The Past Editors of the Diary The Langford Diary, Edition 200, so it is 50 years old.This means I was in my mid-forties when I first became Editor and I continued for 22 years before handing over to David, my son. First I must congratulate Trudy for bringingThe Diary into the 21st Century. Who would have thought that technology would have moved so fast over 50 years? Now I must thank all contributors - without them there would be no Diary. I would like to thank John Shipman for his historical input - very interesting. The advertisements, there’s a Ralph Turner - Editor 1969 to 1986 thought. In the early days,The Diary was run on a shoestring budget.When adverts failed to come in, I had to have some help and Gerry Seward, then a Councillor, offered to get village adverts. Many had said to me, it’s not worth it, but Gerry told them, maybe not, but if you want The Diary, we need your financial contribution. I was very surprised that we had no more problems from then on. The production of the Diary relies on many people, thanks to the team, including the proof-readers, the deliverers, and not forgetting the printers. In my time as Editor it was Elphicks of and now the valuable work is done by Steve Hills in Langford. Let us hope the Diary goes from strength to strength in our expanding village. Ralph W.Turner. Gerry Seward

2 It seems an age ago now that the Parish Council approved the idea of a quarterly magazine for the village...and I wonder if the village realises how lucky it is still to have such a magazine. Other local villages have tried and failed to make a go of such a publication whilst Langford's goes from strength to strength. When I took over from Ralph asEditor, I was ably supported by Gerry Seward collating the 'Dates for your Diary' and Joan Wareing looking after all the adverts. I guess that chasing people for contributions is as difficult now as it was then! I remember that we tried to make the 100th issue a bit special and now a quarter of a century later I'm sure that you will make a success of number 200. I wish you all the best for this and every forthcoming issue. David Turner - Editor 1986 to 1991

We celebrate the continued Langford Diary, Robert Larman with wife Julie a publication of varied content needs no inquiry, Editor 1991 to 2000 as Editors come and go with dedication abound, it is hoped the reader is informed in the round. Some say the adverts tend to overcome the news, but the many trades provide the village with diverse hues. The support of the Parish council has always been there, to provide a volunteer service is in their care. Let us wish the future years are with "little hit", black and white or colour doesn't matter a bit. My time as Editor was helped by others, many sadly now passed away, but we have good folk today giving their time and skills, fulfilling the vital role to keep the diary going with or without taking the pills!

3 I was the editor of the Langford Diary for eight or nine years. When Joan Wareing asked if I would take on the job as editor I was quite worried. Although I had done many different jobs I had never tried anything like that before. However, I said I would give it a go, and, with help from Joan, I soon got into the swing of things. I enjoyed putting it together. Joan would collate the adverts. I had help with the archive section from Gerry Seward and of course Ralph Turner.They were both very helpful. It doesn't seem like ten years since I reported that the Diary had been going for forty years. This is a great local magazine and deserves to be kept going. I hope someone will be recording it's sixty years of coming through our letter boxes. So well done to the ex-editors, and to Trudy, Stella Hill - Editor 2000 to 2014 keep up the good work. Stella Hill This is the 200th edition of the Langford Diary which I think is something to celebrate! Special thanks should go to the previous editors for their contributions to this edition. They would have found it much harder than me without the present technology. Before email, reminders were sent by hand to contributors. It would have been more difficult to collate submissions without the use of computers. Let’s hope The Diary is still a useful resource to our residents, for finding tradesmen and finding out about events and organisations. Thank you for all those people who looked out photos and memories for me.I do hope you will enjoy reading them. If we haven’t included all your photos we will endeavour to use them in another edition.Thanks also to Steve Hills for his perseverance!This issue has given him quite a bit more extra work. The annual litter picking has made the village look a lot tidier and the Garage Sale which took place on the same day gave the village a friendly atmosphere. However, more litter pickers would have made the task easier. Hopefully more will help next time. This summer we can look forward to out Playing Field Fete and raft Race on July 3rd. Let’s hope the sun shines and it is as successful as last year’s. Trudy Emery [email protected]

4 The Langford Diary - The Beginnings to Now

Recently I spent a very interesting afternoon with RalphTurner. For those who are new to the village, Ralph has been a stalwart of the village for probably a life time. He has archived many old photos of Langford and taken innumerable photos of Langford to document its changes. If you want to know anything about the history of our village Ralph has always been the one to ask. In 1967 there were many local organisations in the village, just as there are today.Ralph and some friends decided it was time to inform all the residents of venues, dates and times of the meetings or events.And so, the Langford Diary was born. The first four editions were hand written, but they decided a typewriter was needed and so a Remington, at the cost to the Parish Council of £10 was purchased. Ian Dow was the first editor but by the fifth issue Ralph became editor with the help of John Sewell with Gerry Seward being responsible for collating the dates of the meetings. Dennis Smith organised the advertising and Philip Rutt became an adviser. It wasn’t until the year 2000 that a word processor was used. The Langford Diary was printed by Elphicks, and Dorothy and Bob Lockey delivered them. In 1974 there was a bit of a hiccup and the Diary could have been discontinued, but for- tunately it was decided to carry on. The Editors have been Editions 1 to 4, Ian Dow, Editions 5 to 91 from 1969 to 1986, Ralph Turner, Editions 92 to 114 from 1986 to 1991, David Turner, Editions 115 to 148 from 1991 to 2000, Robert Larman Editions 149 to 185 from 2000 to 2014, Stella Hill And that’s when I took over. This is 200th edition.

Ralph has kept all copies of The Langford Diary and has recently bequeathed them to me. I feel honoured. So, if you would like to see any of the earlier editions please ask me. Trudy Emery

5 King George Memorial Playing Field

The Playing Field continues to be a great source of activity in the village,with cricket, football, tennis and bowls being played on a regular basis. Fitness classes are also held Monday evenings and Wednesday mornings. Weekly safety inspections of the playing field,including all equipment,are carried out by Adrian Crawley, which are then passed to the Facilities Manager for any necessary action.The Playing Field Management Committee would also like to give a special thanks to Adrian for the excellent condition he keeps the field and surrounding areas.The annual ROSPA report will be carried out in May. Unfortunately, a group of youths are acting very unsociably on the field, inhaling Nitrous Oxide, together with using sharp implements have resulted in the picnic bench being badly damaged.The Police have been informed and the Management Committee will take the appropriate action should anyone be caught acting criminally. Should you see anyone with a weapon, please call 999 and inform the Police. The Committee is now very small in numbers and would very much welcome additional input and suggestions. Please come along to the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING TO BE HELD ON THURSDAY 21 JUNE 2018 AT 7.30PM IN THE VILLAGE HALL. – you won’t be made Chairman on the first night! For further details contact Gill Clarke, Facilities Manager on 07826 928882.

