Archived News
October 2005
All Souls Day Service
A special service to remember loved ones who have died will be held at St Mary's Church in Eaton Bray next week.
The service will take place on All Souls' Day on Wednesday, November 2 at 8pm.
The families of people who have died in the past year are being invited, but it is also an occasion for everyone who wants to remember someone in prayer.
A list is available in the church in High Street where people can add the names of those they want remembered at the service.
Source: Herald & Post, 27 October 2005
A New Future for Mobile Library Service
The council currently provides one Library Link vehicle, which serves residential homes and sheltered accomodation, and four mobile library vehicles, which serve the local community.
The council proposes increasing the Library Link service from one vehicle to two and reducing the mobile service from four vehicles to two. These changes match customers' changed demand. Many more customers want to use the Library Link service whilst use of the mobile service has declined. Our changes are a direct response to meet your expectations.
It is also proposed that one of the existing mobile library vehicles should be replaced by a smaller vehicle, which will be used to deliver the county's expanding Bookstart service. Bookstart provides valuable reading information packs to the parents of babies and young children. Previously, the service was provided to nine-month-old children only, but under new government requirements, the scheme has been extended to cater for children aged nine months, 18 to 30 months and three to four years.
Cllr Lynne Faulkner, Bedfordshire County Council's Portfolio Holder for Cultural Services, is herself a mother of two, with three grandchildren under the age of three. She said: "I'm delighted the exciting Bookstart scheme has been extended to include all babies and toddlers up to the age of four. In future, this imaginative learning programme will be delivered direct to parents so they can encourage their small children to read and enjoy books at an early age."
The new vehicle will also be used to make additional deliveries to residential homes and to the local community in the longer term.
Cllr Faulkner added: "Our aim is to refocus the mobile service and to meet the changing needs of our customers in the 21st century, especially children and older residents. This change also gives us the opportunity to review the routes taken by the mobile and Library Link vehicles to maximise the benefits of the service provided to the local community."
A public consultation is being carried out before any changes are made to the routes followed by the mobile and Library Link vehicles and there will be further concultation and monitoring after the changes come into effect. For more information please call 01234 228752 or log on to www.bedfordshire.gov.uk.
Update: There has been a change to our plans and the new mobile routes will not take effect until Monday 28th November. This gives you more time to send in your views. Please see Review of Mobile Library Routes for more information.
Update 2: Bedford Today has picked up on the story today - Mobile library cut threat - "Mobile library services in rural Bedfordshire could be under threat as part of a cost-cutting move by County Hall, according to a borough councillor."
Source: Bedfordshire, Issue 43, October-November 2005
Not a happy medium
A spiritual medium and healer has declared himself bankrupt.
Self employed Eric Sharpe runs Elite Spiritual and Psychic Connexions at his home in Eaton Bray. He declared himself bankrupt at Luton County Court on October 10.
When a Luton/Dunstable on Sunday reporter called at his home he said: "I have no comment to make.
"It is a very personal matter and I would prefer not to talk about it."
The amount of debt is not declared in bankrupcy proceedings - a Bankruptcy Order can be made if at least £750 is owed.
His website offers workshops, private and telephone sittings and 30-minute readings from £30.
The website ironically states: "There have been many occasions in my own life when, with a gentle nudge in the right direction, or with a little guidance or advice from the spirit world, I have been able to face very difficult or seemingly impossible situations."
The Official Receiver has been appointed to safeguard the assets.
Source: Dunstable on Sunday, 23 October 2005
Leading Small Groups
The North Chilterns Group is running another short training course under the guidance of Canon Robin Brown, the Diocesan Local Ministry Officer.
Anyone who is interested in learning a bit about leading small discussion groups is invited to attend the three sessions at Kensworth Church Hall (next to the Rectory at the corner of Clayhall Road) on Wednesday evenings, 26 October, 9 November and 23 November, 7.45-9.30pm.
Source: St Mary's Eaton Bray
Don't spook old folk with Hallowe'en fun
Halloween and Bonfire Night can be spooky for the wrong reasons if pranks go too far and people do not observe the law, Beds Police have warned.
Police are asking residents to have consideration for the old and vulnerable who may not be so keen on the celebrations.
Every Halloween, there are complaints about pranks that have gone too far, including eggs anf flour bombs being thrown at houses and cars.
And in the run-up to Bonfire Night, problems include children letting off fireworks in the street, and fireworks being lit late at night.
South Beds Community Inspector Steve Barrett said: "During Halloween, some people, particularly the elderly, can find it very frightening to have large groups unexpectedly calling at their homes asking for treats.
"Parents can help by supervising young children and ensuring older ones only call at properties where the householder is known to the family and preferably has agreed to receive trick-or-treaters."
Extra police patrols will be out and about in the run-up to the festivities to enforce the Fireworks Act 2004.
The law states that:
- No-one under 18 should possess fireworks in a public place
- It is an offence to supply/sell fireworks to a person under 18.
