The chairman of independent traders’ group LB First is encouraging the public to put forward a community hero who deserves the chance to turn on Leighton Buzzard’s Christmas lights this year.

The LBO in conjuction with LB First and Leighton-Linslade Town Council has launched a search for a worthy community champion to flick the switch and Gennaro Borrelli says the decision to use a local ‘VIP’ last year was a popular one.

In recent times festival organisers have sourced a well-known celebrity to launch the three-day event at the Friday night lights switch-on and fireworks display.

But in 2017 a more local approach was adopted when Leighton Buzzard resident, and Britain’s oldest poppy seller, 102-year-old Wally Randall was approached to be guest of honour at the ceremony.

To rapturous applause, Wally joined the carnival princesses as well as Andrew Selous MP to switch on the lights.

Now attention is turning to this year’s event which kicks off on Friday, November 30, 2018.

Gennaro, who owns Gennaro’s Organic Hair Salon in Bridge Street, said: “We are very grateful to the town council for their continued support and to the town council staff who along with our members and volunteers do a great job to make this event so popular, creating a magical atmosphere.

“The decision to have Wally Randall turn on the lights last year proved so popular with the town’s residents that we took the decision to ask local residents to nominate another local champion.”

He added: “In a roundabout way we are also extending the partnership working with the wonderful people of our town by involving them in choosing a local champion along with our trusted LBO, so don’t forget to send in your coupon with your nomination and keep a look out over the following weeks for more updates.

“For many years now local community group LB First, who promote the town centre businesses by encouraging residents to ‘shop local’, have been working in partnership with Leighton-Linslade Town Council and over the years the Christmas Festival has become a huge success and is the only three-day Christmas event in the local area.”

Now it’s time for LBO readers to play their part. We’d like you to send us your nominations. Email news@lbobserver.co.uk detailing your own name/email address/telephone number, who your local VIP is, and why they deserve to turn on the lights. Alternatively send us the form in this week’s LBO.

Once we have collated all the nominations a shortlist will be drawn up next month and readers will have the chance to vote on who should get the honour of turning on the lights.

For more information you can contact Gennaro on 01525 854273 or see the LB First Facebook page.

Five men were arrested this morning in Leighton Buzzard as part of a major operation involving the Met Police and the National Crime Agency.

Stanbridge Road was closed in areas around the driving test centre while a large group of armed officers stopped a vehicle.

A spokesman for Bedfordshire Police said: “At approximately 8am today (Friday) officers from Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Armed Policing Unit, working with the National Crime Agency and Metropolitan Police stopped a vehicle in Stanbridge Road, Leighton Buzzard.

“Five men were arrested and remain in custody. Investigations are ongoing.”

Men from Leighton Buzzard, Dunstable, and London have been charged with drug offences after a series of warrants on Wednesday.

David Nembhard, 29, of Marble Drive, Brent Cross, London; Mohammed Rauf, 29, of Richmond Road, Leighton Buzzard; Bernard McCarthy, 23, of Suffolk Road, Dunstable, and Sam Smith, 21, of Meadow Way, Leighton Buzzard, have been charged with a range of drugs supply offences.

All four appeared at Luton Magistrates Court today (Friday) and were remanded in custody until their next court date on October 8.

Three other people – a 32-year-old man, a 21-year-old man and a 14-year-old boy – who were initially arrested have been released under investigation following Wednesday’s warrants.

The warrants were led by Bedfordshire Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Unit, supported by the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) and National Crime Agency.

A Great Billington man was arrested yesterday on suspicion of conspiracy to steal tools from vans over a month-long period.

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said: “We have arrested a 45-year-old male from Stanbridge Road, Great Billington, Bedfordshire on suspicion of conspiracy to commit theft from motor vehicle offences (tools from vans) across Aylesbury Vale LPA over a period from August 4 to September 4.

“We also arrested him on suspicion of obstructing police in the lawful execution of their duty, following bricks being thrown and a hammer used to smash the windscreen of a vehicle being recovered by police for forensic enquiries on September 5.

“Whilst conducting enquiries and searching the location we have also seized a number of other items. We have recovered a stolen horsebox trailer [stolen from Swanbourne Road, Mursley, on Saturday night]. The owner has been notified and is over the moon to soon be reunited with it.

“We seized and recovered a vehicle for being used in crime for a theft of copper and a boiler in Slough a few months ago.

“We seized and recovered a vehicle for being used in crime to siphon fuel from vehicles. We also located what we believe to be a fuel siphoning kit.

“The suspect remains in custody at this time while the investigation is ongoing.”

Bedfordshire Police has welcomed a report which shows the number of children arrested by the force has continued to drop.