We have remained stable in our number of volunteers who continue to serve the needs of this community in various ways in order that people can retain their independence. Most of our calls are connected with medical appointments but increasingly we are being asked to support social needs. After the disappointment of our cancelled Christmas Party as a result of the snow, it is planned to invite clients to afternoon tea at Langford Garden Centre. We have been very fortunate to receive a donation of five hundred pounds from Langford Parish Council which has funded the purchase of a new wheel chair which is much lighter and more manoeuvrable than the old one. For a donation it is available for loan. We always welcome new volunteers or phone holders. For more information or help please phone: Jean Williams 01462 700433 Val Henley 01462 626502

12 There’s no such thing as the Dog Poo Fairy!

At Langford Parish Council we decided after many complaints from residents that something really needs to be done about the amount of dog mess in the village and we’ve decided to take a step by step approach to tackle this.The first phase will start by the end of April and then we will review the success and decide on whether stage two of the approach is necessary. So.... you will see posters up around the village reminding offenders it’s not acceptable. We know many residents have dogs, and the vast majority are responsible dog owners who clear up after their dogs. However, there are some dog owners who sadly believe they don't need to clear it up .... and we would like to remind those offenders that there really isn't such a thing as the "Dog Poo Fairy" Langford PC also now has a stock of wheelie bin stickers for residents to let offenders know you're not happy with the mess and won't tolerate this. So, if dog fouling is a problem in your road then please help us tackle this by putting a sticker on your bin which you can get from the Parish Clerk. Tel:07482 276173 or by email: [email protected] Don't forget you can report offenders to CBC too! Telephone: 0300 300 8302 Email: [email protected]

13 Langford Parish Council

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT FOR ANNUAL PARISH MEETING Held on Monday 9 April 2018. On behalf of Langford Parish Council I would like to thank residents of Langford and our Central Councillors for their continual support of Langford Parish Council. On a personal note I would like to thank the Members of the Council and our amazing hard-working, nothing is too much trouble, Parish Clerk Michelle Albone. Without their support we would not have such a pro-active and successful Parish Council.I tried hard to come up with something new for my report, but it is as it is, so

On the positive side • Congratulations to Michelle for passing the CiLCA exams • The brilliant idea of a Christmas Light competition which was very successful. In so much as we will be having two categories this year. Discussion is taking place with St Andrews Church regarding the siting of a Christmas tree near to the car park. • We welcomed our new young family in to Chadwick House, the funding to purchase the property was bequeathed to Langford Parish Council by the estate of Betty Chadwick. • We have provided life saving equipment at The Mill • The Council has put together an Emergency Plan should there be a disaster in the village, so action can be taken very quickly. • Thanks to our late Councillor Tony Fisher, part of the Section 106 monies at Station Road development has been allocated to preschool provision. • The Parish Council received an on-going grant from the Wind Farm to replace the lamppost heads with LED

Now the negative side – sorry • The Flexmore development was approved, and the roads surrounding have been a nightmare with mud, water, potholes etc.Thanks to Steve Dixon for heading off the unlawful insistent access debacle with Barratt Homes. • We are still awaiting transfer of the land at the rear of The Wrestlers development to the Parish Council, but this will not happen until all of the agreed planning conditions are in place. • Despite continued (4 years) constant requests to CBC the light at the East Road junction still remains unlit. • The dreadful problem of cars driving into properties at the Road, High Street junction. • Lack of continual white lines in Road and the broken-down roadside • The numerous HGV’S and speeding cars in the village I am so pleased to report that we as Parish Councillors continually try bringing about action to improve and remove the negative points in our village. Gill Clarke Chairman

14 Useful Telephone Numbers & Websites 01234 841212 Citizen Advice Bureau 0844 4771600 Emergency Services my.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk Gas 0800 111 999 Langford Friends 0788 4046741 Electricity 0800 072 7282 Samaritans 0845 790 9090 Power Cuts 105 01462 455333 or text 80876 POWER & postcode Childline 0800 1111 priority services for people in need www.childline.org.uk www.ofgem.gov.uk Silverline 0800 470 8090 Water 0800 169 3630 Refuge 0808 2000 247 Central Beds Council 0300 300 8301 Out of Hours Contact Numbers Langford Surgery 01767 316346 Social Services 0300 300 8123 Ivel Medical Centre 01767 312441 Housing Repairs and Noise 0300 300 8098 Langford Village Academy 01462 629000 Highways 0300 300 8049 Langford Pharmacy 01462 701518 Dangerous Structures 0300 300 8098 Central Beds Councillor Steven Dixon - , Langford, Fairfield & Ward 0300 300 8524 - [email protected] Langford Parish Council website: bedsparishes.gov.uk Chairman Gill Clarke 11 Mill Meadow SG18 9UR 01462 629440 [email protected] Councillors Richard Arnott 20 Cambridge Close, Langford SG18 9SH [email protected] 01462 700466 Mick Beazley 20 Tithe Farm Close, Langford SG18 9NE [email protected] 01767 223849 Barb Hammond 2 Manor Close, Langford SG18 9PU 01462 701070 [email protected] Mike Kalaher 79 East Road, Langford SG18 9QP [email protected] 01767 227869 Joan Rutt 18 Windsor Way,SG18 9PB 01462 700451 [email protected] John Shipman 3 Old Mill Close SG18 9QY 01462 700650 [email protected] Jane Wright 1 Running Water Cottages, Langford Road SG18 9RA [email protected] 01767 601789 Clerk of the Council Mrs. M Albone 75 Wilsheres Road, Biggleswade SG18 0DN [email protected] 07482 276173

