HOUGHTON CONQUEST Village Newsletter

August 2020

All the latest news, events and reports for our Village inside……. HOUGHTON CONQUEST PARISH COUNCIL

Members

PCllr Sue Beaumont PCllr Brian Blackall PCllr Peter Bullock (Vice Chair) PCllr Mark Dobson PCllr Tracey Fry PCllr Bec Hares (UCllr) PCllr Jason Lay PCllr Liz Lovell (Chair) PCllr Hayley Quinn PCllr Bryn Whitaker

Committees, Working Parties and Appointed Representatives

Highways PCllr Fry Planning Sub-Committee PCllrs Beaumont, Blackall Bullock,Dobson & Whittaker Village Hall PCllrs Bullock & Quinn Play Area PCllrs Dobson & Quinn Sports Field PCllrs Blackall & Lay

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 2 Allotments PCllr Lovell School Liaison E Thompson Police Liaison PCllr Beaumont Tree Warden PCllr Quinn Newsletter PCllrs Bullock & Fry Community Facebook PCllr Fry Website Parish Clerk Speedwatch PCllr Fry United Charities PCllr S Beaumont Covanta/BACI/Millbrook Power P Rolfe Climate Change Champion R Blevins

Parish Council Clerk – Gill Wiggs Tel: 01234 270016 [email protected]

All correspondence should be forwarded to the Clerk to the Parish Council: Gill Wiggs, 10 Parklands, Bedford MK41 9LZ The Parish Council usually meets on the second Thursday of the month except August & December, in the Village Hall committee room at 7.30pm. Parishioners are invited to attend the meetings and time is allocated for them to address the council. Central Bedfordshire Councillor: Bec Hares T: 01234 742542 E: [email protected] If you have a matter you wish to draw to the attention of the Parish Council, you can contact any Councillor, write to the Clerk, or attend a meeting. If you wish to speak to the Council please

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 3 notify the clerk or the chairman before the meeting, so that you can speak during the time allotted.

Please note that the closing date for insertion of copy into the October 2020 issue of The Houghton Conquest Village Newsletter is 21st September 2020

You may send copy c/o Clerk to the Parish Council: Gill Wiggs, 10 Parklands, Bedford MK41 9LZ or send it by email to: [email protected] with ‘Village Newsletter’ as the subject All contributions are welcome but are subject to

Place your advertisement here For a reasonable payment to Houghton Conquest Parish Council you can reach the entire Village every two months.

Copy may be emailed to [email protected] or posted to Gill Wiggs, Clerk to the Parish Council, 10 Parklands, Bedford MK41 9LZ

Payments to Houghton Conquest Parish Council please

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 4 Parish Council Updates

Chair’s Report

Your Parish Council has continued to meet during lockdown using Zoom. This practice will continue for the time being with access information being available from Gill Wiggs – [email protected]. Notification of these meetings is posted on the Village noticeboards.

We have been joined on the Council by Brian Blackall. He has lived in the Village for 18 months and is a useful contact on the Kiers estate. We are looking forward to working with him. This means that we have a full council and following a reshuffle all major representative positions have been filled.

PCllr Tracey Fry has taken responsibility for highways and this combined with her role as a Horse Watch volunteer has strengthened our presence in and around the Village. PCllr Fry with PCllr Bullock was instrumental in researching and buying our new Speed Indicator Device (SID). We have one that is primed and ready to go as soon as we can safely mount it. It will be moved around the Village in order to help decide which site is the most effective at which time we intend to purchase two further devices to increase coverage.

Off of the roads - PCllr Beaumont and Lisa Guiness are looking at the feasibility of a cycle way from the Village to access the new King’s Wood extension. It is proposed that the new woodland will have cycle paths but currently we have no way of accessing it from the Village as none of the footpaths allow cyclists access to the land without going around the road to Houghton House. This is a long term goal which may take many years to complete but there is further information in this newsletter. The date for the King’s Wood consultation has passed but I am sure if you had

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 5 any comments the people at the Forest of Marston Vale would be pleased to hear from you.

With the lifting of lockdown our community areas can start to reopen in line with official Government guidelines. The sports field will have a staged reopening but hopefully before long will be back in use by various Clubs and activities for whom outdoor activity is possible. One area of great debate for your Parish Council has been the siting of the long awaited MUGA. It has been decided that due to the ongoing vandalism and expensive repair bills relating to the existing facilities on the sports field a more central site would be more appropriate. With this in mind we are seeking to renegotiate the terms of the S106 monies offered by Kier. We will keep you all updated on progress.

The play park reopened on July 18th with some restriction on use so please make sure you read the guidance and stick to the rules. Hopefully some good weather will mean that the children can enjoy the equipment during their Summer break.

Some residents have been concerned about the state of the Village Well. A lack of maintenance meant that the bricks had started to disintegrate, and water seepage had made the structure unstable. Your Parish Council would like to take this opportunity to improve the Well and are seeking your help to decide what the Village would like to see to mark the site of the Village Well. A consultation will be taking place and further details are included in this newsletter. Let us know what you think should happen with the site by contacting Gill Wiggs. [email protected].

We have received news this week of a huge financial boost for the Village Hall. As a result of S106 monies resulting from the Wixam’s development a sum of about £100,000 will become available over the next few years. The money is dependent on the first occupancy of the Thickthorn Park development which is

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 6 still waiting for planning permission so may be a few years off. I am sure the Village Hall Committee will keep you informed of their plans for its use. Many thanks to Lisa Frangiamore for pushing for this contribution.