A total of 943 under-18s were arrested in Bedfordshire last year, a reduction of 142 compared with the previous year and continues a drop which has occurred every year since 2012, according to a report from the Howard League for Penal Reform which campaigns for a reduction in child arrests.

Nationally there has been a 68 per cent reduction in child arrests since 2010 – in Bedfordshire the number has been almost halved from 1,953 to 943.

Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said: “It is pleasing that the number of children arrested in Bedfordshire has continued to fall and reflects the work we are doing in this area.

“We do not want to criminalise children, as we recognise that this often just leads to further issues in the longer term.

“There can be far greater value in seeking alternative resolutions which will actually help and support those young people and divert them away from becoming entrenched in crime. Sadly there will be occasions where criminal sanctions are the only option.

“But it is important that we do all we can, with partners and indeed families and communities, to understand the causes of young people becoming involved in crime and help steer them onto the straight and narrow.”

The data gathered showed that, nationally in 2017, 26 per cent of child arrests were from Black and Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds – despite the fact only 18 per cent of the 10-17 child population were BAME.

Mr Boutcher, who is the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) lead for Race & Religion, added: “It is disappointing that there still appears to be a disproportionate amount of young people from BAME backgrounds who are being criminalised. It is imperative that this matter is addressed to ensure the policing service nationally is treating all of our communities equally. I will continue to work closely with other forces and partner agencies across the UK to ensure that children from BAME backgrounds are not being unfairly treated.”

Hundreds of people met their favourite comic book heroes at Retroplay in Leighton Buzzard on Sunday.

The organisers of the movie, gaming and comic festival promised the event at Brooklands Middle School would be bigger and better than last year and fans were not disappointed.

Among the visitors this year was Leighton Buzzard Town Mayor, Councillor Clive Palmer, who enjoyed the festival and was surprised by the size of it.

There was something for everyone, including superheroes, legendary movie characters, iconic vehicles on display, classic cars, Disney characters and Wrigglies Exotic Pets.

Steve Thewis, one of the event organisers, said: “The day was a great success, we had about 1,200 people here throughout the day and it was buzzing.

“We had all the usual characters back and it was great to see them again, all the cosplayers are volunteers and take their time to come from all over the country to this event in Leighton Buzzard.

“They love to support charities and help put a smile on children’s faces.

“We had the police and fire service here and it was great to see them support the event, we wanted to bring the community together, including the local services who do a great job, I think this event did that.

“We had the Town Mayor come down and he was really impressed and surprised by how big it the festival actually was, he said he will talk to the council about getting the event on the map, as it is great for the community.

“We will be back next year but we will need the full support from the town and sponsors to make it bigger and better.”

All money raised from Retroplay will be donated to Kids Out, who aim to give children positive experiences to support them in the future.

A Leighton Buzzard family were left terrified after a baseball bat-wielding thug smashed the windows of their van and car in a bungled break-in attempt.

The shocking incident took place in the early hours of Wednesday, September 5, and is the third time the man’s van has been targeted.

He said: “I’ve been lying awake at night wondering how to protect my family in case the thieves come back.

“Over the last two years I have had my tools stolen twice and a brake fluid pipe removed from the van, rendering me with no brakes.”

On Wednesday, the man was awoken at around 1am.

“I looked out the window to see the hazard lights on the van flashing and a man standing at my front door with something in his hand.”

The dad-of-one opened the window and “absolutely unleashed” abuse at the intruder in a bid to scare him off.

At this point, the thug swung his baseball bat at the windscreen of the van and the back window and quarterlight of the car, terrifying the man’s wife and young daughter.

By the time the man had finished calling police, the thug had made his escape.

He added: “This time they didn’t get anything but they’ve left me with two vehicles out of action and my wife and daughter petrified.”

The man estimates that he lost around £9,000 worth of tools in the two previous occasions his van was broken into, leaving him “completely wiped out”.

At a public meeting hosted by Police and Crime Commissioner Kathryn Holloway on August 28, Mrs Holloway suggested van drivers ought to remove tools from their vehicles each night.

The man said: “I think it is the most ridiculous comment. My job has changed now but when I was out and about everyday on my own, it would have been near enough impossible. You’d be adding an extra half hour every morning and every night.”

And he also feels residents will increasingly be forced to confront thieves directly due to a lack of police presence.

He said: “Personally, I think someone’s going to get killed. That bloke had a baseball bat and he was prepared to use it – whether he would use it on a person isn’t something we should have to gamble on.

“It’s intimidating, it’s threatening. I was lying awake at night thinking how do I protect my family if he comes back? At night, police are at a minimum 20 minutes away because they’re not in Leighton Buzzard although I can’t fault the two two officers that came out.”