15 Weekly Meetings Sunday St. Andrews Parish Services: Vicar Rev. Shaun Speller 01462 700248 Parish Eucharist 9.15am (1st, 2nd and 4th Sundays each month) Family Service 9.30am (3rd Sunday each month) Benefice Eucharist 9.15am (5th Sunday) 3.00pm Holy Baptism (2nd Sunday each month) Holy Communion Wednesday 10.00am (2nd and 4th Wednesdays) Methodist Services: Minister: Rev. LornaValentine Service 9.30am: (last Sunday each month) Service 10.45am Sunday Club 10.40am: (term time only) last Sunday of month Dog Training 9.00am-1.30pm LangfordVillage Hall Contact Gary Belemy 07738 683854 Youth Football Winter Monday Owlets Pre-school 9am-12.00 morning session & 9.00-3.00pm full day - 07935 784567 - email [email protected] Langford Methodist Chapel Room Contact 07790 763078 Pilates 9.30am-10.30am Church Hall Contact 07891 752906 Rainbows 4.30pm-5.30pm Church Hall Contact 07866 395739 1st Langford Brownies 5.45pm to 7.00pm Church Hall (term time only) - Contact 07866 395739 Karate 6.00pm-8.00pm LangfordVillage Hall Contact Richard 01462 629707 1st Langford Scouts 7.30pm-9.00pm Scout HQ (term time only) Full Bottle Fitness Bootcamp 8.00pm-9.00pm on the Playing Fields 07758 812789 Tuesday Owlets Pre-school 9am-12.00 morning session Langford Methodist Chapel Room - 07935 784567 - email [email protected] Yoga - 9.45am - 11.45 LangfordVillage Hall Contact Les 07841 862975 Walking Group meet 10am at Chapel Hill Bridge. For details of walks further afield on 1st Tuesday of month contactVal Henley 01462 626502 Langford Lollipops Toddler Group (term time only) 1.15pm-3.15pmVillage Hall - See Facbook page Langford Lollipops Toddler Group Langford Beavers 6.30pm-7.30pm Contact 07737 014349 (term time only) Dog Training 6.30pm-9.30pm LangfordVillage Hall Contact Gary 07738 683854 Fitness Class 7.45pm-8.45pm Aerobics/Body Tone Langford Academy Contact - 01462 701289 16 Wednesday Owlets Pre-school 9am-12.00 morning session & 9.00-3.00pm full day - 07935 784567 - email [email protected] Langford Methodist Chapel Room Contact 07790 763078 Pilates 9.30am-10.30am Church Hall Contact 07891 752906 Full Bottle Fitness Bootcamp 10.00am-11.00am on the Playing Fields Contact - 07758 812789 Oasis Coffee Shop 10.30am to 11.30am Methodist Chapel (first Wednesday in month only) The Ivy Leaf Welcome Club Ivy Leaf Club Station Road 2.00pm-4.00pm Fit and Fabulous Church Hall 1.45pm-2.45pm 01462 620740 or 07741 453533 Children’s Dancing - Pirouettes & Pullbacks - 4.30pm-6.15pm LangfordVillage Hall - Contact Danielle 07866 395739 Langford Cubs 6.00pm Scout HQ Contact [email protected] (term time only) Tennis Club Social Sessions - 8.00pm Contact Paul Metcalfe 01462 700001 [email protected] www.langfordtennisclub.org.uk Thursday Owlets Pre-school 9am-12.00 morning session Langford Methodist Chapel Room - 07935 784567 - email [email protected] Metafit 9.30am-10.15am LangfordVillage Hall - Tina Sales 01234 381926 07952 648682 1st Langford Guides 7.00pm Langford Scout Hut Contact 07866 395739 Kwik Cricket 6.00pm - 7.00pm (Les Soden) - LangfordVillage Hall Boxercise (Full Bottle Fitness) 7.30pm - 8.30pm - LangfordVillage Hall Friday Owlets Pre-school 9am-12.00 morning session Langford Methodist Chapel Room - 07935 784567 - email [email protected] Line Dancing 9.45am-10.45am absolute beginners - 10.45am-12.15 beginners/improvers -Village Hall £5.00 Contact Suzanne 07902 495602 [email protected] Morning Coffee Shop - 10.30am-12.00 midday - St.Andrew’s Church Hall Adult Dancing - Ballroom/Latin 1.30pm-3.00pm LangfordVillage Hall - Esme Castle 01767 601604 Bowls Club 2.00pm - 4.00pm Contact Barbara Dickson 700355 or Iris Roberts 700748 Saturday Cricket, Bowls, Tennis Summer Tennis Club Social Sessions - 2.00pm Contact Paul Metcalfe 01462 700001 [email protected] www.langfordtennisclub.org.uk 17 What’s On In The Summer! June 4 Parish Council Meeting - Church Room 7.30pm 6 Oasis Coffee Morning - Chapel 10.30am-11.30am 6 History Society -Visit to Warden Abbey 7 Parchment Craft - Church Room - 1.00pm 13 Langford WI - My Life as an Artist - Michael Peachy - 7.15pm - Chapel Schoolroom 16 St. Andrews Church Fete - Church - 2.00pm 21 Parchment Craft - Church Room - 1.00pm 23 Stall on Biggleswade Market - 8.30am - 12 noon - for Chapel Funds 26 Book Club - The Plough - 2.00pm - see Langford Book Club Facebook page July 2 Parish Council Meeting - Church Room 7.30pm 4 Oasis Coffee Morning - Chapel 10.30am-11.30am 4 History Society - History Society -Visit to Warden Abbe 5 Parchment Craft - Church Room - 1.00pm 9 Parchment Craft - Church Room - 1.00pm 11 Langford WI - The Wartime Housewife - Elizabeth Raven-Hill - 7.15pm - Chapel Schoolroom 17 Book Club - The Plough - 2.00pm - see Langford Book Club Facebook page August 1 Oasis Coffee Morning - Chapel 10.30am-12noon 8 Langford WI - Parish Churches of Bedfordshire - David Longman 7.15pm - Chapel Schoolroom Langford Family Fete - 7th July 2018 You remember how I said in the last Diary that we had to wait for the outcome of a meeting to decide if we could hold a Fete this year? Well, I’m pleased to say that we now have an enthusiastic new team working towards holding an even bigger and better event this year, with many more stalls selling crafts, gifts, snacks, honey etc. The big news for this year is that there will be an attempt at aWorld Record, which will involve people of all ages, at the Fete.At the moment we don’t have any more details (it’s a secret!), but keep watching our Facebook page………… We will probably need to change the layout a little from previous years, but entry will remain free, and the usual games, the Dog Show,the bar and barbecue, arena events and children’s races will all be present and correct.And there will be our usual Grand Raffle, with a great selection of prizes, many of them provided by our valued sponsors. So make a note of the date; and come along and help us break that record to put Langford on the map – and make some money for local causes too! To keep up to date, check our Facebook page. Colin Carroll