I hope that you all remain safe and have a great Summer.

Warm regards

Liz Upcoming Parish Council Meetings The next few council meetings may or may not be held in person and we will be reliant on using Zoom and email in order to conduct Parish Council business. Should you wish to raise anything with the Council, please direct your question to the The Clerk, Gill Wiggs via email [email protected] or by post c/o 10 Parklands, Bedford MK41 9LZ

The Chair’s newsletter is intended to provide a general update. Agendas and approved minutes can be viewed on the Parish Council website www.houghtonconquest-pc.gov.uk

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 7 POLICE LIAISON REPORT JULY 2020

This quarter has been a quiet time across the area. Much of this can be attributed to the months of lockdown. With public spaces closed, there has been little opportunity for crime and This Photo by Unknown Author vandalism to prosper. Without access to skate parks, play areas and sports fields, nuisance offenders had nowhere to go. Crime in Houghton Conquest had been low for many months prior to lockdown. Vehicle crime in the surrounding areas e.g. Flitwick station, however, was of concern, with fears that this would spread elsewhere. A crack down by the National Crime Agency appears to have put paid to this.

The lockdown has resulted in the temporary suspension of many working groups, such as Police Priority Setting Meetings, and some initiatives have stalled. I anticipated reporting back on the new scheme from the Tri-Force Digital Innovation Team, outlined in the January report. This initiative involves capturing crime as it unfolds in real time. It was to be trialled in Cambs in Feb and become operational in Beds in April. I have no updates at this stage.

With the easing of lockdown, it is anticipated that meetings will return, if only virtually. Sadly, this easing has, also, led to an upsurge in anti-social behaviour caused, I am sure, by a small but mindless number. In the sports field, guttering on the pavilion has been damaged by person[s] climbing onto the roof and a

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 8 portable barbecue lit down by the skate park has melted one of the seats of our Youth Shelter. Litter is back….despite the bins situated down by the Shelter. Rubbish has been dumped in Howard’s Piece, cleared by the thoughtfulness of near neighbours. It is depressing to see.

As we expect to see further easing of the lockdown, we cannot allow our enjoyment to be ruined by the actions of the irresponsible. Accordingly, I would encourage every resident to keep their eyes open for nuisance behaviours and report them to the police either by 101 or, the preferred reporting, on line at: www.bedfordshire.police.uk/report

Houghton Conquest has been able to be proud of its record of low levels of nuisance/offending behaviour over the last 12 months. Let’s ensure we keep it this way.

PCllr Sue Beaumont

Highways Issues

To report any highways matter to Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC), log in to the following website http:// centralbedfordshire.gov.uk and follow the instructions

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 9

All Saints Church

Rector: The Rev'd Stephen Toze 01234 740423 Assistant Minister: The Rev'd Roger White Reader: Mr. Robert Heley 01234 740927 Wardens: Margaret Tyler – 01234 740964 Pearl Tompkins – 01234 741958 Services: Sunday Eucharist - 9:30a.m. Family Service - First Sunday of the month at 9:30am (With effect from Sunday, 16th August, regulations permitting)

Church Social/ Fundraising committee Margaret Tyler 740964 Brenda Hartley 740482

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 10 A few words from our Rector…

After this long period of being shut out of the church, we are glad to announce that we are hoping to open our church again for morning services on Sunday the 16th of August at 9.30 am.

Of course, some things will be different. There will be social distancing, no hymn singing for the time being and Holy Communion without wine. It will feel different. But we hope to see as many of you as can come. We have a rather big church building and so it will be possible to sit as far apart as feels comfortable for you.

It doesn’t matter if you are a newcomer or someone who has been a regular, you are all welcome. Don’t worry that you don’t know what to do, we will all be doing things a little differently to how it has been. We will explain as we go along.

We are grateful for all who have kept activities going in the church, especially the successful fund-raising sales on Saturdays and would like to thank those organising and helping especially Sarah, Gary, Maria, and Christopher as well as others. We would also like to thank those who have donated items to the sale and all who have supported it.

My very best wishes to you all,

Stephen Toze

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 11 Church Roof and other Issues

This Month’s Update: Hello again everyone, I hope a good few of you have been able to keep up with any information on the church via the Church and Houghton Online facebook pages.

For those of you without that access here is a short resumé:

Main Roof: Obviously, not much has moved forward on this but we have had the annual check on the roof and drains by Simon Kinns. Following from that we had to replace some cracked tiling on the chancel roof. The architect has assessed the situation with the stonework and will be issuing a specification shortly. That means that I can go ahead via the Diocesan Web Portal to put the case for the completion of the roof with our preferred covering of high tensile felt in 3 layers all over. If and when we get a go-ahead from Historic England, we are hoping that quotes for the stone work can be covered with a Covid emergency grant from the Diocese. Then all the roof work can be done together and we can turn our attention to raising funds for new heating and the repointing of the South wall.

Window: During Lockdown we have been able to get the section of window repaired on the south side, that was damaged in the storms. This was at a cost of £650. This was done by a local firm in Bedford and they have done an excellent job. Of course, we could do with replacing all the glass but that is another project!!

