full April Bulletin - Biggleswade Rugby Club

26 BULLETIN APRIL 2012 TEL: 01234 834700 EDITORIAL: editorial@biggleswadebulletin.co.uk‘Walkers are Welcome’ outcome awaitedYOU MAY recall from Februaryand March’s articles that we andSandy Town Council were seekingWalkers are Welcome status forSandy. There are over 70 Walkersare Welcome towns and villagesacross Britain and it brings a numberof benefits. It helps strengthen atown’s reputation as a place for visitorsto come to enjoy the outdoors,bringing useful benefits to the localeconomy. We needed the support ofthe community to help with ourapplication for this status and weasked you to sign a petition, as it wasa requirement that we had to have500 signatures endorsing this action.Thanks to all of you who signedthe petition and also to the Sandypubs, cafes and food outlets andaccommodation providers whokindly assisted us by having petitionson their premises. The signatureswere speedily obtained and thenumber of signatories far exceededthe number required.The application has now beenforwarded to the appropriate bodyand we eagerly wait to hear whetherSandy will become the first town inEast Anglia to gain this importantstatus.gREEnSAnD RIDgE WAlKFESTIVAl: On SUNDAY, 22ndAPRIl to mark the 25th anniversaryof the Greensand Ridge Walk weand Sandy Town Council are hostinga day of celebrations from 9.30amby Steve Purchasepress@sandy-history.org.ukOUR FIRST Open meeting in March wasresounding success, with well over 40 membersand guests attending a most interesting and entertainingpresentation from Stephen Nakonezcny,who the assembled audience a potted history ofthe railways in and around Sandy from earliestbeginnings until modern times. Stephen’s talk wasillustrated with some excellent slides, mostly incolour, showing some interesting historicalinsights into the landscape of yesteryear – much ofwhich has now disappeared due to ‘modernisation’.All in all, a tremendous journey down memorylane.Our programme for 2012 has had to change forlogistical reasons and therefore, please look at therevised events table as shown below and amendyour diaries as necessary.One important point to note: our Marchmeeting was well attended and the car park wasfull outside Quince Court, so please allow a littleextra time if you find you need to park furtherdown the road when our next event is held thereonwards. The Greensand RidgeWalk is Bedfordshire’s premier longdistance walk of some 40 miles andstarts in leighton Buzzard and finishesin Gamlingay.The day of celebrations will beheld in Sandy Town Car Park wherethere will be kiosks and stalls aboutthe countryside and Bedfordshirerural life, local refreshments andmuch much more. There will also beGuided Walks from 10am (Groupsof up to 30 will set off every 15 minutes)to areas of the GreensandRidge Walk within Sandy parish.Please note you will need to book.lEAFlET TO CElEBRATEDIAMOnD JUBIlEE Also on the22nd April, we hope to launch a newpublication to commemorate theDiamond Jubilee of Her MajestyThe Queen. This illustrated leafletwill contain six brand new Walksaround Sandy and its beautiful countryside.These will include aPushchair Walk and a Town Walkand all will vary in length.SUMMER WAlKS: The very popularSummer Guided Walks run bythe Tourist Information Centre arepresently being arranged.There will be three Walks thisyear, plus the Walk in April beingpart of the Greensand Ridge Walk25th anniversary (see above) and inSeptember a walk forming part ofthe Bedfordshire Walking Festival.The Walking Festival is organisedby local Ramblers Groups and therewill be around seventy walks thisyear and these are all free. This yearthe festival is to be held between theSaturday, 8th to Sunday 16thSeptember. like last year, we willlead one of the walks and this will bea new Walk, called ‘The lowfieldWalk’. look out for further detailsRETURnIng TO THE TICSUMMER gUIDED WAlKS:-The first of the three walks to be heldthis year is the very popular visit toSANDYE PlACEWe will visit the riversidegrounds and have a guided tour ofthe interior of this mid 18th centurymansion and hear the history ofSandy’s former manor house. Thiswill take place on Monday, 21st Mayat 7pm (Please see further detailsbelow). The second Walk is presentlybeing arranged. The third walk isa brand new one and we will visitand hear about the historic village ofCARDINGTON – with its connectionswith Whitbread family, theprison reformer, John Howard andits airship heritage. This Walk willtake place on Sunday, 19th August.The cost will be £5 per person.look out for further detailsAUTUMn – WInTER TAlKS: Inview of last years very successfulTalk about RAF Tempsford we willbe arranging three Autumn - WinterTalks this year.The first Talk will be THESandy Historical Research GroupRailways in and around Sandyand please try not to block anyone’s driveways!As you will see below, our next Open meetingis again at Quince Court, on Tuesday 8th May,when Steve Harris, the Blunham historian, will begiving us a presentation on ‘Wartime TempfordAirfield’. This promises to be a very interestingand informative talk and it comes recommendedby another local group who have already had thepleasure of receiving Steve’s talk. Appropriately,the date is the 67th anniversary of VE Day and allof the secret operations sent out from Tempsfordwere into the European theatre of war.We look forward to welcoming those of youwho can make it on the night. Entrance is £2 fornon-members (members FREE) and if you join onthe night, your entrance fee will be refunded. Asusual, refreshments will be available and allSHRG publications will be on sale during theevening. All proceeds from this and future eventsgo toward helping our group to achieve its goal ofa museum for the town – surely a vital element inattracting more visitors to Sandy, as well as providingadditional educational resources for ourstudents.WHITBREAD’S OF SOUTHIll.This fascinating talk will begiven by Sir Samuel Whitbread,who will speak about the history ofthis famous family, their public lifein Bedfordshire over two hundredand fifty years, the story of the breweryand of the family home, SouthillPark. (On one of the TIC SummerWalks held last year a large numberof people enjoyed a guided walk inthe beautiful ‘Capability’ Brownlandscaped parklands). This Talkwill take place on Thursday, 20thSeptember. The cost will be £5 perperson. look out for further detailsThe second talk will be about adifferent aspect of RAF TEMPS-FORD, the famous World War II airfieldwhich flew special agents tooccupied Europe to undertake variousdangerous missions. It will becalled ‘The Stately ‘Omes ofEngland – Buildings used by theSpecial Operations Executive inWorld War II’. like last years talkthis will be given by local historianand author, Bernard O’Connor. ThisTalk will take place on Thursday, 4thOctober. The cost will be £5 per person.look out for further detailsThe third talk is the story of theSANDY TO POTTON RAIlWAY,by local historian George Howe. Wewill hear how this private line wasbuilt by Sandy’s naval hero CaptainSir William Peel, RN, VC and thefestivities that occurred at it openingin 1857 and its subsequent history.This Talk will take place onThursday, 1st November. The costwill be £5 per person.SUMMER gUIDED WAlK -SAnDYE PlACE: Monday, 21stMay. The first of this years SummerGuided Walks will be a Guided Tourof the Grounds and the interior ofSandye Place. This will be held onMonday, 21st May. The GuidedWalk will start at 7.00 pm.We will walk to Sandye Place,now an Academy, but formerly themanor house of Sandy Manor. Thered brick mansion dates from the1750’s, and we will see the remainingparts of the original medievalstone manor house. On this rareoccasion we will be able to tour theinterior of this Georgian house withits delightful panelled rooms.We will then walk in the delightfulgrounds, which retain much oftheir charm as when they were a 35acre wooded park.Please note that booking for thiswalk is essential as numbers are limited.The cost will be £5 per personCHAngE OF OPEnIngHOURS From Monday 2nd April2012 the opening hours willchange to: MOnDAY TO FRI-DAY 10am – 3pm. SATURDAY10am – 2pm. SUnDAY Closed.