18 All Copy and Advertising for inclusion in future Diaries by: Summer Issue 22nd April - Autumn Issue 22nd July Winter Issue 22nd October - Spring Issue 22nd January

All Copy for the next Diary to be emailed to both [email protected] [email protected]

All Adverts and Advertising Material to be emailed to [email protected] Editor’s Reservation This Diary is as complete and correct as possible at the time of going to press.While any Inaccuracies and Omissions in any Articles or Adverts supplied to the Editor and Parish Council for publication are regretted, the Editor and the Parish Council accept no responsibility for any such occurrences. All articles are copyright and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of the Editor or the Parish Council. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the Editor or the Parish Council. Please let us know if there are any changes to the details of your meeting. Are the times and contact information the same? Volunteers Wanted

The Royal British Legion is currently recruiting for volunteer caseworkers across Bedfordshire & . Case workers play a vital role in enabling the Legion to deliver our Welfare services, and are often the only person who will meet with our beneficiaries face to face. The role involves visiting Service personnel, reservists, veterans and their families in their home, and completing our application for assistance. Case workers also write a narrative report and complete an outcome star covering six areas of need; Finances,Well-being, Health, Housing,Activities and Social Life.After completing their report, case workers make recommendations to a paid member of staff, a Case Officer, as to what kind of assistance may be required. This can include financial grants, referrals to internal specialists (debts, benefits, War Pension/Armed Forced Compensation Scheme, mental health, independent living, criminal justice etc.), referral to external and statutory services and referrals to internal services (break centres, care homes, adventure breaks etc.).After a volunteer is finished with a case, they are able see all the actions taken with a case through our online Case Management System (CMS). Full training is provided, and expenses are covered, including travel up to 45p per mile. All of our volunteer caseworkers are DBS checked. We are looking to recruit people with good social skills, who are able to drive to visit the clients’ homes, and who are comfortable using a computer. If you are interested in the role, or would like some more information, please contact us on 0333 011 4480 or [email protected]

19 Photographs from 1960’s Langford Langford Drama Club 1965 The Langford Drama Club was founded early in 1965 as St.Andrew’s Drama Club. Between 1965 and 1972 two plays a year were performed and in 1972 the Club produced its first ‘Music Hall’ to raise money for the new village hall.After the village hall was built in 1975 all productions were held there. In the 33 years of its existence the Drama Club produced 30 full-length plays, 7 double/triple bills of one act plays, 17 music hall/variety shows and 6 pantomimes. In 1983 the club became a member of the Bedfordshire Drama Association and between 1983 and 1996 entered 13 local festivals. In 1984 the club changed its name to Langford (St Andrew's) Drama Club to give prominence to the name of the village. Membership dwindled from a high of 35 members to only 15-18 and in February 1998 the club gave its final performance. In 1968 the club was rehearsing a play called Scenes from productions of The Spiders Web 1965 (abo The Bride and the Bachelor which was and the Batchelor performed the following year. Actors (below)1968, bot included Susan King and Anthony King, performed in the (there were four Kings in this production), Church Hall. The play was produced by John Sewell. John Shipman

20 when the Diary was first published! Nativity at the Chapel 1968 Nativity at the Chapel. Probably about 1968.These are lovely angelic children, but were they little imps in disguise.They are: Shepherds front row, Julie Bond, ? , Mandy Merryweather. First row l-r Elizabeth Jefferies, Caroline Thrussel, Caroline Wilkes, ? , Jane Bowskill, Susan Wareing, Sandra Primett. Second row Claire Primett, Sara Jefferies, Alison Thrussel, Wendy Wordsworth, Back row ?, ?,

ove) and The Bride

View Taken in 1968 of Cambridge Road Nurseries Looking East at Cambridge Road Nurseries. Showing some of the thousands of cloches of the Nursery.Behind the cloches now we have Flexmore Way.The length of the Cambridge Road Council house gardens can be seen by the washing blowing.

21 Langford WI

Music Festival Winners of the Ladies Choir Section, Corn Exchange Back Row: Betty King, Christine Underwood, Christine Howe, Marg Whelan, Florence Milton, Dorothy Flower, Betty Day, Winnie Armstrong. Front Row: Phylis Rainbow, Iris Roberts, Sheila Carter, Phylis Poulton (Conductor), Rene Albone, Marg Tuck, Margaret Pickles.

Smart Waiters at Langford Banquet 1967 A banquet, in honour of those with a long association with Langford Methodist Church, was held in the Schoolroom on Saturday, 11th March, 1967, the event being organised by the men.The tables were decorated with flowers, colourful serviettes and fruit and the men prepared and served an excellent meal. Mr. P.P.Eavis, LL.B, M.A., was M.C. and proposed a toast to the guests, Mr.A. B. Street responding. Mrs. K.Wade expressed thanks for the ladies.Entertainment was provided by ladies choir from Kempston East Methodist Church and they were thanked by the Rev.A. Stacey Lewis. 22 Langford Cricket Club 1965 Back Row: John Bryant (scorer),son of Ida Bryant,who kept a one room shop in Church Street, opposite the Plough, now demolished. Peter Roberts (batsman), brother to Glyn Roberts. Glyn was an excellent batsman for Langford for a number of years. Mick Brown (good fielder) son ofTony Brown, MD of Meredew Furniture, Letchworth and a former Chairman of The Ivy Leaf Club. David Brown (batsman), brother of Muriel Brown, stalwart of the Methodist Chapel. David moved to Cheshire. Frank Woodward (all-rounder), Frank went on to become a driving force of Langford Football Club. Tony Rogers (batsman), live in East Road. David Rogers (bowler), no relation to Tony,father Neil Rogers also played for Langford. Don Hutchinson (umpire), Don cut the outfield of the Playing Field for 30 years, maintaining the tractor and gang mowers when they were well past their sell by date. Front Row: Denis Wilson (all rounder, excellent bowler). Still playing badminton twice weekly at age of 80! Tim Burton (bowler), retired Market Gardener from Cambridge Road. Rae Roberts (batsman), took over as Club Treasurer, currently a Director of Langford Nurseries and Garden Centre. Peter Piper (off break bowler and Captain), worked for Club President TedWightman, who allowed Peter time off to prepare the wicket for the weekend’s game. Peter was an enthusiastic and energetic promoter of Cricket in Langford, going on to become Chairman, and finally, President of the Club. Clive Smith (batsman and wicketkeeper), lied in High Street, oppositeThe Leys.Spencer Cooper (opening batsman), Spencer played for Langford for many years and was instrumental in stetting up Langford’s Second XI in later years. Underrated off break bowler. Neville Smith (bowler), Neville was a local Painter and Decorator. The Club’s President at that time was Ted Wightman, a successful Market Gardener, who captained Langford to success in 1956, winning the Premier Division of the Bedford and District Cricket League.The success was helped by Ted’s accurate and fast opening bowling! The photograph was taken in front of the original Cricket and Football Pavilion, demolished when theVillage Hall was constructed in the 70’s.It was sited in the North West corner of the Playing Field, where its footings can still be seen during a dry spell. Photograph supplied by Spencer Cooper.