Lockdown Library: Luckily a lot of our ancillary costs and roof fund boosting have been helped by our Lockdown Library, which we have held each Saturday from 2:00 -4:00pm in a suitably socially distanced manner. Thanks go to Sarah, Chris and Maria

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 12 who have worked tirelessly to keep things going and also to Siân and our other helpers. We have been overwhelmed with your generous donations of Books, CDs, DVDs, Clothing and other items and your support on the day to borrow and buy them back. Your monetary donations, the sale of things online and to our clothing man, plus our online Raffles have resulted in around £2000 being raised on an ongoing basis. This will be continuing for a couple of weeks but must be scaled down as we now have permission to reopen the church for Services (see note from the Rector). Our last sale, on Saturday 8th August will be of selected stock with a particular focus on school uniforms. We are pleased that we can provide cream teas for this event but please follow social distancing and the one-way system around the church and wear masks when you can.

Hundred Club: Hundred Club is continuing in the village. It took some time to set up again with the sad death of Rita Williams but Carol Juffs and Jackie Davies have kindly taken over the running and winners have been published on Facebook. If you would like to join the Hundred Club or find out more about it, then please contact Carol (01234 381393) or Jackie (01234 740635)

Bike ‘n’ Hike: This will go ahead on 12 September, but this year it will be different: Churches are not expected to be open, so there will be no church welcomers and refreshments/toilet facilities are not expected to be provided. There will be no registration sheet: bikers and hikers will self-register their visit (participants can take ‘selfies’). This annual event is to raise funds for the Beds and Herts Churches Trust, a charity which helps churches in the Diocese with grants towards urgent restoration. They have been very generous to All Saints in recent years with the most recent grant being £4000 towards the initial part of the roofing to make us water tight last autumn! I will let you know when sponsorship

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 13 forms come through so, if a few cyclists/walkers out there would like to take part to raise funds (50% of what is raised comes straight back to the participating Church) we would be most grateful.

Scarecrow Trail: Advance notice from Sarah! Scarecrow competition is Saturday 3rd October. Get planning!!! No theme, just use your imagination!! Have fun!

Please check posters and Facebook page for further information and events. Best Wishes, Gary Mudd (01234 741871)

Houghton Conquest Charities

GRANTS AVAILABLE FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES Houghton Conquest Charities owns the land the Village Hall stands on. The rent paid by the village hall enables this charity to give grants for educational purposes. Residents of the parochial Parish of Houghton Conquest who may benefit from a grant are encouraged to come forward and make an application. Grants are also available to village organisations for educational purposes, and age is not a restriction.

Some idea as to what we can give grants for are listed below, however any real educational need will be considered. • Books or computer equipment for university, college or further education • Help with university or college fees • Outward bound or similar courses

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 14 • Tall ships or Jubilee sailing trust • DOE or similar • Sporting activities • School trips Application forms are on the Parish Council website and once completed should be returned to 23 Victoria Drive. (www.houghtonconquest-pc.gov.uk) Houghton Conquest Charities incorporating The Clerke & Wilde Educational Foundation Charity no. 307480

Village Clubs, Organisations & Events, etc.

Village Hall

The committee is planning to reopen the hall as soon it is safe according to government advice, to prepare for this the Committee has been working hard to ensure the hall is safe. To this end, the hall has been deep cleaned and we have purchased an antibacterial fogger. Risk assessments have been completed, a one way system will be in place and appropriate signage installed.

We have also taken the opportunity to update the hall with new curtains fitted all round and we are looking into updating the kitchen, and installing contactless payment for the bar with new tills (assuming we can get a wifi connection!).

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 15 Many thanks to all the hardworking committee members who give up their spare time to the running of the hall as well as all the volunteers that help out!

Karoline Jeffery (Hon.Sec)

Village Hall Regular Events

THESE ARE NOT CURRENTLY BEING HELD OWING TO THE COVID-19 VIRUS, BUT ARE LISTED BELOW FOR FUTURE REFERENCE:

Weekly

Monday Indoor Bowls 2pm to 4pm Whist 7:45pm Tuesday Line Dancers 10am to 12:30pm Brownies 6:15pm to 7:30pm Rainbows 6:15pm to 7:15pm Wednesday Yoga 9am to 10am Thursday Line Dancers 10am to 12:30pm Novice Line Dancers 1pm to 2pm Houghton Pioneers 5.30pm to 6.45pm Friday Toddler Sense 9:45 am and 11 am Indoor Bowls 2pm to 4pm Qi Kwan Do 7pm to 8pm Monthly

1st Wednesday Art Group 7:30pm to 9:30pm

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 16 1st Thursday WI 7:30pm to 10pm 1st Friday Quiz Night 8:30pm 2nd Tuesday Garden Club 8pm to 10pm 2nd Thursday Parish Council (Committee 7:30pm Room) 3rd Wednesday Art Group 7:30pm to 9:30pm 3rd Thursday Village Hall Management 7:30pm Committee 3rd Friday Family Night 8:30pm Last Thursday BINGO 7:30pm to 10:00pm

To Book Contact: IF YOU ARE PLANNING Mrs Christine Dean A ONE-OFF EVENT OR 01234 741 182 REGULAR MEETING. [email protected] DON’T DELAY AND BOOK TODAY.

• Run by volunteers for the benefit of the villagers. Hire charges are very reasonable with varying rates for day, evening and weekend, with residents getting preferential rates.

• Fully equipped kitchen

• Licensed bar with air conditioning at £25 hire charge

• Large hall including stage area with curtains

• Small committee room and lounge area

• Large car park

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 17 Village Notice Boards

If you would like to put notices in our boards, please: • Hand them in to Houghton Conquest village shop. • We have 5 noticeboards, so please provide 5 x A5 copies to ensure a copy goes in each board. Regrettably, we cannot accept larger than A5 due to limited space.

