Police crime figures for a spate of car thefts and damage in Kings Reach have revealed up to 25 incidents took place in just one night.

The latest crime figures for Biggleswade reveal the attacks, on August 27/28, were either classed as interference with a motor vehicle or theft from a motor vehicle.

Vehicles were targeted in roads including Buttercup Mead, Venus Avenue, Rutherford Way and Kennett Drive.

After the attacks police stepped up patrols in the
area.

The crime figures, presented to Bigglewade Town Council at its September meeting, show 147 crimes were reported in the Biggleswade area in August.

This compares to 142 reported crimes in June.

Among the reported crimes are nine cases of harrassment, two cases of GBH, two of sending letters with intent to cause distress and eight cases of assault,

Thefts from shops and stalls continue to dog the area, but there was also two cases of sending letters with intent to cause distress, a theft of mail, one case of arson, on August 7, which was not considered a threat to life, and an assault on a police officer, which happened on August 2.

There was also a case of allowing a dog to be dangerously out of control on August 15.

Two sexual offences wer reported on August 21 and August 27 but there is no date 
of when the offences took place.

>Bedfordshire Police are holding an Op Chain event at the Sainsbury’s superstore, Bells Brook, Biggleswade on October 4 between 1-5pm.

The aim of the event is to offer advice on how to keep vans safe and protect valuable tools from thieves.

New sport and leisure facilities are to be provided for Stondon residents as part of a development linked to a scheme which will provide 40 homes in the village.

The housing is to be built on land at the back of Stondon Lower School and playing fields in Upper Stondon.

Its other project involves the demolition of the village hall and sports pavilion on land next to 6 The Pastures at Upper Stondon.

A new village hall and sports pavilion will be built, along with a tennis court, school playground and an improved car parking area.

These proposals were also agreed by Central Bedfordshire Council’s development management committee.

“The redevelopment of Stondon Recreation Association facilities and the parish council-owned village hall in Stondon offer significant community gains,” said Nigel Benson, chairman of Stondon Parish Council.

“We are concerned the development schedule will delay these gains,” he told the meeting last Wednesday.

“The village hall is widely used so talks are required to ensure access to the facilities are maintained while the village hall is being rebuilt,” he said. “Ideally the new sports pavilion needs to be open before the old one is knocked down. This will provide an interim facility for village hall users while the new hall is being built,” he explained.

“We are pleased we finally have a vision of new community facilties in sight, albeit funded by 40 houses in a village beseiged by developers.”

See page 12.

Just Strange enough to work.

Strange Brigade might just be one of the most surprising titles of the year.

Strange it certainly is, think Indiana Jones meets Scooby Doo and Tomb Raider with some Last of Us thrown in for good measure.

SB is a cooperative third-person shooter and that’s the key, the true essence of the game lies in the co-op action.

You take control of one of four characters from the Strange Brigade in the 1930s and fight against different mythological enemies while solving puzzles along the way following the archetypal colonial action-adventure storyboard.

You can team up with three other players against mummies, giant scorpions and minotaurs with plenty of customisation at your fingertips.

There is a great inventory of weapons available throughout the game and they can all be upgraded. You also use and activate various traps, such as spinning blades and spikes, to kill enemies.

Co-op play is Rebellion’s crowning achievement in this beautiful looking adventure with teamwork proving utterly satisfying.

The brilliant environments all add to the experience while the level difficulty and design truly encourages genuine close cooperation between players.

The game can feel a touch shallow at times and playing alone offers nothing like the same level of enjoyment and can be a real grind.

SB doesn’t quite execute everything to the same level of its excellent design.

That is the major disappointment but on the flip side it definitely leaves plenty of room for improvement and a desire for a sequel.

What it lacks in finesse it more than makes up for in charm with the ultra British theme great fun along the way.

Stylish with many more pluses than minuses, SB breathes new life into a jaded genre and won’t disappoint. Bags of personality helps paper over a few cracks but I am certain this will not be the last we see of the Strange Brigade.

