the four reception rooms include a sitting room with a log burning stove and a dining room with an open fireplace.

There are six bedrooms upstairs. Outside, the formal gardens and grounds have well stocked beds and borders with mature shrubs, ash trees and two paddocks, one perfect for a pony, and one perfect for growing your own hay.

Visit michaelgraham.co.uk/property/rps_mig-STS160058 for more.

Ambulance bosses are appealing for help after a patient transport service (PTS) vehicle was attacked, with a patient still inside.

At around 10.50pm last night (2nd August) a non-emergency patient was being transported back to their home in Luton, when a rock was thrown through the rear window. The rock just missed the patient but showered the crew in glass, all involved were uninjured.

Graeme Toliday, Interim General Manager, said: “It’s horrible to think that someone felt it okay to behave in such a violent way. Our staff and the patient are physically unharmed however it was a terrible experience for them. The vehicle is now off the road for a period of time waiting to be repaired.”

Russell Glenister, Inspector for Bedfordshire Police, said: “Attacking an ambulance service vehicle under any circumstances is appalling and we are glad to hear that both the members of staff and the patient were unharmed. We would urge anyone who has any information about this incident to come forward, by calling 101 or via the report page on our website, quoting reference 4015792-18.”

Picture EEAST, Twitter

People can enjoy afternoon tea in a stunning setting hosted by a well-known public speaker.

The Sculpture Gallery, part of the Woburn Estate, has announced that Gillian Walnes-Perry, one of the UK’s most prominent speakers, will be hosting an event at the stunning venue on August 13-15.

Offering an insight into ‘The Social History of Afternoon Tea’, guests can also enjoy a delicious afternoon tea served in the elegant surrounding of The Sculpture Gallery, set in the grounds of Woburn Abbey.

Gillian Walnes Perry, a writer, speaker, and lecturer, recently retired from her full-time role as co-founder and executive director of the Anne Frank Trust UK, while remaining its honorary vice- president. She has many years experience of speaking and broadcasting in the UK and around the world.

The English custom of taking afternoon tea was popularised in the 1840s by Duchess Anna Maria, wife of the 7th Duke of Bedford. While she was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria, Anna Maria started the habit of 5 o’clock tea, both at Woburn Abbey, her house in Belgrave Square and in the Royal Palaces. This was to aid what she referred to as “that sinking feeling” in the middle of the afternoon, when the custom was to eat a large breakfast, light lunch and dinner at 9pm.

Priced at £28 per person, it gives you the opportunity to discover the gardens of Woburn Abbey.

For more information or to reserve tickets, call 01525 292172 or email sales@woburn.co.uk

Leighton Buzzard resident Steve Katasi has started a new fitness and wellbeing business.

Steve has left a successful career in IT tech start-ups to found AdapNation.

He said: “AdapNation is all about self-optimisation. Helping people make improvements in nutrition, wellbeing, fitness, body composition and mindset. We use the hashtag #BeYourBest, which summarises the intent nicely.

“The idea is to innovate in zeros, and take the cost out of the $80bn fitness and health industry by making things that are currently paid-for and with questionable value better, and freely available. Think of meal ideas, workout programming, sustainable eating approach, nutrition/wellness/fitness insights that you would normally have to pay for - or spend hours trying to navigate the noise of the internet.

“The way AdapNation goes about doing that is through rich, informative and trustworthy online content. Weekly iTunes/Google podcasts, 230+ articles on adapnation.io, a growing Facebook page and community, workout plan and vlog videos on Youtube and IGTV, 100+ meal ideas, Instagram. Instead of these platforms being an outlet to promote the business, they ARE the business.

“So, in a nutshell, AdapNation is an online self-optimisation content hub, helping those who want to improve their wellness, bodies and mind. With myself as the face of the brand.”

Is Bedfordshire winning the struggle against child sexual exploitation (CSE)?

Could what happened in Rotherham or Rochdale take place here?

A single CSE prosecution in Luton and a low level of children identified as being at risk in the town suggests all is well.