• If you provide only one copy it will only go in one board. The choice of board will be at the discretion of the Parish Councils representative.

• If you are advertising an event, please allow plenty of time, as our noticeboards are only updated once a week.

• We do not accept commercial advertising, unless it is for community activities, such as local classes.

• Space is limited, so priority will be given to local community events, & is at the discretion of the Parish Councils representative, who kindly keeps all the noticeboards up to date.

Any queries please contact Gill Wiggs on 01234 270016, [email protected]

100 Club This Photo by

For information on the 100 club, please contact Carol (01234 381393) or Jackie (01234 740635)

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 18 Houghton Conquest Garden Club

Sadly during lockdown the club lost two long standing members – John and Rita Rose passed away within days of each other. They had both been involved with the Garden Club for many years. John had been the chairman and latterly was president. Rita was treasurer until bad eyesight forced her to give up, and she was then made a vice president. They had a joint funeral, but because of lockdown restrictions it had to be a small affair and club members were not able to attend, but several members showed their respect by watching the cortege go through the village. Our thoughts and sympathies are with the family.

As the village hall will not be open for some time we are not able to have any meetings yet, but we are hoping that on the day we should have had our summer show, Saturday 5th September, we will have a plant and produce sale outside the village hall.

Our gardens should be perfect with all the extra time we have had this year, so keep up the good work, and let’s hope it is not too long before we can meet again.

Margaret Whalley 01234 740892.

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 19 Bowls Club (Meetings currently suspended)

When the club is open again, we will let you know, but for your information carpet bowls is an easy game to play and gives you some exercise but is not too strenuous. We normally play on Monday and Friday in the afternoons in the Village Hall from 2pm till 4pm. The majority come for a good natter, a good laugh, a cup of tea and a biscuit – also a game of bowls. This costs only £2 per session. If you would like to join in, please come and give it a try.

Houghton Conquest Care

As most of the volunteering we do is taking people to appointments at surgeries and hospitals, we have had few requests for help during lockdown except for one or two prescriptions needing collection. We are very grateful to Babs Hill who has held the ‘phone for the whole period of lockdown. This has saved us having to pass it around our ‘phone holders.

We have had a few referrals from Central Bedfordshire Council via Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity, of people needing help but, other than a few prescriptions requests, they have often already received help from other sources or no longer want help.

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 20 Once medical appointments start to be available again we may not be able to give the same level of support as we have done in the past as many of our volunteers are unable to drive at present due to their own health status and the level of risk assessment required. As in pre-Covid days we will do our best to help.

We have also had a number of enquiries from villagers wanting to help the Group. We hope this may result in more volunteers joining us in the future. Please contact either of the people listed below if you are interested in joining us. I am sure that the community spirit seen during the last few months will continue in the future.

We are still hoping to hold our AGM on October 24th at 2pm in the Village Hall so put this date in your diary and come along to find out more about volunteering for the Care Group or using our services. Transport can be arranged if necessary and tea, coffee and cakes will be available.

It is very sad to report that Joan Huckle who had been involved with the group for many years, first as a driver and latterly on our Committee, has died. Joan was very well known in the village and will be sadly missed.

The other sad news is that shortly after the death of his wife Rita, our Chairman John Rose passed away. John had been involved with the group since 2001, originally as a driver who undertook more than 400 trips, as a committee member from 2004 then Chairman of the Group since 2009. John and Rita had been part of the village community for many years having been involved in

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 21 the Players, Bowls Club, Garden Club and the Village Hall Management Committee as well as the Care Group. They were real “village people” and will be missed by many in Houghton Conquest.

If you need help, please phone 07969 982 970 and leave a message. One of our volunteers will return your call. If you require transport please try to give us at least 24 hours’ notice. We charge £3.00 per trip or 30p per mile for trips over 30 miles.

Kate Smith (Honorary Secretary) 01234 740522 Sue Derrick (Acting Chair) 07886 459225 OUR PHONE NUMBER is 07969 982 970

We have lost two members this year, Rita Williams and Joan Huckle. Rita had been president and secretary in years gone by, and both she and Joan had been members of the Conquest Players and the Gardening Club. They both did a lot of work for their respective churches, and their kindness to everyone will be sadly missed.

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 22 No meetings can be planned yet, bit it is hoped we will be able to have our summer garden party in August. We can organise this with the appropriate social distancing and, hopefully, members will come and enjoy this social event, as until now we have only been keeping in touch by email and text.

Keep well everyone

Shirley Johnson

Houghton Pioneers

Unfortunately, we are unable to say when we will be back Pioneering, but may know more in the next edition.

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 23 Houghton Conquest Art Society

At the start of the lockdown The Art Society members decided to form an online WhatsApp group, so we could keep up to date with what projects members were working on at home. We also wanted to keep each other creatively inspired. Members posted a wide variety or art works And photos. Lots of us tried something new. We had plenty of free time to experiment with materials such as glass, dried flowers, large and small stone painting, pastels etc. Here’s a selection of our lockdown creations:

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 24

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 25

Above are High Street Robin Hoods Bay oil on canvas Barbara Boxshall Pixie the grumpy dog in pastels by Karen Monyihan Dried flower candle holder jam jars by John Broadhouse Yorkshire Hamlet on large stone in acrylic paints Barbara Boxshall Maulden c1850 pen and watercolour wash Barbara Boxshall Beatrix Potter characters on stones in Acrylic paints Barbara Boxshall

We are planning for when we can restart our meetings, our committee is meeting via the zoom app online. We are waiting to hear when the Village Hall will be able to safely accommodate us and hoping for possibly a September Start.

