New legislation is now place meaning viewers need a TV licence to watch or download BBC programmes on demand through iPlayer.

Rule changes came into force yesterday (Thursday) ending a loophole which previously allowed watching programmes for free after they had been broadcast without the viewer having a licence.

Here are the key things you need to know about the new legislation.

• What are the new restrictions on watching TV programmes on iPlayer?

As of September 1, those wishing to watch on-demand shows - including catch-up - will need to have a valid TV licence. :: How is this different from before? There was a loophole which allowed people to view previously broadcast shows on catch-up without having a licence.

• Why do people need a TV licence?

In the UK, it is a legal requirement to have a licence to watch or record live TV programmes on the BBC and all other channels.

• How much is a TV licence?

The fee is £145.50 for 12 months for a standard colour licence and £49 for a black and white licence. This can be paid weekly, monthly, quarterly or yearly.

• Can BBC shows be watched on other services?

Netflix - which has a monthly subscription fee - broadcasts several BBC series, including Happy Valley, Luther and Sherlock.

• What is the cost of Netflix compared with a TV licence?

After a free monthly trial, a Netflix Premium account costs £8.99 per month. A TV licence costs £12.13 monthly if paid in instalments. :: What if you watch iPlayer on devices other than a TV? The new legislation applies to all viewers wishing to use the service, whether that’s on a TV, desktop computer, laptop, mobile phone, tablet, games console, digital box or Blu-ray/DVD/VHS recorder.

• Will students be affected?

Students are likely to be the most affected by the changes, as they are believed to mainly watch TV shows by catch-up on a variety of devices instead of TVs. No longer will they be able to watch programmes for free on catch-up using iPlayer. Students living in halls of residence or in shared accommodation are required to pay for a TV licence if they have a single tenancy agreement, but if a shared house has a joint tenancy agreement, just one licence will be needed between all occupants.

• What is the punishment for watching iPlayer without a TV licence?

Someone using the service without a licence faces prosecution, a fine of up to £1,000 and additional legal fees.

• What about other TV-on-demand services?

Britons will still be able to watch programmes on All 4, the ITV hub, Demand 5 and Netflix, among others, without a TV licence. They will still have to pay subscription fees applicable to some of these services.

Arachnophobes everywhere recoil – for spider season is upon us.

At the beginning of September large male house spiders, gorged from a summer of eating moths and flies, start making their way indoors in search of a mate.

So if you’ve started spotting a few sizeable eight-legged ‘guests’ around your home, that’s why.

Obviously those with an aversion to spiders will be rather worried about this, so we have an expert on hand with some tips.

Keep calm

Greg Nejedly is a Clinical Hypnotherapist who helps treat people with arachnophobia, among other fears.

He has some useful insights into how you can reduce your anxiety levels, should you encounter one around the house.

“If you saw a spider, you would immediately react to the threat without thinking about it. It’s the natural fight or flight response, albeit a rather exaggerated one in this case.

“When this happens, your heart rate, adrenaline levels and breathing rate all increase very rapidly. It’s very difficult to argue with your subconscious mind directly by telling it to behave itself and calm down because there’s nothing to be worried about here.

“So instead, we can take an indirect approach by controlling our breathing.

“If we understand that stress equals rapid, shallow breathing and calm equals slow deep breathing, then it makes sense to slow our breathing rate down. By doing so, you’re reversing one of the symptoms of panic and steering your body towards a calmer state. Your mind will also associate a slower rate of breathing with calmness, and help you to mentally relax as well.

“Place one hand on your chest and one hand on your belly. Gently breathe in through your nose (this helps to bring your breathing volume back down to normal) and make sure you are only expanding your belly and NOT your chest. You’re breathing outwards, not upwards.

“Pause for a moment. Then gently breathe out through your mouth. Take your time exhaling so that you will naturally breathe out for longer than you breathe in. As you breathe out, focus on your belly as the air is being expelled. Keep repeating this process as you gain more control over your breathing.”

A general coping strategy

Nejedly notes that “imagination is extremely powerful”, and details a “very powerful and practical technique” to dealing with a general fear of spiders:

1. Scale your nervousness or anxiety between 0 and 10 (10 being the most).

2. Close your eyes.

3. Imagine an image of the situation you would like to feel better in, and imagine you’re looking through your eyes and hearing through your ears as you’re in this situation. Notice any feelings of nervousness or anxiousness.

4. Place this image aside and now imagine a second image. See yourself inside the image, handling the situation perfectly, calmly and incredibly confidently. You can be creative here. Some people like to imagine themselves being Superman or getting standing ovations. The more creative, the better.

5. Now, bring up the first image and imagine it right in front of you, as you imagine yourself in the situation, looking through your eyes and hearing through your ears.