But the authorities closely monitoring the evidence acknowledge more work needs to be done.

There were 38 CSE-related crimes in Luton, 34 in Bedford and 21 in Central Bedfordshire from April 2017 to June this year.

Between 2014 and 2017, 146 children and young people were flagged as being at risk of CSE in the county.

Currently, as of June 2018, there are 19 children or young people considered to be at risk of CSE.

Luton benefits from having a multi-agency safeguarding hub (or MASH) in which staff are well briefed about all forms of exploitation.

Within Luton to date “there has been one successful prosecution, one youth caution and two adult cautions administered”, according to a report to Luton Borough Council’s children service’s review group.

The links between CSE and other emerging threats and hidden crimes are becomingly increasingly apparent, says the report.

These offences range from domestic abuse, modern slavery and trafficking, to cybercrime, gangs and criminal exploitation.

CSE is a form of child abuse. Child abuse includes any act of forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities.

A CSE disruption toolkit was introduced for Bedfordshire in February 2017.

After an initial focus on taxi drivers and hotels, the authorities are spreading their prevention message to fast food outlets across Bedfordshire.

The council’s head of strategic safeguarding Glen Denham said a proactive approach included training taxi drivers to recognise the signs of sexual exploitation.

“It’s part of taxi drivers’ licensing process now that they have to attend training,” he told a review group meeting on Tuesday. (July 31st)

“That approach has been adopted across Bedfordshire.

“Police and council staff have been really proactive under Operation Make Safe, identifying hotels where we have intelligence to suggest that there could be sexual exploitation happening.”

He said hotels were visited to ensure staff are aware what the signs are, such as thinking about a child with an adult, about where rooms have been booked and for how long, and asking what their safeguarding policy is.

“We’re also doing the same now for fast food outlets where we know there are challenges in relation to young people being at risk.”

Bedfordshire’s CSE co-ordinator Lisa Robinson said: “We invited every hotel across Bedfordshire to a conference. A big part of our role is about prevention.

“Now what we’re finding is that hotels are calling in, with concerns, before a child is being taken into a hotel room.

“I wouldn’t like to say we’ve had an increase in the number of offences taking place in hotels. It’s because we’ve raised that awareness,” she added.

“We had a recent case where someone who’d had the training saw a mattress being taken out of the back of a takeaway shop and that didn’t seem right, so they reported their concerns.

“Clearly that could have been a situation of modern day slavery or other form of exploitation,” she told the review group.

“In Luton specifically, we’re targetting areas where we have got that intelligence, the fast food outlets where we have concerns, that are our hot spot areas.”

Mr Denham said: “There has been one prosecution in Luton recently, but at the end of the day we can only state the facts.

“We’ve got low prosecution rates. We’ve had a number of individuals under surveillance, and lots of work across the partnership in terms of disruption, and raising awareness about individuals.

“It’s about cases being prepared to the level where the police think they having sufficient evidence and that’s supported by the CPS.

“I don’t want to give impression that we are patting ourselves on the back across the partnership and Luton Borough Council to say ‘aren’t we doing well’?

“We are doing well in our approach to try to prevent and protect,” he explained.

“But I still think there’s lots more to be done, particularly in relation to the four recommendations to the review group.

The review group was told the next campaign will be ‘It happens to boys too’.

Leighton Town’s season got off to a losing start as they were beaten 2-1 by Harpendon Town on Saturday.

In their first competitive match under the watch of Danny Nicholls, goals either side of half time.

Harry Hunt opened the scoring two minutes before the interval, drawing out the Leighton keeper before slipping the ball coolly into the corner.

Harpenden doubled their lead four minutes into the second half when Hunt was again involved, flicking on Mike Davies’ throw for Archie McClelland to head home his debut goal for the club.

Matt Hall pulled one back for the visitors seven minutes from time but it was too little too late for Nicholls’ side.

The result leaves Leighton in the bottom half of the table, without a single draw in SSML Premier League on the opening weekend.

