Archived News
November 2011
Christmas Carols & Brass Ensemble Around The Village
Celebrate Christmas with
Eaton Bray Parish Council
Enjoy ...
Christmas Carols & Brass Ensemble Around The Village
On Thursday 22nd December 2011
From 7:00pm
To help us all get in the Christmas spirit, the Parish Council have
arranged for a small brass ensemble to play a few of the most
popular Christmas Carols around Eaton Bray on the
evening of 22nd December.
The Brass ensemble will visit a number of locations. The evening
commences from 7:00pm in Medley Close, then moves to Knights
Close, Cantilupe Close, Greenways, ending outside the White Horse
at around 8:45pm.
All adults & children are urged to come outside and
have a good old Christmas sing-a-long.
(song sheets will be available but please bring your own torch/lantern)
CELEBRATE IN STYLE
Christmas Tree Festival - 3-4 December
Christmas Tree Festival
St Mary's Church
Eaton Bray
3-4 December
11am – 6pm
Fantastic trees - dreadful puns
Christmas gifts
If you would like to dress a tree contact Jenny Hewett: Tel 220295
Refreshments, lunches from 12-2
Admission £2.50
New Bus Service: South Beds Dial-a-Ride
On July 25th 2011, South Beds Dial-a-Ride started operating a new bus service linking the villages of Totternhoe, Eaton Bray, and Billington to Leighton Buzzard and Dunstable. The route operates up to 4 times per day on 3 days per week, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. This complements the Red Kite service operating once per day on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
The service provides regular and easy access to the supermarkets of Morrisons, Tesco, and Waitrose plus the High Street in Leighton Buzzard, as well as Aldi, Asda, and Sainsbury's plus The Quadrant and White Lion Retail Park in Dunstable. The service in financially supported by Central Bedfordshire Council.
Please use this service.
If the service appears not to be pulling in sufficient passengers to maintain the current level of support, it may be reduced.
Best Regards,
Dave Barratt
Coordinator
South Beds Dial-a-Ride
St Mary's Christmas Fair - 19 November
St Mary's Christmas Fair
Eaton Bray Village Hall
Saturday 19 November
11.30am – 3pm
Christmas gifts
Cakes, Plants
Craft stalls
Lunches
Bacon Butties
All welcome, admission 50p
Catalytic Converter Etching Day Postponed
Bedfordshire are informing motorists of the postponement of the free catalytic converter etching service which was due to take place at Halfords Autocentre in High Street South, Dunstable this Saturday, 12th November.
Due to other commitments Halfords is unable to host the day this week but will be supporting the initiative on another weekend in the future.
Source: Ringmaster Bedfordshire
Cakes by Shelly wins International Awards
Eaton Bray cake designer Michelle Shulman, who runs Cakes by Shelly, scooped three bronze awards at the Cake International 2011 show, held at the NEC, in Birmingham.
The judges loved her Alice in Wonderland wedding cake, a curry-themed creation and a cute Smurfette design.
On Twitter, X Factor host Dermot O'Leary tweeted: "That is one handsome cake," about one of her designs. Chef Gino D'Acampo tweeted: "That looks amazing, Michelle,"
Michelle said: "It really is great to get some recognition for all my hard work, and to receive comments from well-known celebrities on Twitter just made the weekend."
News from the Lions Den
We are busy getting ready for our Race Night being held on 19th November at the Eaton Bray Village Hall. Tickets are already on sale and it seems that lots of you are hoping to come along and join us for the evening. It promises to be a great night and we hope to see you there. On the next page you will find a cut out form that you can use to purchase tickets or indeed you can even buy and name your own horses.
Our next event after the race night is being held in Dagnall on Saturday 10th December from 10am til 4pm. We are holding a Christmas, craft and second hand book sale.
Santa has promised to join us for the day and will be in his grotto waiting to meet any of our younger (or young at heart) residents. Entry is free (£5.00 to visit Santa including a gift) and hot and cold refreshments will be available throughout the day.
This will be an ideal opportunity to pick up some gifts, last minute stocking fillers, tasty festive foods or simply treat yourself to something special. Closer to the event we will be publishing a full catalogue of all of our books for sale on our website so keep checking www.ebelions.org.uk for further details. We still have some spaces available for stall holders so if you want pitch, please do get in touch by calling Rachel on 07815 067 556.
Last month we told you about the Lions message in a bottle campaign and how it can make a difference to the lives of everyone. This month, we are covering a subject with both local and global impact. Sight.
Lions International are recognised worldwide for it's service to the blind and visually impaired. The organisation initially became involved through a challenge issued in 1925 by a lady called Helen Keller, an advocate for the blind. She challenged Lions to become the 'knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness'. In 1930, Lions introduced the white cane which we wrote about in an earlier entry and is still widely in use today around the UK and the world.