The art club have joined forces with Bedford Writers Circle to create a 2021 calendar. The writers have given the artists a selection of beautiful short stories, which have been paired with an artist who will create a painting to portray the essence each story. Each story will overlay its painting, one for each month of the year. More on this project with examples in a future newsletter.

Barbara Boxshall www.houghton-conquest-art-society.co.uk

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 26 Houghton Conquest Lower School and Pre- School

During the Pandemic, Houghton Conquest Lower School and Pre-school has never actually fully closed its doors. Instead we have been welcoming vulnerable children and those who have a parent who is a key worker each day, even during traditional holiday periods. Almost all children who are not attending a classroom each day are receiving distance learning and we have had an amazing level of support from parents and carers, working together with teachers to keep learning fun and on track. By June we had many more pupils attending school and our numbers have been steadily growing since. It’s so lovely to see their smiling faces again, we really missed them!

‘Sid the Values Pebble Snake’ made an appearance outside the front of the school welcoming all members of our village to come together in a display of community spirit during these difficult times. Sid is growing day by day and I am sure you will agree he is looking beautiful. If you haven’t seen Sid yet why not take a walk past the school to admire all of the beautiful artwork our community has created. Why not add a pebble yourself?

As the end of term approaches, we bid a fond farewell to our current year 4 pupils and wish them all the very best of luck as

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 27 they transfer to middle school. We look forward to welcoming the children back in September, including our new reception children who will be starting school for the very first time.

We are delighted to announce that from September Miss McCarthy and Miss Heaslip will be undertaking a new Co- Headteachership together at the school.

If you have a child who would like to join our amazing pre-school please do visit our website for an application form and email your interest to [email protected].

We are so proud to be part of such an amazing village and really admire the courage, kindness and support which we see every day in our community.

Have a great summer.

Ramblings

That, there Parish Council

Back to full complement again! We are are now joined by Brian Blackall (see Chair’s report), who will add another batch of experience to the team. Much has happened and much has not happened since the last edition of the newsletter.

2020 - The Year of the Covid-19 Virus Pandemic

Just prior to the last edition of this newsletter, by 23rd March this year, we were in “proper lockdown” - only leaving the house for

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 28 essential shopping and limited exercise, the over 70’s and other vulnerable groups were shielded and not allowed out for 12 weeks, schools only opening for children of frontline workers and all the other restrictions we have come to know and love (?!) and, in many ways, got used to.

Eventually we moved past the panic buying of toilet paper, pasta and tinned tomatoes seen in the first few weeks of the lockdown. I was lucky enough, early on, to discover a lonely pack of 4 toilet rolls which announced that they were with shea butter - I wasn’t sure whether to put them in the bathroom or the kitchen!

The last few weeks have seen some gradual lifting of some of these restrictions, with meetings of limited amounts of people in the garden, one of which can stay the night, if they fall within your bubble (and only if they want to), some more children allowed back to school, many now properly back at work and so on. I shan’t be too specific as they may well have changed again by the time you read this.

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 29 Pubs, restaurants and small shops are now allowed to open again (with tight restrictions), which may bring back some elements of “normal”, however, some are waiting longer to open and some have closed for good and become casualties of the virus. Coronavirus Covid-19 still lingers within our population and without any vaccines available as yet, then the threat of this hasn’t gone away and life in general will not revert to “proper normal” for some considerable time to come.

On a much more positive note, the community spirit within the village has been remarkable! Hoards of volunteers have been offering to help get shopping and prescriptions for those most vulnerable and sometimes just giving them a call for a chat. We all move aside from one another when out walking and seem to say hello to total strangers much more.

As a result of taking the allowed exercise, I have seen hundreds of people I didn’t know lived in the village and many, like me, have enjoyed and discovered footpaths in some of the beautiful areas locally. There seems to have been much more about in terms of wildlife and many had the time to appreciate this and nature

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 30 generally, especially in the fabulous weather we have been having.

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 31 VE Day

Instead of the planned bumper event on the playing fields and in the Village Hall, there was silence on the fields and the car park gates locked at the Village Hall, BUT this didn’t stop some socially distanced street partying!

Future Events

Following the success of last year’s, the Church are organising another Scarecrow trail planned for Saturday 3rd October, so get your Dad’s old trousers, your Nan’s hat and a bunch of straw ready! Further details available nearer the time on Houghton Conquest Online Facebook page and village noticeboards.

Christmas Lights

There was great feedback after last year’s Christmas Lights installation - the first we know of in recent times (lights, not feedback). By popular demand (and

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 32 because we paid for the kit last year!) we will be installing them again this coming Christmas and hope to add to them.

Out and about and a shout

- a telling-off for the tiny minority of those, not necessarily from the village, who have been enjoying our open spaces, but lacking in common sense:

Please please please…..

• DO close field gates behind you • DO pick up your dog mess • DON’T leave litter • DON’T think that fly tipping is an acceptable activity

Stay safe

Pete

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 33 LUCKY TO LIVE IN HC

Optimism is the key word for the future. It’s easy to dwell on all the bad events of the last many weeks, but living in Houghton Conquest we are very lucky, as rural areas seem to be out of the front line.