Two Hatters stars turned up at Smyths Toys in Luton on Friday to try out the latest console football game Fifa 2019 - but who would triumph?

Midfielder Luke Berry and striker Danny Hylton grabbed the PlayStation controllers to see who would be crowned Fifa champion.

The game had been officially released hours earlier, with 30 diehards turning up at midnight for a special late night opening of the Chaul End Lane store, so they could be among the first to own a copy of the much-anticipated game.

Clearly wanting to put on a good show for the assembled media and public, the duo each picked a team with high stats - Luke opting for Man City and Danny for Barcelona.

And it was Luke who took the honours, with a 3-2 victory (see the key action in our video), with Danny claiming at one point the control buttons hadn’t been working properly!

The players also took on some of the public with one supporter (playing as Saturday’s opponents Charlton) holding Luke (playing as the Hatters this time) to a 0-0 draw.

Luke had a golden chance to win that match in the 84th minute but a controversial late penalty ended up being shot nearer to the corner flag than the goal – presumably due to confusion over those control buttons again!

Danny then held on against another young supporter for a goalless stalemate, before it was time for the Luton News reporting team in attendance to head for the exits (to do some proper work!) as the players also took the time to sign autographs and pose for pictures.

The latest appeareances at Luton Magistrates Court

On August 21

> Jack Armond aged 31 of Strawberry Fields, Great Barford, was fined £334 and received three penalty points for speeding in Woburn on February 15.

> Stuart Bailey aged 44 of Hillary Rise, Arlesey, was fined a total of £484 and received four penalty points for speeding in Clifton on February 15.

> Mrs Laura Bernal aged 30 of High Street, Arlesey, was fined a total of £238 and received three penalty points for speeding in Shillington on February 15.

> Alan Harper aged 53 of Hawthorn Croft, Stotfold, was fined £100 and received three penalty points for speeding in Woburn on February 15.

> Desmond Kavanagh aged 53 of Kingsley Avenue, Stotfold, was fined a total of £335 and received three penalty points for speeding in Woburn on February 17.

> Adam Marchant aged 25 of Filland Court, Sandy, was fined a total of £335 and received three penalty points for speeding on the A603 at Moggerhanger on February 16.

On August 22

> Dr Olotu Ogonah aged 54 of Station Road, Sandy, was fined a total of £299 and banned from driving for six months for speeding on the A603 at Moggerhanger on October 15.

> Mark Peace aged 49 of Bilberry Road, Clifton, was fined a total of £811 and banned from driving for six months for failing to provide the name of the driver of his car believed to have committed an offence last year.

On August 23

> Thomas Hill aged 32 of Winston Crescent, Biggleswade, was fined a total of £1.086 and received 10 penalty points for drink driving in Shefford on July 22 and damaging property at a house in Shefford on the same day.

Staff at Sandy Sports and Community Centre who faced losing their jobs have been given a reprieve while a public consultation takes place.

The staff at the Engayne Avenue centre, based in what is now Sandy Secondary School, had been under notice of possible redundancy.

But Central Bedfordshire Council says the talks have been paused to allow a public consultation on leisure services in Sandy.

A spokesman said: “We are discussing with the school and our leisure contractors, Stevenage Leisure Limited, to see how best the leisure services at Sandy can be continued, and to minimise any impact on customers and Stevenage Leisure staff as far as possible.

“We will be consulting with the public on what and how we might provide leisure services in Sandy in the future. Stevenage Leisure had started consulting with its staff, but that is now paused until a public consultation process has been completed. All bookings at Sandy will go on as usual and no changes will take place before a consultation process has taken place.”

In a letter to staff, seen by the Chronicle, contractors Stevenage Leisure Ltd (SLL) said: “CBC has given notice to Sandy Upper School [now secondary school] that the sports facilities will revert to school management at the proposed date of October 28, 2018 and that SLL’s management contract will be limited to management of the gym and the Jenkins Pavilion.