A Bedfordshire Police spokesman said: “We were called at approximately 1am on Wednesday, September 5, by a resident who reported that someone was trying to break into their van. We’ve made enquiries and an investigation is ongoing.”

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact police on 101 quoting reference number 19 of September 5.

A dedicated Leighton Buzzard carpet fitter has made it all the way to the finals of a national industry competition.

John Wright, 44, of John Wright Carpets and Flooring, is preparing his best tools of the trade, as he heads up to Harrogate on Sunday (September 16) to go for gold in the prestigious ‘Carpet Fitter of the Year 2018’ awards.

The ambitious tradesman is the only finalist from the south of England, the other five contestants hailing from Scotland, Cambridgeshire, Worcester and Birmingham, John firmly putting Leighton Buzzard on the map!

He said: “The competition is held over two days and I have to do a ‘platform fitting’, for example, there’s stairs to a landing and stairs to a main platform.

“They put obstacles in the way and try to make it as awkward as possible - a cupboard under the stairs or a pole in the middle of everything!

“It takes place at The Flooring Show and I’m nervous because when you get up there, there’s hundreds and hundreds of people who are walking round and standing watching you while you work.

“There’ll be about 50-60,000 people walking through the doors and the judges are like hawks - they don’t miss a thing.”

John, a finalist last year, will have his work marked by top professionals in the industry: Ian James, of the National Institute of Carpet and Floorlayers, Richard Renouf, a flooring consultant for major companies, and Jeff Hardy, a previous winner and judge since the 1980s.

The tough competition takes place on September 16 and 17, John having three hours to start fitting the carpet on the Sunday, and three hours to finish his work on the Monday.

In June, he competed in the challenging semi-finals with a timed practical test, having also had to complete British Standard exams in March to be selected.

John said: “In the competition, everything has to be done to British Standards or above. Over 90 per cent of floors aren’t fitted to British Standards and this competition is to promote the standards, those who are the best in the business, and to encourage people to have things fitted properly.

“I think I have a good chance as I came very close last year, and the atmosphere is brilliant.

“In 2017 this chap from Newcastle came down to watch me, as well as a chap from Letchworth and a couple of blokes from Hemel.

“I’ve never met them, they just follow my work. You get a lot of support from other fitters throughout the UK.”

John runs John Wright Carpets and Flooring, of Richmond Road, with his partner, Tracey, and is Bedfordshire’s only Carpet Master Fitter with the National Institute of Carpet and Floorlayers.

The LBO featured John in February when he fitted ex-soldier Jamie Hull’s floors for free, after hearing of how Jamie had survived third had survived 60 per cent third degree burns when his plane caught fire in 2007.

John concluded: “Jamie knows I made the finals again and I would like to say thank you to the people of Leighton Buzzard and our customer base for their support.”

Two independent Leighton Buzzard businesses are full of beans having collaborated over the production of a new coffee infused beer.

Speciality coffee roasters and blenders House of Coffee of Peacock Mews have provided the Leighton Buzzard Brewing Company of Grovebury Road with fresh coffee beans to produce the new beer; Coffee House Porter.

Jon d’Este-Hoare of the Leighton Buzzard Brewing Company told the LBO: “I have wanted to add a coffee infused beer to our range for a number of years and always thought that it would be great to work with the House of Coffee to source the beans.

“At the town’s beer festival in June, we had two coffee porters available and they were two of the quickest selling beers, so I know it is a popular style of beer around here!”

Nick Stagg, owner of the House of Coffee, said; “When Jon approached us to discuss the beer, we thought it was a great idea and were keen to get involved. Jon explained to us that whole coffee beans are placed directly into each cask of beer and left to infuse for up to three weeks before being opened and served. After a little consideration, we have advised Jon to use the Monsoon Malabar bean from India.”

The Monsoon Malabar coffee seeds are exposed to the monsoon rain and winds for a period of about three to four months, causing the beans to swell and lose the original acidity, resulting in a flavour profile with a practically neutral pH balance. This results in a blend which is heavy bodied, pungent, and often described as dry with a musty, chocolatey aroma and notes of spice and nuts.

Jon added: “Nick provided us with both lightly and heavily roasted beans and for the first brew we have experimented with different blends and quantities of these different beans. We plan to launch the beer on September 15 at the Leighton Buzzard Brewing Company brewery tap when we will have four of these different combinations of the beer for customers to try and provide feedback on.”

The House of Coffee will also be at the brewery that afternoon to discuss and sell coffee beans, including of course the Monsoon Malabar.

The High Court in London has granted permission for a Judicial Review over the ongoing saga of market rents in Leighton Buzzard.

Linslade activist Victoria Harvey, who previously unsuccessfully contested Central Beds Council’s decision to grant permission for the Grovebury Road Retail Park at the High Court, submitted her challenge to the new pitch fee structure back in June.