One or two things have changed as you would expect. I have been responsible for keeping the village, and lanes leading into the village, litter free for the last number of years and I am glad to say litter has reduced dramatically since lockdown began. One reason of course, is that all the fast food outlets have been closed. I normally pick up loads of litter from these sources. I did read somewhere that fast food packaging is always 3 miles from the outlet and we do get our fair share in the village! I have just picked up the first such litter this week, June 10th, KFC boxes and drink cartons.

Also there seems to be fewer pedestrians around and with the school being closed, means less litter. If this keeps up I will be getting the sack!!

Keeping socially distancing is the order of the day now and it seems to be working just fine. In the village on a couple of occasions we have been walking along the pavement and another couple or person is coming towards you. You all decide to cross the road at the same time and so all end up on the same side again. So you

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 34 have a laugh and decide who is going to go back over the road.

The other noticeable thing is suddenly all the allotments are taken. Before lockdown, there was a hard core of 6 or 7 hardy souls who had a plot. Other people came and gave it a go but did not stay long. Now most of the plots are taken which is just great and what’s more most of the new plot holders are ladies who are making a real go of it. There are lots of vegetables being planted and the enthusiasm is great to see. And it is great to see the children there too. We must have a vegetable party later on in the summer and compare notes as to which vegetables have been a success, as well as the failures.

Enjoy the summer and let’s hope we might even get a holiday sometime.

George

Howard’s Piece

For those who don’t know, Howard’s Piece is a small wood off Mill Lane. The photographs attached give some idea of the state this wood was in a couple of weeks ago. A load of polystyrene insulation material, presumably from the Kier building site, had somehow found its way into the wood. Unfortunately, it looks as if some of our young people have been in there breaking the polystyrene up into tiny bits which were spread all over one area of the wood. They also left large amounts of litter.

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 35 You may not realise this, but birds and animals can mistake polystyrene balls for food and eat them, which does them no good at all as their stomachs fill with rubbish. What’s more, chemicals from the

polystyrene can leach out into the wildlife and the environment.

Two of us have spent several days picking up as much of the rubbish as we can and the wood now looks relatively clean and tidy, although sadly it’s impossible to pick up all the polystyrene balls and they will be there for ever. If your youngsters have been playing in Howard’s Piece (or anywhere else for that matter), PLEASE PLEASE tell them not to play with any building materials and make sure they TAKE THEIR LITTER HOME.

Siân Johnston and Celia Lai

Growing Your Own this Year? Why not take part in MYHarvest, a national project on food sustainability? All you need to do is record the weights of your produce, note the area they are grown in and submit the results online. Although some of your crops may be over for this year,

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 36 details of others will really help and the project will be continuing for a few more years.

MYHarvest (Measure Your Harvest) is a collaboration between University of Sheffield, RHS and National Allotment Society, looking at the contribution home-grown fruit and vegetables make to UK food production and sustainability. The role of gardens and allotments in increasing household food security in times of crisis, like the one caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, is very relevant. It may also influence future planning with regard to allotment, community and private garden provision.

Vegetables and fruit being recorded include potatoes, tomatoes, beans, onions, courgettes, brassicas, apples, currants, strawberries.(A full list and an explanation of what simple measurements are required are on the website.) You don't have to record everything you grow - you may just chose to submit details of one or two crops. Everything is useful.

Take part at: www.myharvest.org.uk. You can also follow the project’s progress on Twitter (@MYHarvestUK), Facebook (/ MYHarvestUK) and Instagram (@MYHarvestUK).For anyone wanting to get more involved, there is the new MYHarvest Diary project - recording the proportion of home-grown to bought food. Full details on website.Your help with these exciting projects will be much appreciated. (Many thanks to those already contributing.)

Rosalind Blevins

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 37 LOCKDOWN So here we are in lockdown, thanks to Covid 19. What is it like for you? Maybe you feel isolated, lonely, or bored.

Maybe you are fortunate to have a garden to sit in, or family and friends you can ring. But as we all know, it is a scary time for all, especially those who work on the frontline, like NHS Staff, Community Care Workers, Supermarket Staff, Police and Security Guards and a good few more.

There is a lot of heartache, grief and pain, for those who are abused and those who have lost loved ones who are not allowed to attend their funerals, or see them one last time. Even some of those who have worked so hard to save lives have lost their lives. Others have lost jobs and homes, and those who visit food banks are increasing more and more.

Life has changed, as we knew it, for evermore, where social distancing and washing hands has become the new norm - for now.

But despite the loss, there is always hope and blessings when we see communities coming together and supporting each other.

Nature has had time to flourish and wildlife is safe from traffic and the noise that it brings. High levels of pollution, causing sore eyes and harmful toxins that clog up our lungs have now been recorded as being very low. Unheard of in this fast and busy world we live in.

One day we will come through this pandemic where livelihoods will be restored and life will become more meaningful as we look out for the vulnerable, elderly and poor. So, let us look to a better future where the quality and value of life will matter, to one and all.

Carole and Lance Mason 13 June 2020

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 38 THE GREEN PIECE

Good for the Planet, Good for Everyone

Welcome to “The Green Piece” – a place where we can share ideas on how to live a ‘greener’ life. Please send in suggestions.

This column will return with gusto in the next edition!

Rosalind Blevins [email protected]

Cycling - a complaint and a campaign for a solution

No Cycling in King’s Wood

Please note that cycling is not permitted in King’s Wood. There have been several reports recently of people cycling in the wood, including some people cycling down the hills at breakneck speed with no regard for walkers or the environment. The wood is an ancient woodland and designated Site of Special Scientific Interest, and contains some rare species of plants which are easily damaged. There are “No Cycling” signs on the gates at the entrances to the wood. They are there for a reason so please don’t ignore them.