“Actions will be taken to physically cut off the school buildings from the gym area and SLL’s activities will reduce as a result.”

The letter also states the leisure operation at Sandy needs to reduce operational costs to make it affordable to CBC and SLL.

Local clubs has also been getting in touch with the Chronicle to say they have been told facilities will no longer be available at the end of next month.

SLL also runs several other leisure facilities in Bedfordshire including Houghton Regis Leisure Centre, Tiddenfoot Leisure Centre, The Grove Theatre in Dunstable and Silsoe Community Sports Centre.

>Have you been affected by the changes? Contact us at editorial@biggleswadechronicle.co,uk

Karl Phillips and The Rejects have revealed plans for a huge 20-date UK tour this autumn.

The Northants based ska rap outfit kick off The Greatest Roadman tour this weekend in London before heading across the country throughout October and November.

The tour heads to MK11 in Milton Keynes on October 25 and the Craufurd Arms in Wolverton on November 2 for acoustic shows.

They then return to the region on November 22 for another acoustic gig at the Three Cocks in Kettering.

The following night Phillips and The Rejects will be playing a full band show at The Lab in Northampton before the tour concludes at Esquires in Bedford on November 30.

Tickets are on sale now.

For more information visit www.fb.com/karlphillipsandtherejects

One man has been jailed, two others given suspended sentences and a 17-year-old given a detention order, after they were found guilty of a violent assault in a Shefford pub carpark last year.

Devon Zsentko, 19, of Kingsway, Hitchin, Herts, was found guilty of assault, causing grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray and was sentenced to two years and four months’ imprisonment, with Judge Tayton noting that he was the instigator of the violence.

Jack Medlock, 20, of Elm Farm Close, Clifton, was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and affray and was jailed for ten months, suspended for 18 months. He was also ordered to undertake 200 hours of unpaid work and 20 days of Rehabilitation Activity Requirement.

Lachlan Brierly, 18, of Chase Close, Arlesey, was found guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm and affray and jailed for nine months, suspended for 18 months, along with a requirement to undertake 200 hours of unpaid work.

A 17-year-old boy from Shefford, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was also found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray, and sentenced to 18 months detention and a training order. He was also served with a Criminal Behaviour Order.

The incident took place in the early hours of 1 July 2017, when two victims were attacked by the group in the car park of The Cornerstone pub after they had tried to intervene as the group attacked another person.

The group then turned on them, violently assaulting both.

Detective Constable Kevin Howes, who investigated the incidents, said: “The group has been found guilty of this violent attack, which left two victims with (remove) injured purely for trying to help another person.

“I would like to recognise the bravery of the victims and thank them for their help and patience with our enquiries throughout this investigation.

“There is no doubt that these individuals have caused worry and upset within the local community and am happy that the courts have sent a clear message with their sentencing in this case, which will hopefully deter any such future offending.

“We would also like to reinforce our message that violence is unacceptable; we will track the offenders down and bring them to justice.”

Set around a private courtyard and amidst five acres of gardens, terraces, and paddocks is this amazing stone country house in the village of Gayhurst in North Buckingham.

The picturesque property is an exquisite new build and boasts a wealth of fabulous features including underfloor heating, a fully integrated sound and lighting system, a pool room, games room and cinema room.

This property is made for those who want the perfect country life, all in one place.

Built by Prestige Homes in 2016, a massive 12,180 sq ft of living accommodation guarantees luxurious living.

Double oak doors open to the reception hall and marble flooring which continues throughout the ground floor.

There are three main reception rooms, including a sitting room with doors to the pool room and heated exercise pool with a decked area for post-workout relaxation.

If you’re more in the mood for lounging, you can enjoy optimum viewing comfort in the leather seats in the cinema room.

Guests will be clamouring to stay and accommodating them won’t be a problem.

There are five ensuite bedrooms in the main house including a beautiful master suite with dressing room, luxury bathroom, steam room and two sun terraces.

Two separate and self-contained annexes provide an additional four bedrooms.