6. As soon as this image starts to materialise, blank it out and immediately replace it with the second image.

7. Focus on the second, calm and confident image for five seconds, noticing everything about the way you look, sound and behave that shows you just how calm and confident you are.

8. Open and close your eyes.

9. Repeat steps 5 through to 8 another 9 times (making a total of 10 repetitions).

10. After the 10th time, stop and check what your anxiety has come down to on the scale between 0 and 10. 11. Repeat steps 5 to 8 another 10 times if you want and check the scale again. Repeat this any number of times until you’ve reached a low enough number on the scale, that feels right to you (a total of 2 or 3 sets should suffice, i.e. 2 or 3 lots of 10 repetitions).

If one gets away from you…

If faced with the dreaded ‘it’s just slipped under the sofa/TV stand moment’, Nejedly advises avoiding swatting the spider with a rolled up newspaper when it emerges.

“They’re more terrified of you than you are of them. All they’re trying to do is run towards a safe, dark space where they won’t be bothered. “If no-one has yet rushed to your aid, drawn in by the screaming, then you may have to enlist the help of another brave soul.

“If one doesn’t exist nearby, you can always knock on your neighbour’s door and I’m sure they’d be more than happy to help. “In any case, once the spider has been moved elsewhere, you will feel far more relaxed.” Try to reduce your everyday stress If you’re always obsessively checking for spiders whenever you enter a room, Nejedly suggests that reducing stress in your everyday life may help overcome this.

“Your subconscious mind is primed for your protection. It’s there to ensure your survival, so it continuously scans your environment for potential threats. If we have an overwhelming fear of spiders, then your subconscious will be looking out for them.

“If your general anxiety is higher than it should be as a result of the stress of your job, relationships, and how you feel about yourself, it means that the obsessive part of your mind can take over.

“Lowering our anxiety levels is beneficial in so many ways but it also helps to quieten the obsessional mind. You can achieve this by practising some form of focused relaxation such as yoga, meditation, mindfulness and, of course, self-hypnosis.”

Forget La Liga – only one game will be at the forefront of TV pundit Guillem Balague’s mind on Saturday.

The Spanish football expert will be taking his seat as Biggleswade United’s Director of Football at Top Field as his club take on Hitchin Town in the FA Cup.

The First Qualifying Round is the furthest the club have reached in their history, and the tie has added significance for Guillem.

He’s a Hitchin resident, he marched with their fans as they successfully battled to retain their famous Top Field ground, and the two clubs have forged ties in recent years.

United hosted the Canaries in a special game for the Save Top Field Trophy with all profits given to their fighting fund.

Guillem told the Chronicle this week: “We had a friendly last season, there’s a good relationship going on between us.

“Hitchin’s victory was a victory for the people, a victory for the little guy against the multi national giants. I’ve had more than my fair share of memorable moments in football, but doing my bit to help ensure that the club kept their ground will always be one of the happiest and proudest episodes of my life.

“However the big message this weekend is they are the favourites, they are two leagues above us, they are at home.

“Our expectations are limited, but we have watched them, seen their strengths and weaknesses. It’s 11 versus 11 and anything could happen.”

Guillem’s first experience of following the FA Cup came with Premier League clubs, and this initially led him to believe the competition had lost some of its shine. But he admitted he was wrong.

He said: “It was only when I got involved in Biggleswade United that I understood the FA Cup. Last season we had the FA Cup at Second Meadow and there were queues of people coming in, people wanted to be with the cup.”

Victory in this round also comes with a prize fund of £3,000 for the winners. United have already pocketed useful cash from their victories at Newport Pagnell Town and Aylesbury United to reach this stage.

“The FA has its good things and bad things, there are a 
lot of problems, but at the same time the prize money at this level is massive,” said Guillem.

The match takes place on Non-League Day and it has been designated a ‘pay what you want’ fixture.

Guillem explained: “There was a conversation between the Hitchin secretary and our secretary Tracey. We wanted to make it special and this was the idea, with 10 per cent going to prostate cancer charity.”

The winners of the FA Cup tie will also collect the Save Top Field Trophy (ko 3pm).

It’s official - Central Bedfordshire is one of the best places in the UK to live for families.

That’s according to the Better Family Life Index from uSwitch.com

The annual study by the independent price comparison and switching service looks at different aspects which are important to family life and then ranks almost 140 local authorities across the UK accordingly.

This year’s study - which put Centra Bedfordshire third in the country - focused on 33 areas, ranging from health, housing, crime and education to the amount of sleep people get and the average daily hours of sunshine.

​Central Beds has risen from 11th place in 2015 to third this time around of the 138 local authorities surveyed using consumer research and government data.