- No-one should set off fireworks between 11pm and 7am, except on Bonfire Night, Diwali and New Year's Eve.
- It is an offence to throw or light a firework in a public place.
Source: Dunstable Gazette, 19 October 2005
Slide show on Sea Britain
A slide presentation about Sea Britain will be held in Eaton Bray Village Hall on Friday (21), with all proceeds going to the National Trust's Neptune Coastline Campaign.
Organised by the South Beds Association of the National Trust, the slide show will be led by Les Jones, the association secretary.
The event will start at 7.45pm and light refreshments, including a glass of wine or a soft drink, will be included in the ticket price of £5.
Source: Dunstable Gazette, 19 October 2005
Eaton Bray News leaves blogspot
Eaton Bray News has moved from blogspot to become part of the main Eaton Bray website.
The RSS feed published through Feedburner will continue to work as before. If you're currently using eaton-bray.blogspot.com/atom.xml, make sure you switch over to the Eaton Bray feed now to continue receiving up to date news from Eaton Bray!
The main pages will automatically redirect as necessary, so even if you do find an old page via your favourite search engine, you should very easily find your way back into the main Eaton Bray site.
Source: Eaton Bray community website
Brewing up for Fairtrade villages
A Fairtrade campaigner has called on Eaton Bray and Edlesborough to follow in the footsteps of Leighton-Linslade, which recently became the first Fairtrade town in Bedfordshire.
Angela Feaviour, of the Leighton-Linslade Fairtrade campaign, said most of the key elements that would grant Eaton Bray and Edlesborough the accolade of Fairtrade villages were already in place.
She said: "The support is there already. What we would need in the villages is the parish councils to pass a resolution supporting Fairtrade." Local businesses would also have to get behind the campaign, buying Fairtrade tea and coffee for their employees to drink.
Edlesborough Village Store already stocks Fairtrade products, the tea tent at St Mary's Carnival served Fairtrade tea and there is also an annual Fairtrade breakfast in the villages.
All of these elements were used to help support Leighton-Linslade's application to become a Fairtrade town.
Angela said: "Fairtrade campaigning does not stop at town borders, so all the local support we have received in Edlesborough and Eaton Bray went into our application."
She also praised the activities of Edlesborough School and St Mary's Church.
Although Angela does not want to organise another campaign group for the villages, she would be willing to lend a helping hand to anyone who would like to set one up.
Source: Dunstable Gazette, 12 October 2005
Church Repairs
Passers-by will have noticed the scaffolding along the south side of the church. Work is in hand to replace the lead covering the Lady Chapel roof, and to investigate a slight sag in one of the beams of that roof.
The estimated cost of this work is over £20,000, and while the Fabric Fund is generously supported by the Carnival each year, we shall have to dip deep into reserves to meet the cost. Of course, if well-wishers would like to contribute towards the cost, the Vicar or the Churchwardens would be delighted to hear from them.
The work should be completed during this month (unless worse problems are revealed when the roof is fully uncovered).
Source: St Mary's Eaton Bray
Eaton Bray Cricket Club
Another successful season for Eaton Bray Cricket Club, in very unusual circumstances. Going into the last round of matches Eaton Bray was second in the table, and the destination of the title was out of its hands, and reliant on the result of the then league leaders, New Bradwell. The last match ended early in an easy win for Eaton Bray, its 10th of the season. The drama from the New Bradwell match unfolded as Lester Piggott provided a running commentary from the tinny loudspeaker of his mobile phone. As ball-by-ball was counted-down, the excitement increased until it was mathematically certain the title was Eaton Bray's, for successive sessions.
The season was one of two halves. The first half was full of drawn games and the village team was as low as 6th position. In the second half, skipper, "Chopper" Harris won many tosses and was more able to control the outcome of the games and many wins resulted. The stars were the batsmen in the first hald and the bowlers in the second. The village had three of the league's top ten batsmen (Paul Harris, Andy Norris, James Flecknell) and three top ten bowlers (Andy Norris, James Flecknell and Michael Jarrett).
However the success of the season owed much to lesser but probably more important contributions of others; Bob Warner's innings agains Milton Keynes Village; village postman Colin Cambell bowled consistently well all season; Lawrence Bunker scored his first fifty for the club; Mick Flecknell played a quarter of a game but still pulled off a great one handed catch and regular wicket keeper Larry Ryan performed well with both the gloves and the bat.
The village club also runs three other teams, Saturday seconds, and Sunday and idweek elevens, where there were some fine performances. Barmy's hat-trick in the midweek cup final, Lewis Taylor's 67, Chairman Lee Beartons century, Ossie Osbourn's development as a wicket taking bowler, Jamie Windmill's catching (an example to all), Richard Piggott's performance on tour and Aaron Cottrell's nocturnal performances on tour!
It was a great season.
Source: Focus Magazine, October 2005