23 Members of Langford Chapel - 22nd February 1969 Back Row: Victor Rankin, Dud Handscombe, Ken Wade, Bill Tinsley, Reg Brown, George Endersby, Asa Rutt, Marg Rutt, Nancy Tinsley, Christine Wade, Ivy Handscombe, ?, Edwina Brown, David Brown, Daisy Endersby, Winnie Rowley, Winnie Roberts, Vera Brown, Winnie Rankin, Nancy Ches- sum, Violet Wade, Muriel Brown, Doreen Clapton, Gerry Clapton, Betty Seward, Enid Street. Front Row: Cynthia Clapton, Ruby Thrussell, Valerie Primett.

A very popular form of transport in the 1960’s. This is Chris Rutt with his dad outside their bungalow in Windsor Way on a Vespa Scooter

24 The Methodist Church in the 1960’s Langford Methodist church was very active in the late 1960’s. Services were well attended, there were two each Sunday, one in the morning and one in the evening.An enthusiastic choir led the singing, accompanied by the organist, Jess Smith. All age groups were catered for with the Sunday School,Youth Club,Young Wives, Thursday evening Guild and afternoon Sisterhood. The Sunday School was thriving with most children attending twice – morning and afternoon.Jess arranged the annual Sunday School Anniversary- the highlight of the year! Fund raising events were arranged regularly.There were jumble sales, concerts, a summer garden party held at Holy Croft, a Christmas Bazaar andVillage carol singing. Everyone enjoyed taking part! Ruby Thrussell Life in Langford in 1968 Taken from the diary of Jesse Smith born in Langford in 1910 and died in1987. Jesse recorded that there was snow in the early part of January,so he was unable to work on the land. His annual earnings were £1065 2s 6d. Chapel services were held twice each Sunday,usually led by two different preachers. The chapel organised many activities including a weekly choir practice, a Guild with various speakers and entertainment.The Guild opening for the 1968/69 session was on Thursday 3rd October and led by Rev. Billington. The Sunday school was well attended as was a weeklyYouth Club in the Schoolroom. An outing toYarmouth was organised for July 13th. Some activities have continued over the last fifty years.The Harvest Festival is still held annually as is the Christmas Bazaar and theVillage Carol Singing.The carol singing still raises funds for Action for Children. The Officers at the Chapel in 1968 were: Minister:The Rev Stacey Lewis. Organist: Jesse Smith assisted by David Brown. Choir Master: Jesse Smith. 1968 by Ralph Turner January began with frosts. On the 10th we had 13 degrees of frost and then freezing fog followed. Most folk watched ‘Z Cars’ or ‘Dr. Finlay’s Casebook’ on TV. By mid February,lots of people were off work with flu, colds and coughs. March arrived with gale force winds.At a nursery on Cambridge Road, hundreds of panes of glass were broken. It was reported to be the roughest March for many years. April was much calmer with sunny spells at Easter, the 15th of the month. On the 3rd June, the villagers went in their dozens to RAF to an Open Day Gala. July saw the induction of a new vicar, Reverend Gordon Turvey. August came with more gales.Trees were uprooted all over the county. Locally, fences were down and a tree fell on the Playing Field. September saw floods all over the Home Counties to the coast. In October, we had the Olympic Games in Mexico, but we had the Forsyte Saga on the telly for quite a few weeks. The first winter frost arrived on 5th November, up to 8 degrees of frost by the middle of the month. December arrived with 10 degrees of frost by the middle of the month. It snowed on Christmas Eve and frosts appeared after the snow until the end of the year.

25 Langford Bowls Club Langford Bowls Club green opened in 1952 with just a shed in the corner which housed the maintenance equipment. Bowls teas took place in the prefab building in the corner of the playing field, until the village hall was opened. Following the build of our first pavilion we moved our teas into the pavilion.This became our social space where our social events, bar and bowls teas still take place today.We were fortunate enough to gain lottery funding for the build of our changing rooms. Langford Bowls club welcome both social and bowling members, friends and family. Events take place throughout the year with the outdoor season running from the End of April through to Early September. Club members play in local friendly matches on bothWednesday and Saturday afternoons,Local leagues on Monday andTuesday evenings and Club and County competitions.The green is open for a practice session on Friday afternoons where new bowlers are always welcome.The green is also available for members to arrange their own practice sessions during the rest of the week. Langford Bowls Club would like to invite New or previous bowlers, beginners or experienced players to the green at 2pm on Friday afternoons. Flat shoes are required, bowls will initially be provided. For those who are unable to make this time, please contact either Barbara Dickson (01462 700355) or Iris Roberts (01462 700748) who will be able to assist in arranging an alternative opportunity for you to try this popular, friendly and leisurely exercise. If you’ve not experienced bowls before, why not come and watch one of our friendly matches to see what it’s all about. As you can see there are many ways for you to get involved in this friendly atmosphere. Langford History Society

We can’t compete with publishing from the 1960s and so, many congratulations to the Diary and it supporters and producers on this historic milestone. It provides a necessary and valuable link between the residents of Langford and the various organisations in the village: long may it continue! Our first talk of the 2018 season was on 7 March when Roy Smart gave us a really entertaining presentation to a packed hall about the life of Amy Johnson, the 1930s aviator who won the hearts of the nation.We heard about the work of Capability Brown on 4 April when Dorothy Jamieson gave us her talk ‘From Stowe to Sheringham’, which included some beautiful images of the gardens. After 2 May for the first of our First World War talks by Ann Wise, on the Home Front in that conflict, we visit, on Wednesday,6 June,Warden Abbey to ‘Walk in the Footsteps of the Monks’, on a history tour. On Sunday, 1 July we have a visit to Priory within the military base at Chicksands.