Council Leader Councillor James Jamieson said: “This is great news and reaffirms what we already know – that Central Bedfordshire truly is a great place to live and work.

“We have affordable housing, great schools, excellent transport links, low levels of unemployment and some beautiful countryside and green spaces for everyone to enjoy.

“We are still a relatively young authority but it is clear that the secret is definitely out of the bag and increasing numbers of families are discovering all of the benefits that this area has to offer.”

The council has invested heavily in a new leisure centre for Flitwick, which is already proving very popular with users, and is moving forward with plans for a £20million leisure and cultural hub in the heart of Dunstable.

The number of schools rated good or outstanding by Ofsted here has risen from 75 to 86 per cent in the last four years.

There are a number of exciting and ambitious schemes in place and in the pipeline to revitalise our market towns.

The council is focusing on helping people live independently for longer, with our flagship Priory View site in Dunstable a huge hit with residents since it has opened, and a planning application submitted last week for a new independent living scheme in Houghton Regis.

Nine parks and open spaces across Central Bedfordshire were recognised in this year’s Green Flag awards.

Work is progressing well on the Woodside Link and A5-M1 Link roads with both scheduled to open in spring 2017.

Cllr Jamieson added: “When you start to compile a list of everything which is taking place in Central Bedfordshire, it is quite phenomenal – and it’s great to have some recognition.

“However, we won’t stop there and will continue to work to ensure that we have the best possible services and opportunities for residents of all ages.

“We will also continue to work hand-in-hand with big businesses who are now seeing Central Bedfordshire as the perfect place to set up shop, bringing money and jobs to the area.”

Among the other highlights here which the report picks out are:

The low levels of young people not in employment, education or training and just four per cent of children in workless households

Families have easy access to services, taking residents an average of just under ten minutes to reach their local primary school and GP – beneath the national average

Families average almost five hours’ quality time together each day, enjoy seven hours’ sleep a night (above the UK average of six hours 48 minutes) and Central Bedfordshire has an average of four hours and 34 minutes of sunshine each day

Matt Adcock reviews adult animation Sausage Party

Welcome to Shopwell’s Grocery Store – there are some great special offers available today. Get your well-meaning hot dog wieners like Frank (Seth Rogen), or his shapely bun girlfriend Brenda (Kristen Wiig) – they make an especially tasty lead duo. Or maybe you’re in the mood for a fresh ‘Jewish’ flavour bagel - Sammy (Edward Norton) and his bickering Arab flatbread Lavash (David Krumholtz), who trade all you can eat Middle East stereotype banter.

If you’ve a hankering for amusing spicy, raunchy and vulgar animation, Sausage Party has it on the menu. The plot sees the products of Shopwell’s looking forward to being purchased by the human ‘gods’ so they can be taken to ‘the great beyond’ which they have been told is a heavenly existence outside of their wrapping. But a returned pot of unwanted Honey Mustard (Danny McBride) has seen the grim truth of what humans do to the food they buy

Frank and friends must convince the food that they are doomed to be eaten, used and thrown away – an unpalatable message that goes against the phony fable that has been spread by the sage long lasting unperishable items of the store to prevent despair and panic amongst the commodities.

Directors Greg ‘Thomas The Tank Engine’ Tiernan and Conrad ‘Shrek 2’ Vernon’s filthy food-em-up is a foul mouthed blast of edible puns and sex organ sight gags – wrapped around a nihilistic analogy that mocks religious beliefs. It certainly isn’t for kids or anyone easily offended, Sausage Party’s talking food is possibly the sweariest film of the year so far, but it’s also very funny.

The humour certainly couldn’t be much less high-brow for the most part which does undermine any serious anti-religious messaging it tries for – but the scattergun bawdiness and simplistic racial stereotyping aim to offend so viewers should be prepared. This is a long long way from the family friendly Pixar classics but it packs some great voice acting such as a fun cameo from Paul ‘Ant Man’ Rudd as the ‘Dark Lord’ store employee who throws away goods with damaged packaging.

Sausage Party is a tasty new kind of comedy animation which delivers a filthy good time for adult fans of stoner comedies.

Forget fast cars, earning loads of money or even finding love - schoolchildren aged between five and 16 believe the secret to being a successful grown-up is being “happy”.

A poll by Kellogg’s found nearly 60 per cent of kids in the UK deemed happiness to be the ultimate secret to success – with just 21 per cent ranking getting married and 37 per cent going to university on their to-do list.

Top 10 things kids think you should have nailed before you turn 30

Be happy (47 per cent)

Earn lots of money (43 per cent)

Have an exciting job (41 per cent)

Go to university (32 per cent)

Have done well at school (28 per cent)

Got married (26 per cent)

Have lots of friends (26 per cent)

Travel the world (23 per cent)

Have kids (22 per cent)

Have a pet (10 per cent)

Long-serving Beds Euro MP Richard Howitt has announced he is leaving the European Parliament later this year, to become head of a leading global organisation dedicated to linking companies with society, the environment and the wider economy.

