You know who you are

Flyposting is a bit of nuisance in Cranfield, especially when the fly posters don't take their posters and banners down afterwards. The PC clerk has now written to a list of the usual suspects (you know who you are) who shall remain anonymous, for now, with the following request:


Cranfield Parish Council is currently undertaking work to improve the village pump/war memorial area of the village, and the railings in the area will be painted over the next month or so.

As you know, the posting of notices is allowed in the area, with the required permission and agreement to remove the posters in the required time scale. In order to continue this practice, can I respectfully ask that you ensure that permission is in place before posting notices; post them for a maximum of 7 days before the event, and take them down immediately after the event, or if this not possible, the following day.

Any posters displayed without permission will be removed immediately; and those posters which are displayed too early or removed after the permitted time may result in permission being denied in the future.

Your cooperation in this would be most appreciated.

Please accept my apologies if this email is not relevant to you; I will remove you from the mailing list if you reply ‘remove’.

Hole in the wall

Visited the hole in the wall at the uni recently? Well, it's just got a lot bigger after a JCB driver stuck his bucket in instead of a piece of plastic.  He (she maybe?)  got away with the full box and the ATM is now, not surprisingly 'out of order'. Pic by David Moyes

The BBC reported: The wall of a university bank has partially collapsed after ram-raiders smashed into it to steal a cash machine.

A digger was used to pull the device from the NatWest branch at Cranfield University in College Road at about 03:00 GMT, Bedfordshire Police said.

A spokeswoman said the offenders left the scene in a blue pick-up style vehicle and a silver car.

She added that it was not yet known how much money had been taken.

Investigating officer, Det Con Claire Case, said it was possible the offenders had been in the area to plan the theft.

"I would urge anyone who has seen anyone in the area acting suspiciously to contact officers immediately," she said

Hartwell Almshouses

Hartwell Almshouses, part of Cranfield's historical landscape, have now been sold. The money raised will be used to create new fit-for-purpose units which will allow the Hartwell charity to once again offer homes to elderly people in the village in need of accommodation. My photo-essay attempts to capture the unique character of this structure.

Salt your own

OK, here's another challenge to local neighbourliness (in addition to learning about the defibrillator - see below)

Central Beds Council will deliver either one tonne or 1.5 tonne bags of road de-icing salt, free of charge, to any town or parish council that requests one. The Council did this for just one month last year, but this year will supply one bag each month in December, January and February if required. 

Each town or parish council will take responsibility for the salt, which can be spread by local volunteers on minor roads and pavements that are not covered by CBC gritting routes. 

So where do you think needs keeping an eye on during the icy months?

Defibrillator is installed at Budgens

The defib is in, at Budgens. Big thanks go to the shop for hosting this and also to local business Jonathan Vowels for offering. It was very public spirited. 

The memorandum of understanding which the parish council has signed states:

“The device should be available to members of the public whether or not they have had defibrillator training. It is helpful to conduct community awareness familiarisation.

“It would be advantageous to have a number of adults in the village trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and basic life support and the use of semi auto/automatic defibrillators. 

“Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service training instructors and the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust offer a free awareness course.”

I am sure the Parish Council will be seeking to facilitate this training and hopefully there will be a good scattering of volunteers who will take it up.

Stopping Central Beds wriggling

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There could be some moves to tackle persistent parking issues in Flitt Leys Close. 

At last week’s Parish Council meeting the chair, Delise Ball, said residents had agreed on double yellows at the entrance to the Close, formalised parking bays in front of the hot food takeaways, providing more space and several “on-off” parking bays in the Close allowing for partial parking on the footpath.

It followed a meeting between residents and the executive member for highways Cllr Brian Spurr and highways officer David Bowie from Central Beds Council, set up by Delise.

In October residents shared their concerns with the PC and at the time there was no consensus on a solution. This allowed Central Beds plenty of wriggle room around doing nothing and blaming it all on the locals.

Delise has spoken to the agent for the Indian and the Chinese restaurants, who says they would agree to marked parking spaces outside their premises which would add one to two more spaces. 

Central Beds Cllr Sue Clarke had also urged the need for consensus from residents.  

This consensus has closed down the wriggling we hope.

It has suggested been that the Parish Council puts a sign on the wall by the Chinese takeaway saying “Do not park outside the garages”. This is now being considered (i.e quotes obtained for the cost). 

I think the residents and the PC owe a big "thank you" to Delise as she has spent many hours and done a lot of work around this thorny issue.  

We aren't there yet  but some progeress has been made.