And this week she revealed that her bid to get a judge to scrutinise the ruling of town council’s Cultural and Economic Services Committee on March 12 has been successful.

Ms Harvey, who will have to pay no more than £4,000 in costs if she loses after the court granted a protective order, has insisted there was a lack of proper consultation with market traders over new “unfair” market fees.

Ms Harvey, who will represent herself in court, said: “The market is integral to the heart of Leighton Buzzard and despite the town council spending over £120,000 it is steadily growing smaller. All I want is for the town council to follow what I believe are their legal obligations to undertake a fair consultation with the market traders and to agree a new system of pitch fees that will encourage more market traders: both traditional stalls such as fruit and veg flowers clothes etc, as well as newer stalls such as gifts and street food so that the market grows and attracts more people into the town centre. This will keep the traditional market going as well as encouraging a wider variety of stalls.”

She added: “The key point to be decided by the High Court is whether the town council has a duty to consult and/or whether they actually consulted fairly with the market traders.

“I am so pleased that the High Court believes that the town council has a serious case to answer as only 30% of cases reach this stage.”

Ms Harvey said: “The wider concern about the market is that although small stalls are very reasonably priced, the larger more traditional stalls such as fruit and veg, flowers and clothes etc are very expensive compared with other markets.

“The only way that some existing stall holders can afford the fees is due to the 20% loyalty discount that they receive if they have been on Leighton Buzzard market for over 20 years, but if these traders were to retire they could not be replaced with other fruit and veg, flowers, and clothes stalls as the price would be too high for new traders to take over as new traders would not get the discount.

“This means that the traditional market stalls such as flowers/ plants, fruit and veg, clothes and cards is steadily being phased out and priced out in favour of smaller gift and speciality stalls and speciality markets like the French market. This risks the market continuing to decline and possibly ending up like Dunstable.”

Following the market’s relaunch in September 2017, the town council decided to standardise pitch sizes and fees, introduce a new layout, and clamp down on businesses who have historically expanded their pitch size – but not paid for the privilege.

Those staggered rent increases came into effect in April, as the council began to charge for depth and not just stall frontage.

But with some traders claiming resultant rent rises would force them to quit their stalls, the council introduced a loyalty rent reduction based on length of service on the market.

They also decided that casual traders should pay £4 more per pitch than regular stallholders, and that the additional charge per square metre over and above the standard plot size should be reduced from the previously agreed £2.10 per sq metre down to 50p per sq metre.

A spokesman for Leighton-Linslade Town Council said: “The matter has been passed to the town council’s solicitor who will be responding to the courts in due course.”

A defibrillator was locked away in a manager’s office at Tiddenfoot Leisure Centre while an elderly customer had a heart attack, it has been claimed.

The incident took place last month and a source claimed to the LBO that procedures at the leisure centre are in need of a drastic overhaul to ensure public safety.

The source said: “An elderly customer was playing badminton in the main hall when he suffered a severe heart attack.

“The defibrillator was stupidly locked away in the general manager’s office and could not be used to aid the customer as the senior management team do not work at the weekends.

“Since the incident they still leave the defibrillator locked away in the general manager’s office and the staff on duty have no access to this office.”

The claim is the latest alleged safety breach at the leisure centre.

It is understood that two staff members are still being treated for breathing problems after a suspected chemical incident in the plant room of the swimming pool in August 2017.

A Central Bedfordshire Council spokesman said: “CPR was given immediately by a staff member who saw the customer collapse, and assistance and an ambulance were called straightaway.

“The ambulance attended very promptly, and the casualty was airlifted to hospital. We understand that the customer is well again, and he has expressed his sincere gratitude to the staff involved for saving his life.”

When pressed further by the LBO about the defibrillator, the spokesman added: “Most of the staff who work in the leisure centre are first aid and CPR trained and are able to provide lifesaving support to members of the public.

“The defibrillator is a new piece of equipment for the centre but was not available for use until staff had received training, so they could use the equipment competently and confidently.

“The training has now taken place and the defibrillator is in the first aid room and available for use.”

A man from Milton Keynes has been sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years, and disqualified from driving for three years, after he made off from police at speeds of up to 100mph along the A505 at Leighton Buzzard in February.

Michael Nevin, 19, of Nash Park, abandoned his car and was tracked by officers to a property in Toddington, where he was found in bed, pretending to be asleep.

He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving at Luton Crown Court on Friday (September 7) and received a further six months for driving whilst disqualified, suspended to run concurrently. If he commits further offences, or fails to comply with conditions, he faces having the prison sentence activated.