Leighton will be able to bounce back tonight (Tuesday) when they host Crawley Green (KO 7.45pm).

Mark Nelson hit a huge century as Great Brickhill kept up the pace at the top of the table in Cherwell League Division 1 with a seven wicket win over Tiddington.

Sean Gilson was undoubtedly the star of the show with the ball in hand, taking 6-30 to give his batsmen the chance of a quick win.

It could have been a totally different story though, as the home side put on 97 for the opening wicket before losing their 10 wickets for 75 runs.

Led by Will Cooper (55), Gilsons’ first wicket sparked the Tiddington collapse. From 155-3, they slumped to just 172.

In response, Nelson was relentless in his knock. He hit 110 from just 77 balls, made up of 15 fours and five sixes.

Alongside Austin John, the pair put on 95 for the opening partnership, while Nelson and Greg MacDonald put on a further 59 as Brickhill eased to victory, cruising to 174-3.

Oxford Downs are top by a point though, after their six wicket win bottom club Banbury 2nds.

Next weekend, Great Brickhill take on fourth place Abingdon Vale.

In Division 3, Great Brickhill 2nds are out of the relegation zone after beating Oxford and Bletchingdon Nondescripts by two wickets.

Dylan Cilliers took 5-36 and James Wagg 3-47 as the visitors were skittled for just 150.

In reply, Brickhill slipped to just 9-3, but a vital 81 from number seven Jarvis Hunt guided them to 151-8 and the win.

A former Detective Chief Inspector with Bedfordshire Police is to face a misconduct hearing on Wednesday.

Chris Beresford faces charges that between November 26, 2015 and October 2016 he accessed Bedfordshire police computer systems outside of his police role, accessing personal information whilst doing so.

The conduct hearing, which will look at a potential breach of professional standards, will be held at Bedfordshire Police Headquarters, in Kempston.

Find horse-lovers heaven in this exquisite equestrian property with leisure complex in Bedfordshire

Boa Vista is an equestrian’s dream.

Set in about two acres with far reaching countryside views, the gardens and grounds include a stable yard with four stables (including a foaling stable), a tack room, storage barn, manege and two paddocks.

Not only that, this modern property has a highly polished interior to match the stunning exterior and offers plenty of family living space across two floors.

Downstairs, the vast living/dining area is made for entertaining.

Huge bi-fold doors from the main reception rooms peel back to a sweeping rear terrace with a heated outdoor swimming pool, from which you can enjoy gorgeous garden and countryside views.

Keeping with the leisure theme, an entire leisure complex is accessed via the snug and includes a games room, a garden room and a home cinema with seating for 12 people.

Six bedrooms are upstairs, with the master bedroom ensuite boasting the ultimate in luxury bathroom living – two double ended baths and a monsoon shower.

Outside the garden has shaped borders and mature trees, as well as everything a horse lover could dream of.

The detached home office would come in very handy if the property was run as an equestrian concern.

Higham Gobion is a hamlet in central Bedfordshire, with the bustling market towns of Ampthill and Hitchin seven miles away.

For everyday needs, the nearest shops are just over a mile away in Barton and the acclaimed Harpur Trust schools are 17 miles away in Bedford, which also has a mainline station with fast trains to London.

The property is available for offers in excess of £1.5 million through Michael Graham, Bedford office 01234 220000.

For more information, visit michaelgraham.co.uk/property/rps_mig-BED180195.

I'm in Bardolino on the eastern side of Lake Garda, with my wife and friends. We are here to explore Italy’s largest lake, talk about our grandchildren and boast about how many pills we take!

No scenic clichés do the lake justice. Its stunning beauty has been an inspiration to some of history’s most famous literary figures. Tennyson, Byron, Dante, have all had their say about the lake and DH Lawrence, who lived and wrote here for a while, described Lake Garda as a “lake as beautiful as the beginning of creation”. However there is much more to Lake Garda than just soaking up the sun in this paradise with ice cream!