Working in partnership with other organisations in countries of the developing world, Lions work provides 600,000 professional glaucoma screenings and provides 20,000 corneal transplants each year.
We collect more than 5,000,000 pairs of used eyeglasses each year and distribute these to developing countries. We provide thousands of people each year with free, good quality eye care, glasses, Braille writers, large print tests, white canes and guide dogs.
Campaign SightFirst is Lions most ambitious and most successful initiative ever. Lions operate this program, which is the worlds largest blindness prevention programme, with the aim of establishing long terms solutions for eliminating preventable and reversible blindness. The major causes of blindness come from cataracts, river blindness, trachoma and, especially in developed nations like the United States and the UK, diabetic eye disease and glaucoma.
Thanks to this program, Lions can proudly report that they have restored sight to 4,600,000 people through cataract surgeries. Further serious vision loss was prevented for 20,000,000 people and improved eye care services for hundreds of millions were improved.
Lions have :-
- Awarded £100,000,000 for 698 projects in 80 countries
- Provided 60,000,000 treatments for River blindness
- Built or expanded 207 eye hospitals, clinics and wards
- Upgraded 314 eye centres with new equipment
- Provided management training at 92 facilities
- Trained 83,500 ophthalmologists, ophthalmic nurses, other professional eye care workers and village health workers
- Launched the world's first ever initiative to combat childhood blindness in partnership with the World Health Organisation. Thirty paediatric eye centres will be established as a result of this.
Lions Eye Health Programme (LEHP) is a community based public awareness initiative that encourages the early detection and timely treatment of glaucoma and diabetic eye disease and the appropriate treatment for low vision. The programme is run in collaboration with the International Glaucoma Association (IGA), Diabetes UK, the Irish Glaucoma Association and the Diabetes Federation of Ireland.
Importantly, now everyone with an interest in eye health care can participate in LEHP, not just Lions clubs!
We plan to start collecting eye glasses to continue supporting this work so if any of you have an old pair of glasses that you no longer require, please send them to Rachel at 9 Eaton Park, Eaton Bray.
Lions World Sight Day was launched in 1998 by Lions International. It is a global event that focuses attention on the problem of preventable blindness. The shocking fact is that every five seconds one person in the world goes blind and one child goes blind every minute.
Ordinary people doing amazing things
Source: Focus, November 2011
Will Viv win top police honour?
Leighton Buzzard PC Viv Dady has been put forward for community police officer of the year at the Police Review Gala Awards after helping to significantly reduce crime in her area.
As neighbourhood officer for the rural area around Leighton, including Eaton Bray, PC Dady's force says she has been committed to improving the standard of living in the area and reducing crime and anti-social behaviour.
Crime has fallen by 37 per cent in the area over the past 12 months.
Her citation says she was "instrumental" in resolving a challenging anti-social behaviour case involving an alcoholic woman who caused "untold suffering" to her neighbours, with officers being called 142 times over a four-year period.
PC Dady took extensive statements from victims, worked closely with the local housing association and sought to get the woman treatment for her alcoholism. The woman's house was finally repossessed by the housing association.
Chief Con of Beds Police, Alf Hitchcock, said: "The work PC Dady has undertaken with great enthusiasm and determination has greatly benefited our local communities."
Beds Police PCSO Janet Mahoney is also nominated for PCSO of the year at the awards, while recently retired Det Con Anthony Jenkins, from Luton, is up for a lifetime achievement gong.
The nominees will find out if they have won the awards at a ceremony at The London Hilton, in Park Lane this week – a glittering event that will be attended by Home Secretary Theresa May.
Suspicous Telephone Calls
A number of Ringmaster members have reported to us that they are receiving telephone calls from Security Companies claiming to be working with, or for the Police.
Some Residents have been told that the Chief Constable is specifically involved in these projects.
Other callers have claimed that they are selling products that raise money for the Police or Police Charities.
Bedfordshire Police do not employ any private companies to undertake security checks on peoples homes.
If you have genuine concerns about the security of your home and property, please contact your Local Policing Team, or a Crime Reduction Officer, by call 01234 841212.
Bedfordshire police offers the following advice. Never buy goods or services, as a result of a cold call from a company, over the phone.
If you are interested in a product ask for a number that you call back, when you have had time to think about the offer.
Never disclose personal details over the phone, like bank account numbers, maiden names, or dates of birth. Do not discuss times and days that your home will be empty.
Cold Calling can be reported to Trading Standards on (08454) 04 05 06.
Thank you for your support.