Mr Howitt will become Chief Executive of the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC), which brings together a global coalition of business, investment, regulatory and civil society representatives, to drive a global evolution in corporate reporting.

During more than 22 years as a Labour Euro MP, Richard Howitt has served as Rapporteur (lead-MEP) on Corporate Responsibility in four terms of the European Parliament, and was a key architect of the EU’s non-financial information law.

He has represented European interests in global initiatives on responsible business, including at the United Nations.

He is the second longest-serving British Member of the European Parliament, first elected in 1994, and serves as the only Labour Euro MP in the East of England.

He helped negotiate multi-million pound European investment regenerating coastal and market towns locally, establishing East coast ports and airports as priority European trade routes and devoting EU regional aid to helping local business transition to low carbon growth.

He is outgoing Chair of the European Parliamentary Labour Party. He has served as Foreign Affairs Spokesperson for both Labour and all European centre-left Euro MPs and as a member of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office Ministerial team during Labour’s period of government.

Mr Howitt said: “It has been an enormous privilege to serve in this role and I cannot thank enough the countless people who I have sought to help - and who have shown extraordinary kindness in helping me.

“It is time for me to take on a new role, but my personal values are as strong as ever, I will remain living with my family locally and I am sure the many friendships I have made will endure long in to the future.”

He will continues to undertake his full duties until his formal resignation.

A Biggleswade firm celebrated receiving a Queen’s Award for Enterprise with a special event last week.

iCandy is the only British pushchair brand to have received the Enterprise award for International Trade.

A spokesman said: “The business has helped create countless jobs and played a fundamental part in establishing Biggleswade as an area ripe for investment; with new housing developments and a thriving town centre now at the centrepiece of the community.

“With an iCandy product being sold every 12 seconds, there remains confidence in all British products as we move into a new economic era of British trade.”

The firm held a special celebration day last week. A series of special British themed events and activities were set up including a Bake Off, classic children’s lawn games, face painting, and a timeless 1940s four piece band. Meanwhile, pitchers of Pimms, an ice cream stall, and a high tea completed the classic British summer afternoon scene.

The Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire, Helen Nellis and local MP, Alistair Burt, and the Queen’s Custodian of the Official Royal Image Library, Mike O’Keefe also attended. The Lord Lieutenant presented both Bradley and Warren Appel, joint CEO’s of iCandy with a crystal engraved bowl, together with a certificate of her Majesty’s Warrant.

iCandy will use this unique export tool to further consolidate their status as a leading British pushchair brand and continuing to raise vital funds for Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital.

iCandy Joint CEO and Founder, Bradley said: “We are absolutely delighted and honoured to have been presented with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade. This award is part of an incredibly exciting and successful year.

“iCandy are extremely proud to be a British company, and this Queen’s Award highlights that luxury British products are internationally in such high demand.

“iCandy pushchairs are now gracing the homes of parents all across the globe and the iCandy name has become synonymous with quality, style and Great British design. This makes my brother Warren and myself so very proud.”

An all new production of the Broadway and West End smash hit musical comedy Sister Act stars Alexandra Burke who recently wowed audiences with her role in The Bodyguard.

Based on the smash hit movie starring Whoopie Goldberg and Maggie Smith, Sister Act tells the hilarious story of Deloris Van Cartier, a disco diva whose life takes a surprising turn when she witnesses a murder.

Under protective custody Deloris is hidden in the one place she won’t be found – a convent.

Disguised as a nun and under the suspicious watch of the Mother Superior, Deloris helps her fellow sisters to find their voices as she unexpectedly rediscovers her own.

Featuring original music, dazzling dance routines and songs inspired by Motown, soul and disco, Sister Act is one of the funniest and funkiest musicals around this autumn.

The show is directed and choreographed by Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood, who has many theatre credits to his name as a director, choreographer and performer.

Sister Act will be at Milton Keynes Theatre at 7.30pm from Monday, September 26, through to Saturday, October 1, with additional 2.30pm matinees on the Wednesday and Saturday.

Tickets cost from £15 and are available online at www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes or from the box office on 0844 871 7652.

Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner Kathryn Holloway will host one of her largest public forums to date, when she addresses her first Parish Councils Forum on Saturday.

The PCC, who will be joined by Chief Constable Jon Boutcher, Superintendent Julia Pink and Inspector Hob Hoque, will address specific policing issues in the county including rural crime, anti-social behaviour and nuisance motorbikes. It is also an opportunity for the councillors to report any specific issues facing their communities.