The first place we explored is Bardolino, our base for the week. We are staying in the unpretentious but sophisticated 4 star Nettuno hotel located just metres from the lakeside promenade and just five minutes walk into town.

Gathered around a tiny harbour, and located just 25 kilometres north of Verona, Bardolino is an elegant tourist town, that has managed to retain its distinctively Italian character. It is vibrant; flat and easy to walk around with excellent stylish shopping; a mile long market by the lakeside on a Thursday; a huge choice of reasonably priced restaurants and quite literally a 'gelataria’ on every street corner.

With a small population of just 7,000 people and buildings that date back to the 9th century, Bardolino is now driven by tourism and wine. More than 70 vineyards operate around the hills that surround Bardolino's shores, and particularly well known is the full bodied red that shares its name. Of course, in the interests of journalistic research I had to sample a glass of ‘Bardolino Classico’. The verdict? Good enough to decide I should sample it most nights!

One of the advantages of Bardolino is its location in the middle of the eastern side of the lake and by far the most congruent way to get around is by boat. Just a gentle 10 minutes stroll from our hotel is the ferry stop and from here it is possible to experience a cruise in the sunshine to check out several resorts. Here are a couple I recommend.

About an hour north lies Malcesine. The ‘must do’ here is the Malcesine Monte Baldo cable car, which reaches an altitude of 1760 meters. The glass enclosed cabin carrying up to 45 people slowly rotates offering a 360° view and the sensation of flying.

Despite my dislike of heights, I braved this attraction, even occasionally opening my eyes! On a clear day, for people who have their eyes fully open the whole time, I am told you can see Riva in the North, to Peschiera del Garda in the south... a breathtaking panorama.

Another boat trip, this time to the South of the lake is to the very popular resort of Sirmione. The historical centre of Sirmione is pedestrianised, with its narrow winding lanes busy with tourists most of whom are again tucking into creatively flavoured ice creams.

The town is dominated by a thirteenth-century castle, the Rocca Scaligera. The ruined Roman Villa Romana, at the end of the headland is large and impressive. The poet Catullus had a family home in the Sirmione area, so historically this site has been associated with him, and known as the Grotte di Catullo ('Caves of Catullus').

So what else is there to see and do at Lake Garda if you really want to get physical? The two most popular activities are walking and cycling, and there are miles of safe pathways around this part of the lake. Renting a bike is easy and cheap... just €4 for a half day from my hotel.

I decided to take on and conquer the picturesque lakeside cycle route from Bardolino to Garda. At around six miles there and back, this was short enough for me to cope with, yet long enough to fool myself into believing I was getting some real exercise.

There is the old saying about never forgetting how to ride a bike, but I obviously had! It is around 25 years since I had sat in the saddle for any length of time and it showed.

My wobbly first 100 yards gave me several close encounters with hedges, trees, and several small children who were far more proficient on their bikes than I was. However, once I got my balance and nerve back, I was off like an Olympic cyclist.

Riding in the warm sunshine at the side of the turquoise lake with the heady aroma of honeysuckle in the air was simply bliss. A wonderful experience and I even stopped for a dip in the lake.

Another great advantage of staying in Bardolino is its easy access to the historic and fascinating city of Verona, just 35 minutes away by public bus. Apart from the tacky and crowded ‘Juliet’s balcony’ attraction, Verona is also the site of many important historical landmarks and tours of the city are available.

For music lovers, Verona is also home of course to the famous Verona opera in the massive amphitheatre and this season’s repertoire includes Carmen and Aida. Whatever you see this is a marathon musical experience that you will always remember, if only for the backache! An important tip here, if you are sitting in the famous stone steps, make sure you take advantage of the cushion hire facility.

To get the most out of Lake Garda you also need somewhere to relax in comfort, so it was great that our hotel was perfect for re-charging our batteries. The very welcoming 63 room hotel Nettuno was simply idyllic. The food and service was fantastic and the highly efficient and very entertaining Maitre d’ was always willing to get the chef to prepare special meals for those with special dietary requirements.