Nevin must also complete 120 hours of community service, undergo 12 months’ Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and attend 20 days of requirements. He was also fined £800 court costs, and a further £200 for having no insurance.

The incident took place on February 20 when, at around 10am, on-duty Bedfordshire Police officer Charlie Bird saw Nevin’s car, stationary, on the A4146. On checking if the vehicle had been involved in a collision, PC Bird saw Nevin and another driver having an argument.

PC Bird requested Nevin to stay where he was, but Nevin got back in his car and drove off towards Dunstable at speeds of up to 100mph.

In an attempt to evade the officer, Nevin drove onto the A505, drove round a roundabout the wrong way, then drove off towards Toddington, where he abandoned his car and hid out in an associate’s property.

A member of the public alerted officers to the abandoned vehicle, and enquiries led the team to the address where Nevin was found in a bedroom, under a duvet.

He was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving, failure to stop and driving whilst disqualified. A search of the garden revealed a discarded car key, which fit the vehicle.

PC Charlie Bird, said: “We hope that Nevin will take this opportunity to reflect on his actions and his reckless behaviour.

“We will not tolerate those who put our communities at significant risk of harm by driving dangerously.”

After young cyclists were reportedly threatened with a knife, a kind-hearted Leighton Buzzard bicycle shop is offering itself as a ‘safe harbour’ for children.

Dorvics Cycles, Bridge Street, says that anyone is welcome to come through its doors, where staff can secure their bikes, allow them to call their parents, and offer a safe environment.

The initiative came after reports on social media alleged that four children had been threatened by two boys carrying a knife - and asked to hand over their bikes - on August 30 at 2pm in Station Road park, Linslade.

Barry Fitz-Patrick, admin manager, claimed: “Really we made the decision very quickly - we started hearing this one story in particular about a young lad held a knife point. Sadly, there are also a couple of other groups in town on bikes, throwing abuse at people and throwing stones. I’m not saying it is always them but it is this type of thing.

“We’d heard of a safe harbour scheme like this in Southampton and thought it would be a good idea.

“At least there will be adults in the shop to look after the children and we can lock the front door if it’s that threatening.”

The team - Ashley Lewis, owner, and staff Tim, Carl and Barry - have previously worked with Bedfordshire Police, as they held an event in December with PCSO Rachel Carne who was offering to security mark customers’ bikes for free.

In light of Dorvic’s new scheme PCSO Carne has teamed up with the shop to offer advice.

Barry said: “ We discussed a simple checklist that can be communicated to help in the case that any child (or adult) faces a situation where they have their bike stolen from them under threatening circumstance.

“They key points are as follows:

“Ensure you have a good quality photo of your own bike to help with its recovery should it get stolen

“Make sure the you have the bike frame number (usually located on the frame underneath the pedals of the bike)

“If a crime is in progress, or just occurred, call 999 as soon as you can

“Try to get a good description of the offender/s and how many of them there were

“If the crime has already taken place call 101 to report it.”

PCSO Carne will be coordinating a bike safety and security event at Astral Park during the autumn half term, which will include safety and security information, bike security tagging, basic maintenance information/tips on keeping your bike in good condition and some practical riding tips.

Dorvics will be supporting this and will publicise the date and time of the event as soon as it has been set.

A Bedfordshire Police spokesman, said: “Bedfordshire Police takes all reports of bike theft seriously as well as running proactive investigations into this type of criminality.

“At all of our community meetings in Leighton Buzzard we run bike marking sessions, and our local team also works with the British Transport Police in this area.

“The Police and Crime Commissioner and senior officers were in Leighton Buzzard last week to reaffirm our commitment to the town, listen to residents’ concerns and reassure them that crime will not be tolerated.

“One of our officers has confirmed that additional patrols have been stepped up in key locations, such as parks and our community team is following up enquiries with victims.”

The Department for Transport has today announced its preferred corridor for the new ‘Oxford-Cambridge Expressway’, accepting the recommendations of Highways England.

‘Option B’ starting from Abingdon in Oxford to south Milton Keynes via Winslow has been selected as the preferred route for the expressway. It will run alongside the East West Rail Route.

The Campaign To Protect Rural England (CPRE) Bedfordshire had earlier expressed concerns about ‘Option A’, which would have run close to Leighton Buzzard, Woburn and Woburn Sands.

The expressway is set to “revolutionise” east-west connectivity between Oxford, Milton Keynes and Cambridge, which has been earmarked for major growth by the govenment, with development of up to one million new homes.

A DfT spokesman said: “The expressway is projected to take up to 40 minutes off the journey between the A34 south of Oxford and the M1, so that hundreds of thousands of people will be brought within reach of high quality jobs in centres of rapid growth such as Oxford Science Park.