The village’s name - ‘Gayhurst’ - is an Old English word meaning ‘wooded hill where goats are kept’ and the village has a hard-to-beat location surrounded by parkland, woodlands and rivers.

Close to the South Northamptonshire border, Newport Pagnell is only three miles away and the centre of Milton Keynes is a short 15-minute drive - perfect for shopping or fast commuter trains to London.

This amazing home is available through Michael Graham for £3 million.

There are 31 additional acres of land available by separate negotiation.

Central Bedfordshire Council has got tough with travellers after gaining an injunction banning eleven named individuals setting up unauthorised encampments anywhere in Central Bedfordshire over the next two years.

CBC states these individuals and their families have caused “disruption”, “anti-social behaviour” and “large clean-ups” which impacted on local communities.

The 11 individuals come from the Parker, Simms, Loveridge, Smith, Johnson, Whitney, Lewis and Holmes families.

A CBC spokesman said: “Over the last year, Central Bedfordshire Council has undertaken a huge amount of work to secure council-owned land, including installing height barriers, bunding, ditches and strengthening gates.”

Preventative measures have taken place in Dunstable including the Court House, Grove theatre, Skimpot Lane, Brewers Hill car park and Go Bowling areas.

The council has also been advising private landowners on suitable measures to take on their land. Additionally, they have been liaising with Highways England to protect Junction 12 of the M1.

The injunction stops any unauthorised encampments on specific parcels of land in Ridgmont, Husborne Crawley, Brogborough, Salford, Lidlington, Marston Moretaine, Lower Shelton and Wootton.

Cllr Ian Dalgarno, executive for community services, said: “The injunction will help us further by acting as a deterrent but also anyone who breaks the injunction faces the threat of arrest.”

There was cake and bubbly as members of Wrestlingworth WI celebrated the insitute’s centenary - one of only five in Bedfordshire to reach the landmark occasion.

Fifty members, guests, past members who have left the district and three representatives from the County Federation including chairman Sally Ball, enjoyed a sumptuous tea, a piece of celebration cake and a glass of Prosecco, at the event on September 18.

The proceedings, as was fitting, started with a rousing rendition of ‘Jerusalem’.

The two cakes decorated by Yvonne Hall were cut by long standing members Rosemary Chapman and Evelyn Wilding and a rolling computerised presentation of archive photographs prepared by Ron Pickford ran throughout the evening.

The Sandy Ukelele Band, whose skill and musicianship always get everyone singing, completed the entertainment.

A Biggleswade school has seen some major changes over the summer.

Ivel Valley School has undergone a huge transformation across its two sites in the town.

The school was previously set up with the primary school on The Baulk and the secondary school on Hitchmead Road.

The two sites have been restructured, with The Baulk site becoming Ivel Valley College, and the Hitchmead Road site accommodating the school.

The restructure coincides with the launch of a new website, which showcases what Ivel Valley is able to offer pupils, families and the wider community.

The college, which caters for pupils aged 16 to 19, is well placed, being located close to the town and transport links to allow the students easier access to the community.

A school spokesman said: “As a special school, life skills are an important part of the young people’s education.

“The location of the college enables students to be more independent, especially when taking part in travel training.

“The school site, which provides places for 3 to 16-year-olds, boasts ample outdoor space.

“Primary aged pupils, who previously only had to access to a concrete playground, now have use of a safe green space to play, as well as access to a sensory garden and large sports field.

“The restructure means that the college can concentrate on opportunities for the development of student choice, independent living, social skills and vocational and work-related learning.”

They added: “The post-16 curriculum is designed to celebrate success for all whilst curriculum for the younger pupils can now include a wider variety of outdoor learning, with an area of the grounds already earmarked for development as an outdoor classroom.”

Principal, Joe Creswick, is keen to maintain the rate of progress.

He said: “Following a ‘Good’ Ofsted rating in May this year, we continue to strive towards becoming a Centre of Excellence.