“It is my task and responsibility to be the public’s voice in policing, and to receive as well as transmit when it comes to the community’s views on policing and crime in the county,” said Commissioner Holloway.

“I promised in my Police and Crime Plan to communicate with the public as fully as possible, and I am facilitating this through a series of public meetings and forum events like the Parish Councils Forum.

“The day will be interesting as well as informative, as I am joined by various representatives from the Force, who will be able to address specific concerns related to off-road bikes, community safety and anti-social behaviour, among others.”

Representatives from all Bedfordshire parish councils have been invited to the event, which will be held at Priory House in Chicksands.

A care home in Potton has been told it needs to respond better to its residents.

Potton House, in Potton Road, Biggleswade, was told by inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) that it had too few staff to provide one to one support for people who needed it all the times, during its inspection earlier this year.

But the overall inspection of the home found the care provided was good.

Inspectors made an unannounced inspection of the home on June 22 this year.

It currently cares for 20 people with dementia and needs relating to their mental health.

The report said there were enough skilled, qualified staff to provide for people’s needs and that robust recruitment and selection processes were in place to ensure staff were suitable to work with people who lived at the home.

People were involved in determining their own care needs and the way in which their care was to be delivered.

But inspectors were concerned about a lack of activites on offer for residents.

The report says: “Although there is some evidence that people were supported to maintain their interests, such as one person being supported to write letters, people told us that there was very little for them to do.

“One person said, ‘Some days I have things to do but other days there is nothing here. Usually there isn’t much’.”

“We observed people as they sat in the main lounge for hours with little to stimulate them.”

The manager told inspectors there were plans in place to provide more activites and things to do, including having an Elvis Presely impersonator visit on a regular basis.

Inspectors also found there was a friendly, family atmosphere about the home and stated the home provides a good safe, effective, caring and well-led facility.

Its overall rating was that the service was good.

Shoppers could soon be getting more for their money as supermarkets gear up for the latest instalment of a raging price war in the sector.

Analysts expect Asda to be the next major player to pull the trigger following Morrisons’ announcement of its latest round of cost cuts on Sunday, with selected meat and poultry prices slashed by 12 per cent.

The move marks Morrisons’ second post-Brexit price reduction after cutting prices on more than 1,000 products by an average of 18 per cent at the start of August.

It has prompted speculation over a fresh price war between major supermarkets Morrisons, Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and discount grocers Lidl and Aldi.

“The next in line to cut prices significantly will be Asda,” Nicla Di Palma, an equity analyst at wealth manager Brewin Dolphin, said.

“They have been a big market share loser in the past 18 months and Walmart, the parent company, have deep pockets and will want to invest in prices,” Ms Di Palma added.

Asda’s market share was last calculated at around 15.5 per cent, compared to Morrisons at 10.5 per cent, Sainsbury at 16 per cent and Tesco around 28 per cent, according to Kantar Worldpanel.

The grocer’s new CEO, Sean Clarke, may embark on a “sophisticated strategy” involving a “big refresh” of existing stores and products - but cost cuts will be a faster-acting cure, Ms Di Palma said.

Asda last month reported its worst quarterly performance on record, posing a 7.5 per cent fall in like-for-like sales in the second quarter.

Clive Black, retail analyst at Shore Capital, agreed that Asda and Tesco are likely next to drop prices. However, he stressed that cuts alone will not win over British shoppers.

He noted that Morrisons boss David Potts has “delivered a revolution” over the past year, in part by focusing on a package of improvements beyond price tags.

“If Morrisons’ strategy was just about price, it wouldn’t have made the progress it has over the last 12 months,” Mr Black said, pointing to the company’s focus on merchandise, advertising, marketing and the overall shopping experience.

However, a weaker pound could ultimately push up costs in the months ahead. Sterling has fallen about 11 per cent against the US dollar since the EU referendum, and more than 9 per cent against the euro.

The weaker pound will raise the cost of food imports, which will hurt the already-low profit margins of the UK’s major grocers.

“It would be natural to expect the supermarkets to try to pass on those to consumers as the operating margins are already thin and the supermarkets can’t really afford to make even less money, or even lose money,” Ms Di Palma said.

“It is worth noting that Morrison’s ‘Price Crunch’ is for a minimum of three months’, according to Morrison’s release. Hence, Morrisons has some leeway to increase prices if input costs rise,” she said.

Morrisons is set to report second quarter earnings on September 19.

A dedicated team of police officers were on duty at Luton Airport last night (Monday) as part of a nationwide week of action tackling female genital mutilation (FGM).

Not only is carrying out FGM in this country against the law, it is also illegal to facilitate a child being taken abroad to have the procedure carried out.