In fact, cycling is prohibited on all public footpaths, although you can cycle on a pubic bridleway. The paths through King’s Wood are permissive footpaths which means that the landowner can withdraw the right to use them at any time. It would be sad for everyone if we were no longer able to walk through King’s Wood due to the irresponsible behaviour of a minority.

Siân Johnston

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 39 Campaign to Improve Cycling Network for Houghton Conquest You may have heard about the new woodland being planted next to Kings Wood by the Forest of Marston Vale. Details of the consultation can be found here: https://www.marstonvale.org/kings-wood-houghton- conquest-consultation

The plan contains a circular track, suitable for cycling, down the ridge towards the meadows, starting at a new entrance at the top of the Greensand Ridge on a track leading to Ampthill. Wouldn’t it be great if there was another entrance to the new woodland on the Houghton Conquest side to connect a new cycle track to this network, completing a safe, off-road link from our village to Ampthill? Cyclists are already using the footpaths in the meadows and woodland (see above), despite the “No Cycling” signage. This clearly indicates a need for cycling access, so my proposal is to convert the existing public footpath towards the end of Rectory Lane to accommodate both cyclists and pedestrians more safely. See the route highlighted yellow starting and finishing with a red X. Both the Forest of Marston Vale and our parish council seem keen on the idea, they are very aware we lack safe cycling, or indeed, bridleways, in and around the village. To get people out of their cars, reduce traffic and pollution in the area, this feels like a good step

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 40 forward. Other cycling options are also being discussed with a local environmental group, involving residents from Ampthill, Flitwick and surrounding villages. We will be putting forward suggestions to Central Bedfordshire Council for improving cycling provisions and, so far, there has been some interest in the above proposal but with no firm response. It would be great to get feedback from residents about the proposal so if you have any suggestions or would like to express your opinion on this or any other cycling related matter, I’d really like to hear from you via the parish council contacts or directly to me at [email protected].

Lisa Guiness - Houghton Conquest resident

Houghton Conquest Horsewatch

Houghton Conquest has now joined up with the Bedfordshire Police Horsewatch scheme with mounted patrols in the village and surrounding area. The initiative was launched in the UK around 30 years ago and the Bedfordshire group was set up in 2017 and are active in many villages across the county. Supported by the Police and Crime Commissioner, rural policing and the crime reduction team, Bedfordshire Police and Beds Horsewatch joined forces some years ago to form a four-legged partnership that will provide extra eyes and ears around the county. Horsewatch members patrol local area’s while out riding on country roads or tracks in the county, keeping a watching eye for any suspicious activity and assisting in the fight against rural crime. Police and Crime Commissioner, Kathryn Holloway, said: “Horsewatch is a fantastic idea to join forces with communities in the countryside to work with Bedfordshire Police. They can get

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 41 out to the parts officers just can’t reach.” “Horse riders are in a unique position to be able to go off-road to locations that police vehicles can’t get to and alert the Force to fly-tipping, off-road biking and other anti-social behaviour. “Riders can access out of the way locations of the type fly-tippers use, and where motorcycles and quad bikes cause irreparable damage to crops. Members of Horsewatch will be our eyes and ears on the bridal pathways of Bedfordshire and we’re delighted to have them on board,” said the Commissioner. Each group operates in collaboration with, and with assistance from, the local police, and will always act within the law to help reduce, or prevent, incidents, as well as be on the lookout for stolen property.

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 42 Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 43 Charity Head Shave for The British Heart Foundation

Brave village resident Anjie Washington Taylor is raising money for the British Heart Foundation's research with a Charity Head Shave in memory of her late husband Mark. Anjie lost her wonderful husband Mark just over a year ago at just 66 years of age, he died from complications after heart surgery, Mark loved life, he was loving, fun and a really genuine kind of man. Anjie dearly misses her husband and wanted to do something to raise money in his memory to help further research. Anjie’s head shave is planned for Friday 24th July and she originally was hoping to raise £300 but at the time of writing she has well and truly smashed this and currently the total raised so far is just over £800! The BHF has helped halve the number of people dying from heart and circulatory disease in the UK but sadly every day hundreds of people lose their lives. It's only thanks to support from people like us that the BHF can create new treatments and discover new cures. £24 could pay for two hours of research by an early career scientist, but every pound helps save lives.

There is a Just Giving page on the village Facebook groups for anyone wanting to make a donation.

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 44

Commercial Advertising Rates: Annual Rates = 6 Issues £10 per half page = £60 pa. £20 per page = £120 pa Published every 2 months; April to February Charged ‘pro-rata’ for the remainder of the financial year Copy may be changed subject to receipt before published cut-off dates by prior arrangement with the editor Payments to: Houghton Conquest Parish Council, c/o: Clerk to the Parish Council: Gill Wiggs, 10 Parklands,

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Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 47 Flit Vale - Wildlife Trust Local group

It was with sadness that our group had to cancel our programme of talks and walks planned so far this year. Running events and maintaining social distancing rules has just made it too difficult. We will of course keep you informed if the situaon changes.

Our commiee has been keeping in touch with one another and most of us have been out and about, nong the wildlife on our local patches. I expect many of you have been doing the same.

Personally, I have been following the progression of flowers in the hedgerows and verges when I go out running and cycling from Pulloxhill. The dominant colour for the last two months has been white mainly due to the umbelliferous species filling the ditches. These include frothy cow parsley, the more stately umbels of hog weed and towering above 'forests' of the infamously poisonous hemlock (look for reddish-purple blotches on the tall hollow stems).