“I am extremely proud of the progress we have made as a school and look forward to building on the links we already have with the local community.”

Visit https://www.ivelvalley.beds.sch.uk/

Savvy parents and parents-to-be in the Biggleswade area can find top quality baby and children’s clothes and other goods at a sale being held in town.

Catering for youngsters aged 0-8 years, there will be toys, bikes and baby and children’s equipment at the NCT nearly new sale.

The NCT Biggleswade, Sandy and District Branch sale is on Saturday, October 13 at Stratton Upper School, from 10.30am to noon. NCT members with a valid card are admitted at 10.15am.

NCT Nearly New Sales offer excellent quality used baby and children’s items and shoppers can look to save up to 75% on the price of most goods.

Families with baby and toddler items they no longer need can ensure they go to a good home through the sale. They’ll make some cash too as sellers keep 75% of the proceeds with the rest being donated to the charity for local and national projects.

A spokeswoman for the branch said: “Our volunteers ensure that the quality of the goods at our sales is excellent and shoppers can bag some real baby bargains. Whether you’re buying, selling or both you can be sure you’re helping to support other parents in the area by funding NCT’s vital work.

“Did you know there’s a feeding counsellor at The Children’s Centre who has helped countless women to initiate and maintain feeding? Did you know that she’s not funded by the NHS, or the council, but by the volunteers at your local NCT?

There is someone local on hand to help if women decide to breastfeed and need a bit of extra help. However, without our sales this valuable local resource would be lost. So, if you’ve ever used her services, know someone who has, or just think it’s a great thing for new parents to have right on their doorstep, please help us make our sales a success.”

The spring nearly new sale consisted of over 50 volunteers throughout the sale sorting through around 10,000 sale items and raised over £2,000 for charity.

Nearly New Sales are open to everyone, not just NCT members, and there are around 400 held annually in the UK. The income generated from these sales helps the charity support parents, fund helplines, provide breastfeeding counsellors, train antenatal teachers and offer many more services.

For more information, visit www.nct.org.uk/nns

A man has died after being hit by a train at Arlesey this morning.

A spokesman for British Transport Police said: “Officers were called to Arlesey railway station at 7am this morning after a report of a person being struck by a train.

“Colleagues from the ambulance service also attended, however, a 32-year-old man, from Bedfordshire, was pronounced dead at the scene. His family has been informed.

“This incident is not currently being treated as suspicious and a file will be prepared for the coroner.”

A statement from Thameslink said: “All lines have reopened between Peterborough and London Kings Cross, as Network Rail response staff and emergency services have now tended to the person who was hit by a train on the lines between Peterborough and Stevenage.

“However, train services running between these stations may still be cancelled, delayed by up to 45 minutes or revised as the service recovers.

“Disruption is currently expected until 12:30.

“You’re strongly advised to allow extra time for your journey this morning, check journey planners and speak with station staff.

“If you are at a station that does not have any staff, please press the help point for assistance.”

Born trippy, VR that gets in your head.

When I first started playing video games in the 1980s little did I imagine I’d be here 30 years later living them.

Virtual reality may have had an air of inevitability about it as far back as the 90s but it is slowly becoming a big deal in the video game world.

Transference is evidence of that given that celebrated studio Ubisoft Montreal is getting in on the act despite the platform’s relative infancy and it is rather interestingly produced by Elijah Wood of Lord of the Rings fame.

What’s it all about then? Well Transference is a single player VR game which focuses on a family struggling with some serious issues.

It is all set inside in a corrupted simulation made by a brilliant but “troubled” scientist named Raymond Hayes.

From the perspective of different family members, the simulation is constructed from the “brain data” of Raymond, his wife, and their young son, they’ll move through their home, discover their secrets and collect the evidence that they need to repair their lives and relationships.

If puzzle solving and psychedelic horror is your thing you’re in for a treat. As you start out you might think the game is broken as the world you are in isn’t complete.