“The preferred corridor identified today runs alongside the planned route of East West Rail, so that consumers have a variety of road and rail travel options.

“This decision determines the broad area within which the road will be developed: the process of designing a specific route will now get under way, involving extensive further consultation with local people to find the best available options.

“Members of the public will be able to comment on the full set of front-running designs in a public consultation next year, and the road is on schedule to be open to traffic by 2030.”

A former Leighton Buzzard librarian has won a top book illustration prize.

Kate Milner has won the 2018 Klaus Flugge Prize for the most exciting and promising newcomer to children’s picture book illustration.

She won for her book My Name is Not Refugee (Barrington Stoke), which follows a young boy as he and his mother set out from their home to find somewhere safe to live.

Although Kate studied illustration at St Martin’s College as a young woman - and illustrated magazines on Commercial and Housing Law for a while - she then spent most of her career as a librarian at Leighton Buzzard library, developing a passion for children’s books in the process.

When her job at the library ended, she decided to apply to do an MA in children’s book illustration at Anglia Ruskin University. She created the story that was to become My Name is Not Refugee as part of her degree show, and with it won Student Illustrator of the Year in the V&A Illustration Awards.

Winning the Klaus Flugge Prize marks her out as an important and extremely talented illustrator with a very special gift for creating picture books.

Kate said: “I felt absolutely amazed and delighted when I heard that I’d won. I was very, very pleased to be shortlisted but I explained to everyone at the time that there was absolutely no chance of me winning.”

The book asks children from a safe, comfortable background to think about what it must be like to leave your home and make a journey into the unknown.

Her experience as a children’s librarian was invaluable. Kate said: “It was a job at the local library that changed everything for me: I fell in love with children’s books. Part of my job was to read to groups of pre-school children at Rhyme Time, which was an excellent way of discovering which books kept their attention, indeed which books kept my attention. Despite my great age, I am, in many ways, about eight years old, and I still love to draw and make up stories. Becoming part of the world of children’s book feels like coming home.”

The Klaus Flugge Prize was founded to honour publisher Klaus Flugge, a very influential figure in picture books.

A Linslade sausage expert is inviting one lucky person to help him select the best bangers at UK Sausage Week.

Keith Fisher, chief judge and master butcher, is offering the passionate applicant the chance to help crown the ‘Supreme Sausage Champion’ of 2018.

The hungry guest judge will get to try hundreds of tasty samples at the Regional Food Academy, Shropshire, as they join the panel for the scrumptious day on October 3.

Keith said: “The competition has been running for many years and it is a chance to celebrate the industry and independent retailers.

“There are over 500 entries and two categories - traditional and innovated.

“Some more unusual flavours we’ve had are marmite, and candyfloss - there’s even been blueberry muffin and chocolate!

“With the growth of micro breweries, you’ve also got independent butchers working collaboratively with them, entering sausage flavours such as pork and ale, and beef and ale.”

Keith is a fourth generation butcher and started helping his family at the tender age of 12 - “we didn’t have xBoxes then!” he says.

The master butcher trained at London’s Smithfield Market and went on to have 42 years of combined experience with The Meat and Livestock Commission as a butchery and product development manager, and with the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) as master butcher advisor.

Keith said: “Smithfield’s is known as the ‘temple of the meat industry’ and was one of the biggest meat markets in Europe during its hey day. It supplied many major retailers and many smaller retailers - it used to be like Formula One with all the lorries!

“Nowadays, however, retailers buy directly from the processing factories, and supermarkets will go directly to a farmer or factory partners - they want to know where all their meat comes from.”

Indeed, with his wealth of industry knowledge, Keith - who is also a ‘sausageologist’ - will no doubt keep the winning guest judge entertained during their day at the Regional Food Academy.

As sausage judge, the winner will be getting truly stuck in, handling raw sausages to examine their weight and consistency, assessing their colour and texture, measuring bangers to ensure they fit within the competition’s guidelines, and tasting cooked sausages to determine their texture, meat and fat ratio, and flavour.

Keith added: “It’s important to maintain the high profile for a fantastic, traditional product that goes back to the Roman times.

“What’s more, if you go back to the war [World War Two], there was little meat available, so they used to pump sausages out with water, and when you cooked them, they would explode!

“That’s where the term banger comes from and why in years gone by people used to prick sausages.

“For the competition, I’m looking for somebody who is passionate about sausages, who likes eating them on a regular basis and trying different kinds, looking for something different.

“There’s a danger that when they start they will eat a whole sausage - but after eight or nine they will fill up; we need to encourage them to take small, bitesize mouthfuls.

“Although you can usually tell which sausages are the most popular with the judges - they suddenly disappear!”