The officers were stationed at the airport throughout the afternoon and evening, speaking to families arriving back in the UK in case of any concerns about FGM, providing the opportunity for any disclosures to be made, and handing out information booklets about the crime.

Detective Sergeant Elaine Cook, who led the operation, said: “Put simply, FGM is child abuse. It is a tortuous crime that inflicts needless pain and abuse on young women, physically and mentally scarring them for life.

“It’s easy to assume that FGM is the type of crime that only happens abroad, but more than 20,000 girls under the age of 15 are at risk of FGM in the UK every year.

“The operation was a chance for us to raise awareness of FGM as well as speaking to families returning from countries where FGM is more commonly practised in case they had any concerns or knowledge of the procedure taking place while they were away.”

With children returning to school this week, police are also asking both teachers and the public to be aware of the signs of FGM, as it is possible that girls were taken away over the summer holidays to have the procedure carried out.

Signs that FGM has taken place include; behavioural changes, difficulty in walking/ sitting, health problems including bladder and menstrual issues, complaints about pain, and talk of having being taken away for a special ceremony or procedure.

Det Sgt Cook added: “Because of its nature, FGM can be a hidden crime, one that is quite hard to detect. That’s why we’re urging anyone who has concerns that a girl may have been forced to undergo this horrific abuse during the summer holidays to come forward, so that we can properly investigate it and provide help to the victim while bringing those responsible to justice.”

To report a concern about FGM, contact police on 101.

The NSPCC have a free 24/7 anonymous helpline: 0800 028 3550. You can also email them on fgmhelp@nspcc.org.uk

Biggleswade Town earned themselves an FA Cup Second Qualifying Round trip to Margate after a 1-0 victory at Maldon and Tiptree on Saturday.

Maldon, conquerors of Ware in the last round, were all buoyed up with a big scalp coming to town while the Waders were on a hiding which ever way the result went.

Testing themselves to the full with five first team players not available for various reasons, a serious re-shuffle saw the star of the St Neots game, Connor Hall, in a centre half partnership with Callum Lewis. The average age of the side and bench dropped dramatically.

As a spectacle, it didn’t happen. Long periods of Wader domination were punctuated with scary moments from Maldon. A lively 11 Adam Mills put in a shot which shaved the far post.

Burnett, Ian Rees and Anderson all toiled but on a day when possibly fortune could go against the Waders nothing went right. The closest, a Burnett header hit the upright to re-bound straight back to Tony whose snatched shot sailed over the bar. At half time it was frustrating.

Playing into the stiff estuary breeze in the second half the Waders success was built on keeping the ball on the floor.

Anderson, ex-Maldon player was trying his luck wide with some success.

Just when it looked that a replay back home was likely on 73 minutes Anderson netted his debut goal, a full hit shot through a melee of players.

Enter new Maldon resolve and for the next 15 minutes all the thrill of the rollercoaster came Biggleswade’s way as Maldon pressed on. Mistakes made at the back, high balls coming in but Ian Brown dealt with it all andathe travelling army were glad to hear the final whistle.

Biggleswade travel to Frome in the Southern League Premier on Saturday and host Kings Lynn on Tuesday.

A 100 years after it was built, RAF Henlow is to be consigned to history.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has today announced plans to release the site to build new homes.

The Bedfordshire site is one of 13 announced for release by the MOD and will provide enough land for up to 780 potential new homes to be built.

All of the money generated from land sales will be invested back into meeting the needs of the Armed Forces.

The land will include the golf course at Henlow.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: “We are getting rid of land that we don’t need to build homes that we do, generating hundreds of millions of pounds in the process. Our commitment to protect and increase the budget for our armed forces means every penny of that will be reinvested into defence, helping to keep Britain safe.”

RAF Henlow is currently occupied by the RAF Henlow Station Support Unit, which will be disbanded once the station is closed. Other capabilities which use the site, including the cadet gliding capability, will be re-provided for, with further announcements expected later this year. The site will be released by the MOD by 2020.

The site started life as a military aircraft repair depot in 1917 and was opened in 1918.

Biggleswade United’s FA Cup dreams ended in the driving rain at Hitchin Town on Saturday.

For a few minutes it seemed as if the dream may become reality as United clawed their way back from a two goal deficit, before eventually succumbing to a 4-2 defeat against a slightly rattled Hitchin Town.

The Canaries advance into the Second Qualifying Round of the FA Cup once again while this stage remains the furthest United have progressed in their history.

To compound matters the hosts also emerge with the Top Field Trophy, a title contested whenever the two clubs meet after United’s assistance with the campaign to save Hitchin’s hallowed turf a few years back.

In truth the result was expected and the Hitchin faithful were still given a scare by their opponents so there are positives beyond the final scoreline to take into the rest of the season.