26 There is no meeting in August but, with a change to our published programme, we resume on 5 September with an examination of the career of JohnViret Gooch, an early railway pioneer who made the most of his opportunities to amass great wealth while engineer of the Eastern Counties Railway in the 1850s. Wednesday, 3 October will host our ever popularVillage Memories evening where we will be showing slides collected by our village historian, RalphTurner.The last talk of the season on 7 November is an audio-visual presentation about the nurses in the FirstWorld War which aims to collect funds for a permanent memorial at the National Arboretum for all nurses who died in service in both World Wars and the Society is pleased to have the opportunity to support this. As usual, we finish the year with our Christmas social evening. The 2018 programme is now on our website which also contains the ‘Langford Index of Names’, which is helpful for family historians and those with roots in our village.You can download free of charge this 16-page index to people referred to in the Society’s three books and also in the Parish Council’s Millennium publication, Langford:AVillage Walk.The names recorded on the two village war memorials are also included in the index with an indication of which memorial contains the name. We always give a warm welcome to new members and visitors and we are certain you will enjoy our talks.The meetings are informal and visitors pay only £3 at the door. Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of the month at 8pm in the Church Hall, except for January and August, and we have visits in June and July.There is a raffle at each meeting and the tea, coffee and biscuits are free.Annual membership is currently £5 per person. Our website at www.langfordhistorysociety.org.uk has lots of information about Langford’s past.Through the website, we have been able to answer many queries from family historians with roots in Langford. If you need further information about us, please phone 01767 699040.

Langford History Books Our books on village history contain lots of photos preserving the knowledge of the families, homes and businesses of old Langford.The following publications are available:

Langford Then and Now 2006 –This book of 40 pages plus cover has two photographs on nearly every page of well-known places in the village showing how they looked then and how they look now. Some of the old photographs were taken from 80 to over 100 years ago. Price £4.

Langford through the Lens Volume 1 –This book in 73 pages delves into Langford’s past with photographs of personalities and events explained in extensive captions.The reprint has the advantage of incorporating amendments and discoveries made since original publication by means of an errata list in the title pages. Price £5.

Langford through the Lens, Volume 2 (published 1992) –This book in 80 pages offers a selection of old photographs (some with extensive captions) showing all aspects of village life and the personalities involved over the years. Price £3. To purchase these books contact Rowena Wolfe by phone or email: 01767 312556 or [email protected]

27 Parish Council Finances Residents will have seen from their recent Council Tax Bill in March that they are making a contribution to the Parish Council. A Band D property would pay £78.25 per year and a Band F would pay £113.39 .Where is this money likely to be spent? The Parish Council website will include copies of the budget for the current year and actuals for prior years. The following table is a summary of the actual spend for the 2017-2018 year.

Actual spend 2017-2018 £% Village Hall 33,068 34 Staff and Office 19,372 19 Playing field 14,378 15 Insurance 7,221 8 Langford Diary 6,421 7 Street lighting 5,573 6 Grass cutting 5,310 6 Misc. 4,371 5 TOTAL 95,714 100 At the end of the Financial year underspend achieved is, where possible, allocated to long term projects in Langford such as adding to the lamppost replacement fund, setting up and eventually running the new cemetery,purchase and fit new bus shelters and to carry out other improvements in the village. 30 Neighbourhood Plan

Langford Parish Council are considering developing the draft LangfordVillage Plan into a Neighbourhood Plan BUT to do that ....We need the help of Langford residents over the next year or so! The first part of an application for a Neighbourhood Plan is to set up a Steering group which will be independent from the Parish council and must consist of 10-15 residents (they will be supported and assisted by Langford Parish Councillors). Without residents being part of the Steering Group we just can't do it and we'll all just have to accept that CBC will continue to have the lead role on decisions affecting the future of Langford.

Why do a Neighbourhood Plan? Unlike the village plan a neighbourhood plan forms part of the development plan and sits alongside the Local Plan that is prepared by Council. Decisions on planning applications will be made using both the Local Plan and the neighbourhood plan, along with any other material considerations. Neighbourhood planning provides the opportunity for communities to set out a positive vision for how they want their community to develop over the next ten, fifteen, twenty years in ways that meet identified local need and make sense for local people.They can put in place planning policies that will help deliver that vision or agree to planning permission for the developments they want to see and make greater objections to those that it doesn’t.

The Key Benefits are: • It can include policies to influence new building design, or alterations to existing buildings • It can protect or propose the creation of open spaces, wildlife corridors, allotments, play areas, parks and gardens, and important historic assets • It enables the local community to retain more of the money collected from development, to spend on local projects • It gives us, the residents of Langford, more say and control over our community • It enables us to ensure we protect the things we value the most • It enables the management of change effectively and ensures it benefits our community • It allows us to encourage developers to build what we believe our community needs and wants. (such as affordable houses to buy or rent and developments more suited to elderly residents) • It can encourage new businesses and support existing businesses to reduce commuting and provide employment opportunities in the village If you would be interested in finding out more about joining the Steering Group for the Neighbourhood please contact the Parish Clerk on 07482 276173 or by email on [email protected]