Cranfield expert probes Toot's tomb mystery

Cranfield boffins were called in on a world famous cold case review. But cause of Tutankhamen's death is still unknown. Read the story in full in  Beds on Sunday

"one of the worst mummifications ever"

Modern day Egyptologist, Dr Chris Naunton, has researched why the young king's body was charred and he looked at the unanswered questions about his death. Seeking the help of Cranfield University’s Forensic Institute, they broadcast their findings on Channel 4 last Sunday .

“It’s one of the worst mummifications ever, it was botched,” says Dr Peter Zioupos, who works at the Institute.

Read more: http://www.bedfordshire-news.co.uk/Features/A-kings-death-is-pieced-together-20131117090010.htm#ixzz2ktrA57tJ

Best suit - it wasn't pretty inside the sarcophagus

Cranfield Village Hall AGM

The  Annual General Meeting of Cranfield Village Hall is  on Saturday 30th November at 12 noon, after the coffee morning and 200 club draw. There are also vacancies for elected members. For more information email 
marjorie.cotton@btinternet.com
 

Getting ready for winter

The Bedfordshire and Luton Local Resilience Forum (BLLRF) brings together police, fire, ambulance, local councils, health and government agencies, Bedfordshire businesses and risk and resilience consultants to plan for disasters and help businesses think about the unthinkable.

It was called civil defence in old money. Today their concern is not so much a thermonuclear exchange and a 10-megaton airburst over Cranfield airfield as weather conditions and resulting loss of power and food supplies. So that should get everyone's attention as the Arctic blasts gather.

See the following useful information and please spread it around...

Prepare for bad winter weather

and win a free Home Emergency Kit

What would you do if faced with natural disasters like a severe snowstorm or heavy rain? Or unnatural emergencies like a power cut or industrial accident? Helping you deal with major disasters locally is BLLRF (the Bedfordshire and Luton Local Resilience Forum) made up of the emergency services, local councils, hospitals and health agencies and a whole host of local voluntary groups working together.

BLLRF co-ordinates everyone who tackle emergencies, planning for the unthinkable to ensure they are ready to react swiftly and effectively to protect you, your family and home.

Local community organisations like the Royal Voluntary Service, Midshires Search and Rescue, the 4X4 owners club and Raynet, amateur radio enthusiasts, also get involved through the Bedfordshire and Luton Emergency Volunteers Executive Committee (BLEVEC).  You could also volunteer. The Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce and the local branch of the Federation of Small Businesses also help plan for emergencies and encourage local businesses to prepare for their own crisis like fire, theft or supply chain problems.  See our Prepare your Business page for further information.

BLLRF’s website – www.bllrf.org.uk– is packed with help and advice so you can prepare for being cut off in your home by bad weather, separated from your family by a major incident or left without power for an extended period. Visit now to find out what you can do to protect yourself before winter sets in.

WIN a Home Emergency Kit!

BLLRF is now giving you the chance to win a free Home Emergency Kit that contains some essential things you’ll need if there’s an emergency like a power cut or severe snowfall. To enter our FREE prize draw just follow @what_would on Twitter, like us on facebook.com/whatwouldyoudoif or enter using the website’s contact page on the website. Entry closes at midnight, 2 February 2014 .

So visit www.bllrf.org.uk today to discover how to protect your home and family this winter.

Getting the right formula

I hope readers enjoy this one. As chair of burial grounds committee I have to deal from time to time with unusual headstone proposals. It's a sensitive matter and I'm not sure of my view or that of fellow councillors to a sudoku puzzle. Was it solved? unsolved? And what was the degree of difficulty? Did it include what are known as "pencil marks"?I speak as a sudoku-er. As for the equation, that would have us stumped.

The late Spike Milligan's family had difficulty about his request for the words "I told you I was ill" to be inscribed on his headstone and it was resolved in an interesting way. See the full story on BBC News

 

I'm not sure how that could have been applied to Mr Robinson's memorial

Spike Milligan's headstone: He told them he was ill

Solar in Salford

We already have a solar panel array planning application pending in Cranfiled and here's another one down towards MK. The exhibition might be informative for those moved to  go.

Plans for solar farm on land at Whitsundoles Farm, Broughton Road, Salford, MK17 8BU.

We would like to invite you to a public exhibition about the proposals for a solar farm at Whitsundoles Farm, Salford.

South Lincolnshire-based Lark Energy (part of the Larkfleet Group) proposes to develop a solar farm which will occupy approximately 70 acres of land on the site. The exhibition is being held as part of the informal public consultation for the proposed development. The public exhibition provides us with an opportunity to talk to local people about our plans and gather feedback which we will use to tailor our proposals to local needs.

The aim of this solar farm project is to produce clean, renewable energy for the local electricity grid providing enough power for over 3,000 homes.

Background

Lark Energy has a great deal of experience in planning and delivering solar farms which generate clean energy while enhancing wildlife and conservation whilst recognising the importance of the character of a particular area.