Over 700 people were in attendance with Sky Sports Presenter David Garrido and Non League Daily Editor Mark Carruthers among those to have opted to celebrate Non League Day down at Top Field.

Spectators were also granted entrance on a ‘pay what you want’ basis and they were entertained right from the start as the home side struck after just three minutes.

Callum Donnelly’s free kick was glanced into the far corner past a stranded Tom Wyant in the United goal. There remains some ambiguity over who met the cross but Brett Donnelly appeared to rise highest and get the final touch.

Eight minutes on the clock and another blow to United’s armoury as an incisive counter attacking move developed on the left hand side. Lucas Kirkpatrick was eventually found in the box with a low cross, although two men were queuing up behind also, and he proceeded to slot the ball neatly past Wyant.

A hammering was now on the cards as the hosts exerted their superiority right from the start. United adapted and began passing the ball with far greater assurance as the first half progressed. Their first genuine chance came when James Cooper clipped a ball towards Nick Elliot at the back post, only for the former Aston Villa academy player to loop his header over the bar. Captain Martin Russell made no mistake with his headed effort moments later as he latched onto Elliot’s free kick and despite getting a hand to it, Hitchin stopper Michael Johnson couldn’t keep it out.

Hitchin resumed control of the match before halftime without creating much. Dan Webb scuffed his volley wide after the ball broke kindly for him from a corner while Matt Lench, who also claimed to have scored his side’s first goal, headed harmlessly wide from a cross on the right hand side.

United Head Coach Cristian Colás adjusted the system during the interval with the initial 3-5-2 becoming more of a 4-5-1 as winger Charlie Joy replaced centre half and goalscorer Russell. The game was almost out of reach, however, as shortly after the break a corner caused a scramble inside the United box and required a defender to clear the ball of the line.

The visitors then had a couple chances to equalise as Elliot’s free kick was pushed out well by Johnson at his near post. Former Barcelona B midfielder Sergio Urbano then headed over from a corner before Colás made his second substitution replacing Antonio Mitri with Daril Ngwala.

Charlie Black was the hero away to Aylesbury United two weeks ago when he notched a late winner to set up this tie and he was up to old tricks again. A free kick came in from the right flank and his tame volley crept into the bottom corner to set up a compelling final half hour.

It took all of six minutes for the Canaries to regain their lead as Brett Donnelly guided his header into the far corner after meeting an average cross from the right. They were looking to kill off their opponents and when United centre back Carlos Balbao inadvertently flicked the ball on into the path of Robbie Burns it seemed as though they had. But Wyant was equal to the controlled side-footed volley from the forward.

Even if the home side weren’t dominating they had certainly taken the sting out of the game as United struggled to construct attacks of any note. Kevin Owusu entered the fray in place of Gareth Hunt in one final attempt to prevent the inevitable result.

But that alteration had little impact and in the 89th minute United’s fate was sealed by Kirkpatrick. The impressive Lench delivered a cross to the far post which he met on the half volley as the ball nestled into the bottom corner for his second goal of the match.

Cooper picked up a booking and the resulting free kick was curled over by Lench who couldn’t cap his influential performance with a goal as it finished 4-2.

A loss yes but still a performance that the significant number of travelling supporters can be proud of. The boys competed well against a team two divisions above and in patches exhibited some quality football that unsettled their higher-tiered opposition.

They depart from one illustrious competition but another big fixture arrives swiftly as United travel to KIng George V Playing Field next Saturday to take on Whitton United in the FA Vase, KO 3pm.

Puppies galore turned out with their owners to support the annual RATS dog show, and more than £1,000 was raised for the charity.

Local firm, Swinton Insurance provided a cartoonist who drew caricatures of pets and their owners for a donation to RATS .

Dogs currently looking for homes were in attendance, along with noticeboards showing cats and small mammals also looking for homes

Anyone who is looking to rehome an animal please contact RATS at www.rats-animalrescue.co.uk. Swinton Insurance have a drop off point at their office in London Road, Bedford, during office hours for food donations.

A mother and young baby were saved from a house fire in Potton on Monday after being alerted by a smoke alarm. The fire left the ground floor of their home 60% fire damaged but both escaped without injury.

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service were alerted to the fire in Byards Green, Potton at 9.35am.They found the fire in the house already well developed.

The mother and her young baby had been asleep upstairs when they were alerted to the fire that started in a cupboard under the stairs.

Firefighters quickly got the fire under control and fought the blaze wearing breathing apparatus to protect themselves. The Red Cross attended to provide assistance to the family.

Station Commander Lorraine Moore said: “This incident shows the importance of having a working smoke alarm in your home”.

A fire investigation is underway.