To enter, fill in the simple form at www.uksausageweek.com/testing/#competition explaining why you are the top person for the task.

The winner will be selected by Keith Fisher and the UK Sausage Week organising team.

To be in with a chance of winning, you must be available for a day of sausage eating on October 3 and sausage fans have until September 17 to apply.

The sausage-makers behind the winning bangers selected from the judging will receive awards during UK Sausage Week 2018 itself – which runs from October 29 to November 4, the sizzling week an annual meat industry campaign organised by Meat Management magazine.

To find out more, visit: www.uksausageweek.com

Leighton-Linslade has bloomin’ done it again, winning Gold in the prestigious Anglia in Bloom competition for the third year in a row!

Reading the list of winners in each category, there is one name that crops up over and over again - Leighton-Linslade - as the town was awarded a superb 12 Golds, two Silvers, a Category Winner, and one Special Award.

Meanwhile, neighbouring Woburn is also feeling very proud, the beautiful parish awarded a Silver for the village category.

Announcing the results, Leighton-Linslade in Bloom, said: “We are by far one of the most successful entrants in this year’s campaign with twelve Golds.

“Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this year’s campaign - you have been blooming brilliant.

“TACTIC has won the overall special award for the best young people’s project (aged 12-18 years) and we have been nominated in the Best Community Project with the Linslade Community Garden and the Best Sustainable Garden with West Street Drought Garden.”

Leighton-Linslade had success in the following categories:

>Large Town (12,001 - 35,000 residents): GOLD, LEIGHTON-LINSLADE

>Parks (large over 10 acres): GOLD, MENTMORE PARK & MEMORIAL GARDENS LEIGHTON-LINSLADE; GOLD, PAGES PARK, LEIGHTON-LINSLADE: GOLD, TIDDENFOOT WATERSIDE PARK, LEIGHTON-LINSLADE.

>Parks (medium, five to ten acres): GOLD PARSONS CLOSE PARK, LEIGHTON-LINSLADE; SILVER, LINSLADE RECREATION GROUND, LEIGHTON-LINSLADE

>Churchyards, Cemeteries and Crematoriums: GOLD, LINDSLADE CEMETERY, LEIGHTON-LINSLADE; GOLD, VANDYKE ROAD CEMETERY, LEIGHTON-LINSLADE

>Best Woodland: WINNER AND GOLD, LINSLADE WOOD, LEIGHTON-LINSLADE

>Best Public House: GOLD, THE GOLDEN BELL, LEIGHTON BUZZARD; GOLD, THE SHIP INN, LEIGHTON-LINSLADE; GOLD, THE HARE INN, LEIGHTON BUZZARD; GOLD, THE STAG, LEIGHTON BUZZARD; SILVER, THE BLACK LION, LEIGHTON BUZZARD.

>Young Persons Project (aged 12 - 18 years): WINNER, T.A.C.T.I.C, LEIGHTON-LINSLADE

The results were announced yesterday afternoon (September 12) at the Anglia In Bloom Anniversary Awards Ceremony held at The Apex Theatre, Bury St Edmunds.

Bob Ollier, chairman of Anglia in Bloom said:“The Anglia in Bloom communities across the six counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk & Suffolk should be justifiably proud of this year’s achievements.

“This year standards have continued on from last year with excellent awards achieved, the outstanding community work, many resourceful projects and superb floriferous displays have all added to fantastic community entries with 57 Gold, 13 Silver Gilt, 6 Silver, 3 Bronze awarded.

“The continued key to the Anglia regions success has been the very strong community involvement where everyone is getting involved and works closely together, enabling great projects to be created and delivered.

“All communities are recognising the importance of sustainable displays, coupled with good horticultural standards and delivering outstanding floral displays, these are all achieved through the support from sponsors and community groups engaged across the region, who are all dedicated to enhancing their community within Anglia in Bloom’s Prestigious Environmental Campaign.

“I congratulate all the Bloom groups and communities in the Anglia Region, for the enthusiasm, commitment and effort made to improve, develop and sustain local environments across our region, it is a great credit to you all. Well Done.”

Woburn will also be heading to the RHS Britain in Bloom Finals in Belfast on October 19, where they will hear their results announced.

In 2017 the village had its efforts judged in the Anglia in Bloom competition, winning the Silver Gilt award in the Village category and Best New Entrant for the whole area (Anglia), enough to win a place in the 2018 Britain in Bloom finals.

The other 2017 winners that Anglia in Bloom entered along with Woburn are: Bury St Edmunds (Large Town), Wisbech (BID), Norwich (City), and Hunstanton (Coastal).

Meanwhile, this year’s Anglia in Bloom finalists - who could head to the 2019 Britain in Bloom finals - will be announced at the competition’s autumn seminar in November.