It appears that the software has crashed but you soon realise that this is a clever way of directing you in the right direction. If you wander off the right path and make wrong decisions you will soon know about it and without me spoiling it, all I’ll say is the game does it in a way that makes you never want to make the same mistake twice.

Part of the focus of the game is the light switches which appear to zone you into another dimension and what you do in this zone directly impacts other zones.

If you’re a fan of panic rooms then this could be perfect for you.

At times the movement seems sluggish and it is occasionally difficult to highlight items to pick them up and study them but this is only a small gripe. The look of the game is polished with great graphics and lighting and add to this perfectly placed sound effects creating a superb sense atmosphere.

For VR players that struggle with motion sickness this may be a struggle however the game can also be played outside of VR which is easily achieved through the settings menu.

A solid offering that will appeal to your twisted psychological side.

Travel journalist Jan Henderson visits the Slovenian ski resort of Kranjska Gora.

My first real awareness of skiing probably started with Ski Sunday in the late Seventies, with the excitable and incomparable David Vine waxing lyrical about fearsome downhill skiing in the Alps – and he frequently seemed to be broadcasting from such improbable and exotic-sounding places as Crans Montana and Kranjska Gora. Well, it’s taken nearly 40 years, but I finally got to ski in Kranjska Gora earlier this year… and it was worth the wait!

It’s a tribute to the pretty little Slovenian ski resort that they are still hosting regular FIS World Cup downhill events there – with the massive growth in the sport and the corporatisation of the whole international ski racing scene it would have been no surprise to find out that Kranjska Gora had long since been edged out of the limelight in favour of bigger, brasher, steeper venues.

Needless to say, I’m no downhiller – but I am pleased the resort has kept its World Cup status against the odds, and without compromising what makes it such a delight to ski and visit. For Kranjska Gora, nestled in Slovenia’s Julian Alps and close to the borders of both Austria and Italy, is primarlly a resort for beginners, early intermediates and families.

That said, the resort’s modest 20-odd kilometres of scenic tree-lined slopes are beautifully kept and offer a lot of variety. Steer clear, obviously, if you want to pound the miles and ski different slopes and pistes every day for a week – but if you are a competent skier on holiday with a mixed group or a young family there is still plenty here to savour and enjoy.

The steeper slopes are at the Podkoren side of the mountain, and with a couple of black runs – one of which is the World Cup slalom and giant slalom run – and some decent reds and blues, there’s enough to keep most intermediates happy. The ski school is excellent, so it could be a good opportunity to book some lessons and get some expert and friendly help on brushing up your technique.

And for kids and beginners of all ages, the resort is perfect – with the help of the helpful, English-speaking ski instructors, there are plenty of nursery slopes to get the basics and then a variety of friendly blue runs reaching up into the trees and served by drag or chair lifts to build up confidence and technique. It’s a far cry from the often impersonal and daunting learn-to-ski experience at some of the giant French ski resorts – and if the kids are relaxed and happy that’s got to be good news for mum and dad!

Although the resort is low at 838 metres and the top station at about 1600 metres, the snow conditions are usually good – certainly when I visited last March the pistes were all in perfect condition, and well groomed too. With 75% of the resort covered by snow-making equipment, they also have the ability to make up for any lack of natural snow.

There’s no getting away from the fact that a ski holiday – especially a family one – can quickly become a very expensive business, but in Kranjska Gora it is about as cheap as you are likely to get. In 2017 the Post Office Travel’s annual Money Family Ski Report compared the cost of six days’ equipment hire, lift passes and lessons, as well as the average price for lunch on the mountain, for a family of four at a variety of resorts across the Alps. The Slovenian resort topped the value-for-money chart and was one of six resorts surveyed where local prices had dropped year on year, reducing the impact for skiers and snowboarders of the fall in the value of sterling following the Brexit referendum.