The ex-husband of a woman found drowned in a brook in Tempsford claimed she was let down by “ineffective” mental health services at her inquest last week.

55-year-old Jacqui Simmonds was found in the brook off Mill Lane in Tempsford on February 1 after being reported missing the previous day.

A post-mortem found several prescription drugs in her system.

On January 29, Mrs Simmonds, of Wadhurst Avenue Luton, had gone “desperately” into A&E seeking help.

A serious incident review after her death found that the nurse who carried out her assessment failed to check the new electronic system which would have revealed Mrs Simmonds had attempted an overdose at a private psychiatric unit in Oxford three days previously.

Retired air hostess Mrs Simmonds was accompanied to A&E by her elderly mother – who was unaware of her daughter’s previous suicide attempt.

At last Thursday’s inquest at Ampthill, Mrs Simmond’s husband of 25 years Peter was visibly moved as he heard the details of his ex-wife’s attempted overdose on January 25.

He said: “It’s awful. I didn’t know any of it. This is the first time I’ve heard about it at all.”

The doctor who interviewed her after the attempted overdose reported that Mrs Simmonds didn’t wish her mother to be informed and that as she was willing to engage with the crisis team in Luton, there weren’t grounds to breach confidentiality.

Mr Simmonds said: “I saw her GP and he didn’t know anything about it and I think it’s disgraceful. I think the crisis team was disgraceful. I think its ineffectual, it just doesn’t work.”

A serious incident review was carried out by mental health nurse Paul Rake on behalf of East London Foundation Trust – the authority responsible for mental health services in Bedfordshire. His report highlighted a number of care delivery problems and service delivery problems relating to Mrs Simmonds’ treatment.

Mr Rake said: “The crisis team was greatly affected and they found it a traumatic outcome.

“When I met with her nephew Mr Hayes, he said that she had noticed that two of the staff who had left the house were laughing and she thought they were laughing at her. I couldn’t find any evidence to suggest that that was the case.”

The coroner then requested future confirmation from the trust that the review’s recommendations are undertaken. He told Mrs Simmond’s husband: “It’s important that not only is East London Foundation Trust learning the lessons, but we as the public are seeing that.”

In a tribute to his late wife, Mr Simmonds said: “Jacqui was the most fantastic person in the world,” before breaking into tears.

“She had a hysterectomy and I think that affected her quite badly. Since then it was picking fault with everything, she left me and was looking for something that she was never going to get and it’s a very sad end.

“I think the drugs are bad as well. It seems to me as soon as you go on drugs you want to commit suicide.”

It was explained that Mrs Simmonds was originally from Newport, Wales.

Another family member added: “She was very glamorous and lived life to the full. The way she conducted herself, she was always encouraging of other people, even complete strangers.”

Concluding the hearing, assistant coroner Ian Pears said: “For me, I have to be close to 100% sure about suicide. I don’t think there is sufficient evidence here for me to be persuaded that this was suicide. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t – only she knows that.

“As a result I will find accidental death. That’s the finding I’m going to make in terms of the law.”

Langford rarely troubled the keeper in a heavy 4-0 defeat at Hillingdon Borough on Saturday.

Borough kicked off in blustery conditions on a good but narrow pitch in this SSML Division One fixture.

Langford dominated the opening exchanges and set up three good chances, none of which were taken.

Then in the 14th minute Langford keeper Ross Tomkins misjudged the flight of the ball in the swirling wind and was adjudged to have handled outside the area, he was shown a straight red card.

This turned the game and four minutes later Allan Bryan broke away and crossed for Andrew Harewood to head the hosts into the lead.

On 34 minutes, with Langford in some disarray, James Walters burst down the right wing and his cross found Tashan Jordan in front of goal, he tapped the ball in for the second.

Four minutes later Tashan Jordan crossed for Matt Lee to smash home a volley from 15 yards.

Langford reshuffled for the second half, bringing on Sean Murray at the back, and immediately looked stronger. Despite good possession and Pat Daly playing his heart out as the lone out and out attacker, Langford rarely troubled the home keeper.

At the other end Gudgin pulled off a great save at the foot of a post from Laurie Walters. Then deep into injury time Tashan Jordan ran through and shot rifled his into the net for the fourth.

Langford’s next match is at home to Baldock Town in the FA Vase Preliminary Round One on Saturday, kick off 3pm.

Langford: Ross Tomkins (capt), Rhys Calvano, Ross Scotney, Steven Redmond, Michael Moss, Craig Meyrick, Ricky Clark, Stephen Brooks, Pat Daly, Jason Penman, Tom Bryant.

Subs: Jack Magill (used), Karl Gudgin (used), Brandon James, Sean Murray (used), Lewis Ellis.