32 St. Andrew’s Church

As I write there has been something of an unexpected change in the weather. It's now 28 degrees making it the hottest April day since 1949. One of the things that we are used to of course is the changing seasons.And it doesn’t seem that long ago that we were talking about, and experiencing, the effects of ‘ beast from the east’. I spent a short time in Kenya some years back. Because of its geographical location it sees little change throughout the year. It's always hot and always has a constant amount of 12 hours light and 12 hours of darkness each day.Nothing much changes it seems. The one thing we can always expect though it seems is change. For example, during the relatively short time that I have been vicar in Langford, we have seen many more people make a positive choice to come and live in the village with the new homes that have been built.That seems to me to be a real vote of confidence in a village that has so much to offer, and we can’t be anything other than pleased that people are saying that this is a great place to choose to live. Hopefully you will have found lots of past pictures to show in this 50th anniversary edition. If you were to look at some of the publications produced by Ralph Turner and published by the Langford History Society you would see and hear about plenty of change in the village over the years. In his ‘Langford: A Village Walk’ published to commemorate the millennium, Ralph mentions our parish church St Andrews, as the oldest and largest building in the village mostly dating back to the fourteenth century.It will have seen much change in terms of its use other than for worship over that time. For example, Ralph makes mention that it is believed that during the Civil War St Andrews was used as quarters and stables by Cromwell's Army. Inside this issue you will find a brochure which sets out the project St Andrews is wanting to achieve - improving access into the church by level access from the south porch, and installing toilet and kitchenette facilities.Why do we want to do this? For no other reason than to serve you and others who form our community.We are planning to have a launch event for the project on Saturday July 14th by holding a Jazz evening, so please do look out for further details about this. But you don’t have to wait until then - the proposed plans are on display in the church and we would be really happy to show you what we have planned. If you would be interested in helping in some way to achieve the project I would also be really happy to speak with you. I do hope that you have a great summer and look forward to seeing you at some of the village and church events we have coming up including the Church Fete on 16th June at 2.00pm. Rev. Shaun Speller

33 Rainbows, Brownies and Guides 1st Langford Rainbows: Last term at Guides we came up with an idea to fundraise a bowling trip for our unit.We let the girls come up with ideas themselves and either work individually or in a small group to try and raise as much money as they could.We gave the girls the whole spring term to raise the money and at the end, we collected it all in. We also had a student paramedic come in to talk to our girls about first aid and how to help other people in an emergency.This helped the girls gain a better understanding of how to act when a serious situation arises; and now they know how to help people who are unconscious and/or bleeding. As International Women’s Day fell on a Thursday (our meeting days), I ran an evening all about women and their struggle for votes and struggle for general respect from men throughout the last 100 years. I spoke about British women and the suffragette movement as well as the suffrage movements from a few other countries in order to compare the struggles of women internationally. I believe the girls gained a lot finding out how they became privileged and about the struggles their ancestors had just because they were women. This term we are doing a few outdoor activities as it’s the summer and we are hoping the weather will be nicer.A guides’ favourite activity is going to Boyd Field in Henlow and making campfires and cooking smores and sandwiches, So, we are going there to do more cooking this term as well as bringing in a rifle shooting instructor who can teach the girls how to safely shoot a rifle at a target board. We also have some big news. Our unit is turning 50 this year so we have decided to have a big birthday party on July 19th. It will be from 7pm - 9pm at the Scout hut in Langford. If you would like to come to this, please email me [email protected] would also like to invite any ex leaders and ex guides to come to this as well to help us celebrate. I am also putting together a big collage of “Guides through the ages” and was hoping if anyone has any old pictures from when they were a guide or pictures of your daughter as a guide; you can email them to me. 1st Langford Rainbows: This term we have lots to look forward to! To celebrate the Royal wedding we will be making crowns and having a princess party where we will dress up.We will be making ice cream sandwiches and playing some parachute games outside.We will be completing our “Get Healthy” Roundabout Badge where the girls have chosen to have a pyjama party,plant seeds and make sock puppets.We will be having our annual district Sports Day in June when we will compete for a special trophy along with five other units. In July we will be joining up with a couple of other units and having a sleepover at Biggleswade Rugby Club. 1st Langford Brownies: Over the Easter weekend, we ran an Easter Egg hunt at St Andrews Church where lots of lovely children from the village joined us to find the letters of their name and win an egg – thank you to Rev. Shaun for letting us have use of the churchyard.We also helped with the Garage Sale Trail to sell cakes and raffle tickets to passing buyers – it was a great day for the whole community and we thank Shirley Morley and the Parish Council for letting us pitch up at the Church Hall.Altogether the event raised £650 with a third of that coming to us; we hope to do another one soon as it was such a success. This term we will be creating wedding dresses out of newspaper, decorating bags and having a talent show.We will be joining our district for Sports Day in July and completing our Agility Badge by practising for it and also doing some aerobics.We will be visiting Boyd Field and also going to a local farm.We will finish off our term with water games and a badge ceremony. If anyone would like to join us as an adult leader, we would love to have you! Please contact Danielle on 07866 395739. 34 1st Langford Scout Group Beavers: Beavers gave a final salute to Les Soden - Brown Bear after 10 years in charge. The colony is now in the capable hands of Darren Rhoden - Snow Leopard. Beavers are looking forward getting outside in the warmer weather and camping at Biggleswade District 'Big Jam' at Boyd Field in June. Beavers is for boys and girls aged 6 to 8 years old and meets onTuesday evenings in term time from 6-7pm at Langford scout hut. For more information, please contact [email protected].

Cubs: 1st Langford Cubs had a fun Spring term, with activities ranging from a brilliant Cubs Got Talent! Show, through to a cookery session with Angie from Creative Chefs, visits from the Fire and Police services and a muddy hike round Broom lakes.We also had an amazing weekend away at Gilwell park in the snow! The summer term is always the easiest term to plan because there are so many outdoors activities we want to experience. We have visits planned to Liebherr,to the volunteer Fire Service at Shuttleworth and to St Andrews Church,Langford.We have fun,active sessions at a local muddy obstacle course, a pony riding taster session and Cubs District Sports night. We’ve got the biannual BigJam weekend at Boyd Field with all the other Beavers, Cubs and Scouts of Biggleswade District and a water activities day at Grafham Water. Let’s hope that this summer is long and sunny! Cubs are boys and girls aged 8-10.5: we currently have spaces for those who like the outdoors and adventure and don’t mind a bit of noise. We meetWednesday in termtime 6.30-8pm. Please contact Akela (Jo) on [email protected]

Langford Village Hall Hire LangfordVillage Hall is available for weekend bookings including parties, meetings, your social events, etc.Two rooms available, bar, large car park, modern updated facilities, central heating, air conditioning, etc.To enquire about prices and availability please contact the Booking Officer. Both units can be viewed and hired via the Booking Manager Michelle Albone who can be contacted on 07724 120951 or email at [email protected] See further details on Parish Council website or look at regular report in The Langford Diary.