The solar panels at Whitsundoles will be screened from most directions by existing hedgerows and new indigenous hedgerow which will be planted where needed. The solar farm will be fenced off for security and will provide a haven for wildlife. 

Further details on the plans will be available at the public exhibition.

When: Wednesday 20^th November 2013, 4:00pm – 7:30pm (drop in event, no need to book)

Where: The Mary Agate Hall

             Wavendon Road

             Salford

             Bedfordshire

             MK17 8BD

For further information, or if you are unable to make the informal consultation but would like to meet and discuss the proposals:

Please contact: Matthew Desorgher on 07802 540985 (mobile), 01529 497771 or

e mail: matthew@jo-wall.com

This is an informal public consultation and we plan to submit a full planning application shortly. Following this there will be a statutory consultation period

Headphones hanging from the overhead wires?

We know Bedford to Bletchley (where?) is a sort of Thomas the Tank Engine line so drivers' cabs catching fire is a real shocker. There'll be hell to pay when the Fat Controller finds out about this one. Thanks to Bedfordfshire News for the update...

 

 

Tales of modern times - Train evacuated at Bedford station after headphones cause fire on board

Written by RUPERT MARQUAND

The scene at Bedford train station this morning

PASSENGERS escaped unharmed after a fire broke out on a train when it hit a pair of headphones hanging from the overhead wires.
Fire services were called to the scene at Bedford Station at around 8.30am when the impact with the object caused the driver cab to fill with smoke.
The London Midland train was on platform 1a when it was evacuated.
A spokeswoman from London Midland said: “At 08.30 the driver of a London Midland train from Bedford to Bletchley reported striking an object that was hanging from the overhead wires. The object, confirmed by Network Rail staff to be a pair of headphones, caused a circuit when it came into contact with the train and caused the driver cab to fill with smoke.
“The fire brigade attended the scene and doused the cab with water. Services between Bletchley and Bedford are currently affected as a result of the incident.

Read more: Bedfordshire News

Forest is spreading to Cranfield

From Forest of Marston Vale on Facebook
 

 

A big hello to the people of Cranfield! We just wanted to give you a heads up - we have a public tree planting day coming up where we invite members of the public to come along and plant a tree or two in The Forest of Marston Vale, and this year it's in Cranfield. So if you're planning on joining us, there's no point you driving to the Forest Centre, for a coach to drive you back. Make sure you Like our Page and we'll soon be letting you know the location so that you can walk to where we'll be. Do join us - it's a lovely thing to do and everyone enjoys it

 

 

Here's to a great decade

It's been 10 years since Fil's Hairstop stopped off in Cranfield and in that time Fil Wain's become a village fixture and a real buzzywoman in the buzziness community. So I'm offering my congrats and thanks for many great trims and site clearances lol.

She and Gabby, a vital part of this family firm are pictured practising for their 10th birthday party at the Salon on 30 January 5-7 pm. All are invited for cake and bubbly, alcoholic and non alcoholic. Gabby reckons there have been 500 individual customers in the past decade. She and her mum hope to see as many as possible at the 'Do' but newcomers are also welcome to the event.

 

 

Agenda for Parish Council Wed 20 Novermber

I HEREBY GIVE YOU NOTICE that a meeting of the above named Parish Council and its

Committees will be held at Holywell School, Red Lion Close on

Wednesday, 20^th November  2013 at 8.00pm

All members of the Council are hereby summoned to attend for the purpose of resolving upon the business to be transacted at the meeting/s as set out below.                                                                             

               

BUSINESS TO BE DONE

 

^1.            To receive apologies for absence  

^2.            To receive declarations of personal and/or prejudicial interests in any matter

^3.            To confirm the minutes of the last meeting[s] [copy herewith]  Clerks Report 

^4.            Health & Safety 

^5.            Reports from Committees 

5.1.    General Purposes Committee

5.2.    Burial Grounds Committee

5.3.    Environment Committee

5.4.    Planning Committee

^6.            Financial matters and accounts for payment

^7.            Correspondence   

^8.            Reports from unitary councillors (and any other representative)

^9.            Highway matters

Making us more aware of dementia

Cranfield livewire Rina Persaud is on a mission to make us all more aware of those livijng in the community with dementia. Rina is a bit of a village activist but this project has been inspired by the sad death of her father from dementia. Read about her  in The Times and Citizen

 Find out about Dementia aware at http://dementiaaware.org/
see also http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/remembertheperson

Who pays for policing?

It's a year since we got PCCs - or Police and Crime Commissioners to give them their full and glorious title. Their conception was controversial, not many people voted  and as 12 month assessments roll out around the country, reports are mixed. Beds PCC Olly Martin has done good work stopping G4S private sector involvement in providing police services and opposing the sell off of our already efficient probation service.The police minister has also praised his work on diversity.