Sadly, our week at Lake Garda, had gone much too quickly. We had run out of grandchildren photos and it was time to come home, but not before a final ice cream, and an attempt to try to capture the perfect sunset picture. Lake Garda is definitely one of those places you can return to and always find something different to do… and another flavour of ice cream!

TRAVEL FACTS

Ian Cooper flew easyJet from London Gatwick to Verona – flight time just 1hour 45 mins, costing £228 for two people return with one hold bag: www.easyjet.com

Jet 2 also offers flights to Verona from both Manchester and Leeds – www.jet2.com

A twin / double bedded room bed and breakfast at the Nettuno Hotel in Bardolino costs from approx £170 in what they call a Comfort Room. Rooms are of a high standard and have air conditioning, in room kettle / a safe / mini bar. For further information: www.hotelnettunobardolino.com/en

For further information about this season’s Verona Opera programme visit: www.arena.it/arena/en

Leighton Buzzard have played themselves back into promotion contention after beating Aston Rowant by 88 runs.

Those 88 runs were exactly the number scored by Greg Proudfoot, whose innings was the highlight of the highlight of the day, while Gareth Benger’s 51 was another shining light as Leighton moved to within 39 points of promotion.

Despite losing Jack Kempster (14) early on, Proudfoot joined Tom Light at the crease and the pair put on 84 for the second wicket until Light was stumped for 32.

Phil Whatmore then joined Proudfoot as Leighton kept the scoreboard ticking, adding a further 40 until Whatmore fell for 19 with the score on 149-3.

Tom Scott (7) and Dan Scott (19) continued alongside Proudfoot before he fell for 88, with 12 fours and two sixes, with the score 216-6.

But Benger (51 not out), alongside Antony Francis (16) continued to pile the runs on as Leighton closed on 297-8.

Ben Knowler was the pick of the bowlers for Aston Rowant, taking 3-79, while Tom Morgan added 2-48.

The visitors made a decent start, reaching 35 before losing two quick wickets as Kempster struck twice to remove openers Tim Morgan for 20 and Chris Eaton for 9, going from 35-0 to 40-2.

Another partnership was shaping to be a big one for Aston Rowant, but once more, quick wickets stunted their progress.

They fell from 70-2 to 72-5 as Antony Francis took two wickets in five balls en route to figures of 3-63.

Their chances of victory were all but over, but a late flurry of runs for the visitors made Leighton wait it out in the heat.

Big partnerships for the seventh and eighth wicket saw Knowler hit 54 as Rowant tried to hold out for a draw. Two late wickets for Dan Scott (2-22) though helped stunt their chances of that though, bowling out the hosts for 209 - 88 runs shy.

The result keeps Leighton sixth in the standings, but now much closer to the promotion battle.

Next Saturday, Leighton travel to runaway league leaders Westbury.

There was more good news for Leighton Buzzard 2nds too as they climbed out of the Division 5 drop zone with a huge 118-run win over Horspath 3rds.

The top five batsmen all hit big runs to put the home side in charge, Alfie Ruston top-scoring with 53.

A late bowling spell from Swapnil Kulkarni saw him tear through the lower order, finishing with figures of 5-34 as Leighton were eventually bowled out for 258.

Great bowling performances from Sam Roberts (3-52) and Andy Smith (3-31) ensured Horspath would never come close to the total as they were bowled out for just 140, well short of the mark, climbing up to eighth and level on points with Cumnor 2nds above.

Next week, Leighton 2nds host mid-table Kimble at Bell Close.

Leighton Buzzard Rugby Club start their season this Saturday (August 11) with an warm up match away against Luton.

In the following weeks Buzzards play Letchworth and Fullerians before their first Midlands 1 East league match away at old rivals Wellingborough on Saturday September 1.

This season, experienced fly-half and centre Jack Whitehouse leads Leighton Buzzard, who are playing level 6 rugby for the fifth successive season.

New players are always welcome- training Tuesday and Thursday from 7pm - or contact Head Coach Tom Mowbray for more information