Crystal are currently quoting typical in-resort costs of a cup of coffee €1.50, small beer €2, glass of Coke €2.50, burger and fries €6 and pizza €7 – that’s amazing value when you consider you could well be paying €8 for a coffee and €10 for a plate of fries in a big French, Swiss or Austrian resort and those savings can really make a difference for a young family on a week’s holiday. Small wonder that Kranjska Gora is popular with the Italians and Austrians, who are happy to pop over the border for some good value skiing!

The hotels and restaurants in resort are also welcoming and very good value. Our party stayed at the comfortable Hotel Kompas, a little under 10 minutes’ walk from the foot of the pistes – family-friendly with a good buffet selection for breakfast and dinner, it also has an indoor pool with separate kids pool, wellness area with sauna, hot tub or Turkish steam bath (extra charge) and a kids play room. For the adults there’s a well-stocked bar that maintains the Kranjska Gora value-for-money theme – we enjoyed generous cocktails served up by the friendly barman for less than €5 each!

There’s little in the way of on-the-mountain restaurants, but a good variety of establishments offering pizzas, burgers, barbecued meats and local specialities strung along the foot of the pistes – so something to suit most tastes, and, again, remarkably good value.

If you tire of skiing, a visit to the area’s other main claim to fame is a must – just up the valley and round the corner from Kranjska Gora is the stunning Planica Nordic Centre, which houses one of the biggest ski jumps in the world. Planica is actually eight ski jumping hills, ranging from small training jumps to the huge jump that regularly hosts World Cup events and saw the first-ever 200m jump, by Finn Toni Nieminen in 1994.

The whole area has been totally upgraded and also hosts a 566 metre long zip wire next to the flying hill. It was closed when we visited, to my relief, but we went up the chairlift to the top of the main ski jump and peered over to look at the dizzying drop – massive respect to the fearless souls who plunge down it…

Safely at the foot of the jump is the impressive Nordic Centre, which hosts an amazing indoor cross-country ski facility, wind tunnel where you can experience the feeling of flying, and a fascinating museum that chronicles Slovenia’s long and proud history in the ski jumping tradition. Well worth a visit.

David Vine was excited to be in Kranjska Gora all those years ago, and so was I – a resort full of enjoyable surprises, unexpectedly good skiing and great family value. If you are looking for a family ski holiday or one with a mixed ability group that won’t break the bank I recommend you put Kranjska Gora on your shortlist.

Jan Henderson travelled to Kranjska Gora with Crystal Ski Holidays (www.crystalski.co.uk; 020 8610 3123) who offer a week’s full board at the four star Hotel Kompas in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia from £619 per person (based on two sharing) including flights from London Gatwick to Salzburg and transfers (price given is for departure on 12 January 2019). Direct flights available from all major UK airports.

Biggleswade Town secured back-to-back victories in the league and cup this week.

They began with a 2-0 victory over early season strugglers Redditch at the Carlsberg Stadium on Saturday.

A sunny afternoon saw both sides wanting to win, Waders not having lost a league game but drawing the past five while Redditch were in desperate need of points.

After just three minutes Matt Ball has a chance for first blood but his shot went over the bar. When your luck is out, nothing it seems will change it as both Redditch’s Nelson and Whitingham had one on one chances with Sam Donkin but both put wide.

Perry, Bradshaw, Urquhart and Longe-King kept the visiting forwards quiet after the initial scares.

Then just before the half hour a throw from the right by Jack Bradshaw was flicked on by Josh Urquhart, and at the back post debutant Joe White netted his first goal for the Waders.

The feeling around the ground was that a second goal would clinch the points. White dominated in the air and is looking a good prospect. Jonny McNamara showed his skills down the left flank to tease and work positions.

The final goal came deep into injury time at the end of the game and it was a real thunderbolt. From a free kick wide to the left, Bradshaw powered the ball into the net from fully 35 yards. Redditch had no time to reply and the relief for the Waders to run out winners was clear to see.

On Tuesday they smashed nine past Yaxley in the City Security Services Ltd League Challenge Cup.

Yaxley play one league lower but the Waders did a thoroughly professional job.