Another theme he repeats is that policing is not something that is simply done to you as a citizen but something you take responsibility for. This, of course, can lead us down the path of voluntary involvements in local policing, an idea that has had a  chequered history. Cranfield once had paid security officers and then for a year or so we paid for a "Cranfield" PCSO but police managers always made it clear we didn't manage this officer and the arrangement ended.

The latest  voluntary proposal does not involve boots, or loafers, or sandal or trainers on the ground but local parish councils contributing towards policing through the Beds Police Partnership Trust. This is a thin-ended wedge which I am wary of. The Trust runs the "Bobby Scheme"  which carries out security assessments on the home of elderly and vulnerable people. It's a worthwhile work and the Trust administrator says they carried out nearly 1200 visits last year and 20 village home security surgeries. 

Safe as houses? Security advice is always useful

That's great but they are asking for £250 a year from the PC as part of becoming a 'partner' in order to support it. Honestly I thought that was what the police precept (charge) was for and once we had paid that,  there would not be any add-ons.

We have written to the Trust asking if they would like to apply for a Section137 grant (which requires that they show they have helped people in the village). More news later.

Certainty on skateparks

The skatepark produced some interesting debate at last night's PC surgery. There is one thing for certain.

Whatever decision the PC comes to about its location, there will be people opposed to it. And even if we decide not to build one there will be opposition. So don't go on the PC and expect to be loved by everyone. 

The arguments and locations  are well known - old tennis courts (opposition from casual footballers and some residents)  Millennium Park (opposition from planners, it is understood, because it is on the edge of the village) and elsewhere in the Rec (former village meeting in 1990s said no more hard standing in the rec but this is not legally binding.)

Two potential users came along. They use Wootton skatepark at the moment so Millennium Park would surely be an improvement. So we need to make a decision, explain it to those who are not happy and  then implement it.

URGENT - VIA TWITTER

Central Beds Council ‏@letstalkcentral 21m

We’ve been advised there is a water outage in the following areas TODAY; Cranfield, Woburn Sands, Aspley Guise and (cont) http://tl.gd/n_1rrl28l

Green on Cranfield Campus

I don't know if any of these are open to the general public but there is obviously plenty of green activity going on, on the campus. Turbine opponents in Wood End will, I'm sure, be unimpressed by the 'tour of the turbine' listed below. But subject to the impact on local population, renewables are here to stay and Cranfield may well do some critical work on the technology and its development.

11-15 November is ‘Green Week’ at Cranfield campus - a chance to find out about the green-related activities being undertaken to help reduce our carbon footprint, and learn about some of the research Cranfield involved in which is having an impact on the environment and the world in which we live.
Each day is dedicated to a particular theme – energy and water, waste recycling and procurement, biodiversity and green champions. 

The week kicked off with ‘green transport day’ for those who have travelled into campus as a car share, by bus or on their bike.
Throughout the week there are exhibitions from environmental organisations and charities, a trip to our recycling centre, a tour of the new wind turbine, bird and bat box making activity, several interactive presentations and workshops as well as film events.
Don’t forget to check out the details of the lunchtime talks, daily exhibitions, tours and social events taking place throughout the week and book your seat so you don’t miss out: see the poster here and visit the university intranet for more details.

http://www.mycsa.org.uk/?p=4325 

The jungle rumbles on

Mid Beds MP Nadine Dorries has been forced to apologise after she failed to declare earnings from her "I'm a celebrity" Rumble in the Jungle last November, in Ozland. According to the Independent (see link below and a zillion other news outlets) 

"Ms Dorries had refused to declare the payment on the Register of Members' Interests because she claimed it was made to her company, Averbrook, rather than to her personally."  

Whatever.

I actually thought she was giving this money to charity or something as a way of demonstrating that she went to the jungle to promote her views  on abortion or something. I.e. not for the fee. Whatever.

She also says she doesn't claim any expenses now because she took umbrage at how the authorities investigated the expenses she did claim. Anyway, whatever.

For the record I have never voted  for Nad's party and those who know me, know I  never will. But I still can't understand why every time Mid Beds as a constituency is in the news usually Nad is waxing indignant  about being held to account for something. Or other. 


See the story in
The independent

When she was investigated for a breach of Parliamentary rules she accused the Commissioner for Standards of conducting a “witch hunt” against her and threatened to sue.

But today the House of Commons Standards Committee threw out her defence and concluded she had breached the MPs code of conduct through her “attitude to the Commissioner's inquiries”.

It ordered her to make a formal apology for behaviour to MPs and said she must publish the fees she received from ‘I’m a Celebrity’ and eight other media appearances in full.