35 Langford Chapel A special service was held at Langford Chapel on Sunday 4 March to recognise and celebrate its anniversary.For over 150 years the Chapel has been a vibrant and dedicated place of worship, prayer and fellowship. Paul Cooper led the service and gave a very good sermon. He looked back over the years, reflecting on some fond memories of the Chapel and different skills people were able to offer to keep the Chapel active through the years. He himself had been a carpenter and worked on the ornate chapel organ many years ago. It was a time of reflection, celebration and also to look to the future and to keeping the Chapel active and thriving in our community for many more years.All were invited to the special Anniversary Lunch after the service. A range of cold meats, jacket potatoes, salads and a sumptuous array of desserts were served, followed by tea and coffee. Many people helped in either baking, making, serving, washing up or tidying up. It was a combined effort of sharing and caring. On Sunday 11 March there was a special Mothers' Day service. Graham Follett delivered the sermon; focusing on love, caring for each other and forgiveness. He looked at Mary's life and the love and support she gave to Jesus her Son and the pain she must have gone through at the end. The strength of her love, faith and commitment.There were some thoughtful bible readings and beautiful hymns and pretty posies of carnations were given out during the service. All are welcome to attend services at Langford Chapel.The services usually start at 10.45 am except for the last service in the month which is an earlier service at 9.30 am.Tea and coffee are served after the service.You are very welcome to join us.We look forward to seeing you.

June 6 Oasis for Coffee Chapel 10.30am-11.30am 6 Praise & Pray - Subject Jonah - Chapel 8.00pm-9.00pm 7 Sisterhood - Chapel Schoolroom - 2.30pm 13 Bible Study - Jonah - 24 East Road - 7.45pm 14 Sisterhood - Chapel Schoolroom - 2.30pm 14 Church Council - AGM & Tea - Chapel Schoolroom - 7.30pm 20 Prayer Group - 11 Riverside Gardens - 7.45pm 23 Stall on Biggleswade Market - 8.30am - 12 noon - for Chapel Funds 24 Informal Service on Jonah followed by coffee - Chapel 9.30am 24 Sunday Club - Chapel Schoolroom - 10.45am 27 Bible Study - Jonah - 24 East Road - 7.45pm July 4 Oasis for Coffee - Chapel 10.30am-11.30am 4 Praise & Pray - Chapel 8.00pm-9.00pm 11 Bible Study - 24 East Road - 7.45pm 18 Prayer Group - 11 Riverside Gardens - 7.45pm 25 Bible Study - 24 East Road - 7.45pm 29 Informal Service with Coffee - Chapel - 9.30am 29 Sunday Club - Chapel Schoolroom - 10.45am August 1 Oasis for Coffee Chapel 10.30am-11.30am 5 Cream Teas - 18 Windsor Way - 3.00pm-5.00pm 26 Breakfast followed by Informal Service - Chapel - 9.15am

36 Langford Cricket Club By the time you read this article we will have played several games and the sound of bat on ball, and cries of ‘Howzat’ will have been there for all to hear when passing the Playing Field. And, again this summer, there should be a lot of cricket to enjoy … The nets will be in use regularly on Monday and Wednesday evenings, the youth training nights will see upward of 50 or 60 youngsters (both boys and girls) practicing on Thursday nights and there will be adult League cricket most Sundays as well as a number of friendly games on Saturdays. Add in a few games of Ladies cricket and then some ECB Softball Cricket events and Legends Cricket games on Friday evenings and you can see that there really will be plenty of cricket available to anyone who would like to participate in the game.And as I have reported in the Langford Diary before, the playing facilities really are first class and up there with the very best grounds in the county. Talking of the amount of cricket available, though, sadly and reluctantly we have had to make the very difficult decision to take a season out of playing Saturday League cricket. For various reasons, it became more and more difficult to regularly field three separate men’s teams last season and this put even greater pressure on the Captains and players, having to ’twist arms' to simply put sides out.That in turn impacted on what it’s all about - enjoying the game itself. We are very very keen to be in a position to get back to Saturday League cricket for 2019, hence arranging friendly fixtures during the summer. Just a few more bodies, people who want to get out into the fresh air and enjoy playing the game of cricket, will help us to achieve that goal. Nobody should assume that, just because they’ve not played for a few years, they won’t be good enough to play; we have a very mixed range of abilities (and ages !!) within the Club and the focus is, as I said above, on enjoying getting out in the fresh air and enjoying the game together as a Team - we normally end up in a pub somewhere afterwards, so there’s also the social aspect to enjoy !! So do come down to the Playing Field … Enjoy the cricket, talk to the players and see what it’s all about.Alternatively,drop me an e-mail and we can take if from there. Graeme Down Chairman, Langford Cricket Club - email [email protected]

38 2nd Langford Garage Sale Tail

The second Langford Garage Sale Trail took place on 21st April and raised a wonderful £650 which will be shared by 1st Langford Brownies, 1st Langford Cubs andTRACKS Autism. Over 40 houses took part, from the far end of East Road, to Riverside Gardens and to Station Road. Items on sale included lots of toys, books and bric a brac as well as artwork and preserves. Sellers, who had paid £5 to take part but kept all their takings, were happy to clear out their unwanted items and make a little cash for themselves or their chosen charity, with many planning to donate anything unsold to Preen and local charity shops.The day was blessed with hot sunshine which brought crowds of visitors following the sale trail maps around our village in search of a bargain! The organisers would like to thank the following local businesses who supported us with help selling maps, providing raffle prizes and offering parking. Londis Post Office, Maxwells, the Old Butchers Shop, the Beauty Clinic, Surfin Café, Langford Garden Centre, Posh Dogs, Charleys,TheVillage Store, Farmers Daughter Jams, Hillfoot Farm Shop, David Wilson Homes, the Wrestlers and the Plough. We hope to run the event again next year, if you'd like to be contacted with further information please email [email protected] to be put on our mailing list.

39 Langford Village Academy Sports Relief 2018 at Langford Village Academy This year we held a special assembly for the pupils to introduce them to the Sport Relief cause, and the work it does to help vulnerable people in both the UK and in the world’s poorest countries.As a school we decided to run a sponsored mile for Sports Relief.The children had to run ten laps around our school field with the school staff, parents and carers all joining in. In total we raised £1975 This was an amazing event that brought everyone together as a school and as a community.There was great team spirit with everyone supporting each other and encouragement from all.We raised an astonishing amount for Sports Relief which will go a long way in supporting a number of people in the UK and abroad.

Langford’s Future - Where will these children be in 50 years time?

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