Source: Ringmaster Bedfordshire
Shed Breaks - Check Your Home Security NOW
Bedfordshire residents are being warned to check their sheds and garages are secure after a series of break-ins across the county.
Bicycles and mopeds are on the top of burglars' lists of things to steal, but gardening equipment and other household items are also popular and easy to get at if people continue to leave their outbuildings and gardens insecure.
Neighbourhoods across the county have seen an increase in the number of thefts, which in terms sees crime figures rise dramatically because people are not making sure their sheds, garages and gardens are secure or locked, and property within it secure.
Bedfordshire Police Crime Reduction Officer Lesley Johnson, said: "We would encourage everyone who keeps a bicycle or moped in their garage or shed to not only lock the door but secure the bike as well. In addition to this, don't leave bolt croppers, lopping-shears or other such items lying around, making it easy for burglars to free your property and run off with it in a matter of seconds. We must all have a common sense to security and do our bit to reduce crime."
Many householders do not consider the value of the goods in the shed and therefore look after them accordingly. If your shed only contains a few broken pots and seed trays then closing the door with a bent nail might be adequate. However – if like so many – your shed contains the mower, strimmer, power tools, barbecue and kids' bikes then the old bent nail is woefully inadequate. Thieves are not averse to stealing items, which need a trailer or van either – ride-on lawnmowers and particularly quad bikes are very popular.
However, there are steps to take that will deter most thieves:
- Check gates and fences – are there any weak spots – a high back wall and a thorny hedge are two great deterrents.
- Side passage - fit a strong gate.
- Sheds and garages – buy and USE a good quality lock, padbolt or hasp and staple with padlocks.
- Consider an inexpensive alarm system.
- Do you really need a window in the shed or could it be boarded up?
- Mark your property with postcode. You can buy cheap kits from most DIY stores, which enable you to etch the number on – or simply paint it on. This is more effective than "invisible" marking which can fade. You could share the cost of the kit with neighbours and friends.
Bedfordshire Police and Crime Reduction co-ordinators continue to actively target the problem at the moment but anything that can be done to prevent the problem in the first place is invaluable.
If you have information relating to any burglaries, contact Bedfordshire Police, in confidence, on 01234 841212, the non emergency number 101, or text information to 07786 200011.
Alternatively contact independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111,or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.
Source: Ringmaster Bedfordshire
Suspicious vehicles
Bedfordshire Police would like to hear from anyone who may have seen the following vehicles in the Eaton Bray area.
They have been linked with offences in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and the Thames Valley area.
A Silver Audi Quattro, registration similar to O U 5 6 Z P P.
A Silver BMW, registration similar to L T 5 6 J N X.
A silver Audi estate, and a dark coloured B M W, are also connected to these offences.
Please report all suspicious activity involving these or similar vehicles by calling 1 0 1, quoting U R N 354 of 1st November 2011.
Source: Ringmaster Bedfordshire
Specials Thanked for Regional Support During Public Disorder
Special constables contributed 19,495 hours across the region to the policing response during widespread public disorder in August.
There are more than 2,200 Specials in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk and they played a key role in maintaining community stability.
Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hopkins, Eastern Region Specials lead, said: "Once again, this demonstrates how Special constables are part of our everyday business and how we can rely on them for support. The number of hours they contributed was outstanding and their regional support was invaluable."
Nigel Green, Eastern Region Specials Coordinator, said: "I would like to thank all officers for their support during the operation. Across the region there were 70 arrests made during the disorder by Special constables.
We rely heavily on Specials not just for general policing but during major events. Without their help the regular police force would be further stretched. Specials are volunteers. They give up their time to reduce crime and the fear of crime. They come from a variety of backgrounds and do all of this to police the local communities for no pay."
During the disorder Specials carried out front line duties at key locations, including reassurance patrols.
For more information about Specials or if you're interested in becoming a Special, visit our Single Volunteering Unit page.
Source: Ringmaster Bedfordshire
Fire Walk, 26 November 2011
6pm to 10pm, 26 November 2011
Eaton Bray Village Hall
Have you got what it takes? If you would like to be involved with this big event, then you need to take your first step... No, not into the fire just yet... but we need to know a little more about you. Please visit www.curtaincalltheatregroup.co.uk/fire-walk-100, fill in the registration form, and we will send you a confirmation e-mail together with details of what to expect on the day.
You will be asked to pay a £50 registration fee, however you can
claim this back from your first £50 in sponsors.
This event is open to the first 100 registered volunteers,
once we have 100 people, the registration will be closed.
In aid of Curtain Call Theatre Group, Lancot Lower School Football Club and
St Mary's Church, Eaton Bray.
Source: Focus, November 2011