There are splashes of colour such as the scarlet of poppies, purple of wild geranium and common mallow, red campion, blue of speedwells and green alkanet and yellows of buercups, dandelion-like species and spring cinquefoil. Great swathes of ox-eye daisy along verges. Scented elderflower came early in the hedgerow at the end of May so my annual cordial is already boled. If you can get out on the local chalk down lands, there are large numbers of orchid species around at the moment.

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 48 Last month we started sending out an e-newsleer to those who are on our emailing list. If you would like to received a monthly copy, then let us know (fl[email protected]). We are very happy to receive comments and photos about local sighngs to include in future issues

To help you plan your own wildlife oungs, the following websites are helpful for giving news about opening of properes, reserves, footpaths, parking etc. Also up-to-date statements on Covid-19. hps://www.wildlifebcn.org/ hps://www.naonaltrust.org.uk/ hps://www.greensandtrust.org/ hps://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/

Julia Burke, Chairman of Flit Vale Local Wildlife Group

The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and NorthamptonshireRegistered charity number: 1000412www.wildlifebcn.org

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 49 www.zonita.org.uk [email protected] www.facebook.com/zonita.cinema

We hope that you are keeping well and safe.

Whilst there is some positivity & a glimpse of a return to normality, with venues opening up in a limited capacity; we choose to remain extremely cautious. Your health and safety remains our top priority.

Therefore, at this time we plan to recommence indoor screening from January 2021.

In the background, we will still be exploring other avenues.

Take care one and all,

The ZONITA Team.

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 50 A note from your Editor…

We are always happy to receive your articles/comments/ concerns/reports on events and hopefully I have included as many of these as I can. Please send more!

NEWSLETTER DELIVERY

Some of the normal delivery volunteers were excused from their duties at the time of the last newsletter delivery as they were either shielding or otherwise vulnerable or unavailable and I have excluded them again for this edition.

Rather than forcing them all back into service, I thought it best to put out a general plea for delivery volunteers.

So - if you would like to help out by delivering some of these (every other month - assuming we don’t have another pandemic!) and whether or not you have helped in the past, please contact me on the details below, leaving an email address or phone number.

These same details should be used for any questions/ suggestions/new contributions or interesting articles you may like to send in.

Contact details are as follows: Email: [email protected] A note through my letterbox at 38 Victoria Drive or

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 51 call or text me on 07748 187069 Pete Bullock Editor

Please note: Whilst the cost of the Village Newsletter is kindly funded by the Parish Council, the articles in this newsletter are not necessarily the opinion of either the Parish Council or the editor. Editorial comments are completely independent of and not a reflection of the views of the Parish Council. Letters and articles for inclusion are welcomed, subject to the standard appropriate editorial control. Any questions for the Parish Council should be directed at the Clerk to the Parish Council.

USEFUL CONTACTS Around the Village

ART SOCIETY Mary Rich 01234 272470 BROWNIES & RAINBOWS Laura Cullingham 07747 549531 CARE GROUP Sue Derrick 07886 459225 FRIENDS OF ALL SAINTS Carol Juffs 381393 CHURCH GARDEN CLUB Margaret Whalley 740892

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 52 HOUGHTON PIONEERS Liz Thompson 07810 298069 INDOOR BOWLS TBA VILLAGE HALL BOOKINGS Christine Dean 741182 WOMENS' INSTITUTE Shirley Johnson 740265 YOGA Jules Buchanan 07584 034708

Contacts outside the Village

AIRPORT (London Luton) 01582 405100 BEDFORD HOSPITAL 01234 355122 BUSES (Grant Palmer) 01525 719719 CHURCHES C of E - Revd. Stephen Toze 01234 740423 Methodist - Rev. Silas Wood 01525 571392 D.H.S.S. - (Bedford) 01234 365155 SCHOOLS Lower School - Houghton Conquest 01234 740202 Middle - Stewartby 01234 768224 Senior - Wootton 01234 767123 Holywell School - Cranfield 01234 750381

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 53 LIBRARIES Bedford 01234 718178 Ampthill 0300 300 8053 Flitwick 0300 300 8057 ELECTRICITY (UK Power Networks) 0800 029 4285 General Enquiries ELECTRICITY (UK Power Networks) 0800 316 3105 Power Cuts or just 105 ANGLIAN WATER 08457 145145 HIGHWAYS Dept. (Helpline) 0300 300 8049 Forest of Marston Vale 01234 767037 Central Beds Council 0300 300 8000 POLICE (Emergency only!) 999 County H.Q. 01234 841212 Ampthill 101 Incidents needing non-urgent 101 response Reporting Anti-Social behaviour 101 Crimestoppers 0800 555 111

RAILWAY STATIONS Travel Enquiries 0345 748 4950 Silverline 01923 207258 Bedford station 0345 748 4950

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 54 Flitwick station 0345 748 4950

DOCTORS Ampthill - Houghton Close Surgery 01525 300898 - Oliver St Surgery 01525 631395 - Greensands Surgery 01525 631390 Kempston 01234 852222

REGISTRATION Marriage & archives 01525 403430 Births & Deaths 0300 300 8089.

Should any of the above contacts be incorrect, changed or if additions are required please contact the Parish Clerk or email [email protected]. Amendments will be made in the next Issue.

Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 55 Houghton Conquest Newsletter - August 2020 56