The need for improved infrastructure and better public transport in Leighton Buzzard will be discussed with the national chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) when he visits small businesses in the area next Tuesday (September 18).

Mike Cherry will meet local businesses, just as FSB announces the launch of a new retail group to help keep the town centre thriving in the face of threats from large retail developments nearby.

Led by local resident and salon owner Gennaro Borelli, an active FSB member, the group was put together to ensure that Leighton Buzzard’s small business community benefit from the planned growth of the town.

The group is made up of local FSB members who recognise the importance of town centre businesses to the vibrancy of the town. They will meet up regularly to decide how best to promote the high street to both established and new residents of Leighton Buzzard and the surrounding area.

This month FSB set out a plan to help small high street businesses, urging policymakers to target areas like business rates, parking and improving local roads and bank branch closures.

With parking and infrastructure remaining a huge issue for high streets, FSB is calling on local authorities across England to provide more free parking to encourage shoppers back to the high street all year round, making sure any proposed increases to charges are assessed for their impact on town centres.

High parking charges and a lack of spaces often put off shoppers from visiting town centres, instead favouring out of town centres with free parking.

FSB is also asking for increased funding for local road maintenance, fairer distribution of Government cash on major road network projects and improved local transport to make sure routes into town centres are in a good state of repair for both businesses and consumers.

Mr Cherry, who is due to visit businesses in Tebworth, Eggington and Leighton Buzzard town centre, said: “I am very much looking forward to my visit to Leighton Buzzard. This is a town with lots of planned growth and therefore opportunity for small, independent businesses to thrive with right infrastructure and support.

“We know that small business owners are resilient, but it’s important that decision makers do come together to look at real solutions to issues impacting town centres, so that our high streets are not only able to survive, but to thrive. Investing in the road network, fixing potholes quickly and providing more town centre free parking would make a real difference to small firms in places like Leighton Buzzard.

“It’s towns like this that, with the right intervention, will be able to achieve growth, jobs and prosperity without losing their market town feel and status.”

Mr Borelli said: “We are delighted that FSB is supporting our local campaign to help promote the unique offer that independent business bring to the town. It is marvellous that our national chairman Mike Cherry is coming to this part of Bedfordshire to see the great work that we are doing here.”

A Dunstable East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) senior call handler who stayed calm and offered vital reassurance during an upsetting 999 call has been shortlisted for a national award.

Sam Barber, based in the Bedford Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), is one of 10 finalists in UK Navigator’s Dispatcher of the Year 2018 awards.

She was shortlisted for the professionalism and compassion she showed throughout the difficult call, during which she kept a man calm and gave him instructions on performing CPR on his daughter until emergency crews arrived. Although the patient sadly could not be saved, Sam’s team leaders praised the way she handled the situation and nominated her for the award later the same day.

“I love my job,” said 27-year-old Sam, who has worked for EEAST for two-and-a-half years. “I’ve always been a caring person and really like the variety which working in the EOC brings and the feeling that you’re really helping people.

“I had mixed emotions when I found out about the award, as I still feel quite sad about the call. After the call I was given support from my team and had some counselling. Talking about what had happened was really useful and helped me to manage the emotions I was feeling.

“I always try and stay calm for the caller, offering them reassurance and concentrating on giving them clear instructions about what to do until the crew can get to them. Our role is to be that supportive voice when they are at their most vulnerable.”

The award will be presented on Tuesday (18th September) during the UK Navigator conference in Bristol.

One of the last surviving Second World War veterans from Leighton Buzzard has died at the age of 96.

With his family by his side, Roy Geeves passed away on August 27 at his home in Winnipeg, Canada.

Roy – known as “Roger” – was born and raised in Leighton Buzzard in 1922. He enlisted in 1940 and fought in the North African Campaign. He also flew with Coastal Command.

In 1946 he met Elizabeth “Betty” Moore and a year later they were married in Leighton Buzzard, faithfully so for 71 years.

In 1967, his trade as a motor mechanic took him to Winnipeg, Canada.

He was well liked and respected in the community, where he was known as a generous man.

Roy is survived by his wife Betty, son Roger and daughter-in-law Lorna, and daughter Gaye and son-in-law Mark Taylor.

To carry on his name, he leaves four grandsons, Stuart, Iain and Andrew Geeves and Graham Taylor.

Additionally, he leaves behind granddaughter-in-law Cassandra and two great grandchildren, Nolan and Chloe Thompson-Geeves.

He was predeceased by his beloved granddaughter Ashley.

In accordance with his wishes, his ashes will be returned to his birthplace and scattered along the brook at Clipstone, where he spent many happy hours of his youth.

If friends so desire, donations in his memory can be made to the Salvation Army.