From the eighth minute, as the first goal went in from Martel Powell, to the last goal on 83 minutes from Matt Ball, as the score suggests Biggleswade were in complete control offering very few chances to Yaxley.

The pick of the strikes was Joe White’s first, a shot from the edge of the area that powered in just underneath the crossbar.

Meanwhile Robbie Buchanan’s first as he ran into the area, chested the ball down and fired an unstoppable shot was just as impressive while Lucas Kirkpatrick notched up two very similar goals, both curling shots from outside the box into the top corner.

In the end there were braces for Joe White, Robbie and Kirkpatrick with the other three from Powell, Ball and Solomon Nwabuokei.

At the back Perry, Longe-king, Smith and Bradshaw kept Yaxley in chains while the midfield constantly broke up opposition play. It was thoroughly convincing and a great confidence booster for the next league game at home to Banbury on October 13.

Arlesey Town’s impressive start in the SSML Premier continued with a 2-1 home victory over Colney Heath on Saturday.

They began well and were in front with ten minutes gone. Ash Fuller put in a great corner and Tom Guiney headed back across the goal for Lorrell Smith to head in.

A heavy tackle on Fuller was waved away before, ten minutes later, Arlesey won a succession of corners. The Blues implemented their well-rehearsed routine and this time Hatch headed back across goal for Aaron Gooch to head home the second.

Arlesey were now in control; Hatch found Alex O’Brien who hit a good long shot that was well stopped by May, then the same player beat two defenders and hit a shot that deflected onto the bar.

Colney Heath put the Blues under pressure early in the second period and Harvey Scott beat the defence to a cross in to head home and make it 2-1.

There’s a tough test for Arlesey on Saturday when they welcome Tring.

The latest court news from Luton Magistrates court

On August 24

> Miss Carla Cummins aged 30 of Albone Avenue, Arlesey, was fined a total of £470 and received three penalty points for misuse of a parking space in St Neots on May 4, 2017, and speeding on the A1 at Sandy on June 19, 2017.

On August 28

> Caroline Wilkinson aged 39 of Albone Avenue, Arlesey, was fined a total of £195 and received four penalty points for speeding on Hanscombe End Road, Shillington on February 15.

> Ralf Wilsher aged 76 of Reynolds Close, Biggleswade, was fined a total of £335 and received three penalty points for speeding on the A1 at Lower Caldecote on February 20.

On August 29

> Gary Davidson aged 49 of High Street, Sandy, was fined a total of £187 amd banned from driving for six months for for speeding on Lovell Road, Oakley on two occasions on November 7, and one occasion on November 24.

On August 30

> Jamie Fletcher aged 32 of The Grange, Caldecote, was jailed for six months and fined a total of £115 for a string of offences in Sandy, Biggleswade and Bedford. He pleaded guilty to stealing 12 steaks and three joints of meat from the Sandy Co-Op on June 30, three bottles of vodka from Asda in Biggleswade on July 7, three bottles of aftershave from TKMaxx in Bedford on July 31, failed to surrender to bail, stole alcohol from Sainsbury’s in Bedford between August 6-8, was found with a kitchen knife on Castle Mound in Bedford on August 28 and was found in possession of drugs on August 28 in Bedford.

> Aaron Briggs aged 29 of Vickers Close, Biggleswade, was given a conditional discharge for 12 months and fined a total of £20 for damaging a doorway at an Aragon Housing property in Biggleswade on August 10, and resisting a policeman, He was also given a 50 day suspended custodial sentence, for non payment of fines.

Bedfordshire Police has arrested two men following the discovery of a cannabis factory in Chicksands this morning (Friday 5 October).

The factory was discovered by heat source detectors on a police helicopter and a warrant was executed by officers at 9am.

Sergeant Rachael Welch, who led the team, said: “We found almost 70 plants in the property which were ready for cropping and we are really pleased to have removed the plants before they reached the drugs market.

“As a force we take offences involving possession and supply of drugs very seriously and are committed to stopping drug supply before it can have adverse effects on our community.”