Introduction
Lavendon Life Magazine ran for almost 24 years, between
December 1979 and October 2003, effectively
recording the social life and times of residents
within Lavendon village. The magazine archive
provides a wealth of day-to-day information
about Lavendon people, their social activities
and concerns for village life, as well as
the various planning developments that took
place over this period. For example, who
would now believe that 30 years ago Lavendon
residents were fighting off the threat of
a Third London Airport at Yardley Chase,
but a few miles up the road? At the other
end of the scale, we have to ask whether
a wheelbarrow was ever returned to No 2 Castle
Road that had been taken by boys unknown
to cart away material for a Guy Fawkes bonfire!
Lavendon Life was originally set up to help raise much
needed funds for the village Playgroup which
at that time was itself under threat of closure.
The then Editors of Lavendon Life expressed
the hope that the magazine would “provide
a valuable community project in linking the
village together by sharing the news of Lavendon
people and organisations." There is
no doubt that it succeeded in that aim, and
many still regret the magazine’s eventual
demise in late 2003.
The extracts shown below represent a personal
selection, largely chosen to reflect the
issues that have been of the greatest concern
to Lavendon residents and/or which tend to
describe the development of the village both
socially and physically. There is always
scope to include the odd amusing snippet,
as well as occasional notes concerning well
respected village residents in the past.
Only a limited amount of material can be
reproduced, partly for reasons of space but
also because much of the original material
is in a form that must first be fully re-keyed.
Regretably, a good many transitory items,
albeit of considerable interest, must be
omitted at least for the time being. These
items include, for example, village sporting
events, team & individual results, local
adverts from businesses, many now defunct,
as well as various regular features and contributions.
LAVENDON LIFE MAGAZINE ran from December 1979 - October 2003
The first extracts shown below begin with
the original issue of December 1979. Additional
extracts will be added from time to time.
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December 1979 – No 1 - The First Issue
Future in the Balance - [Editorial]
It’s a time of uncertainty for Lavendon,
with a large question mark hanging over the
future of the School, Playgroup and whether
the countryside will remain tranquil or be
torn up for the Third London Airport.
At the time of going to press, we still don’t
know whether Yardley Chase is off the danger
list although the results of the Government
inquiry are imminent....
Due to Government cutbacks putting pressure
on local authorities to save money, the future
of our School and Playgroup in its present
premises does not look rosy.
The news that Lavendon Combined School was
one of those threatened with closure came
as a shock to the whole community. In consequence,
a public meeting was held on October 8th in the Village Hall to discuss what action
should be taken to oppose and prevent any
such closure.
The meeting, which was well attended, was
unanimous in condemning the proposal and
a committee was elected to represent the
Village.
A collection for a “Fighting Fund”
was taken....
Will Lavendon be at the End of a Runway?
- [News from YARA*]
The findings of the Study Group as to the
selected site for the Third London Airport
are eagerly awaited by the Lavendon Action
Airport Group, representing Lavendon, Cold
Brayfield and Warrington. The recommendations
have been promised for December, when the
Government will confirm the site immediately.
At present with unsubstantiated rumours in
newspapers and elsewhere that Stansted has
already been chosen, the greatest problem
is apathy, but should Yardley Chase be chosen
YARA* are geared for immediate action. If
not chosen, then all help will be given to
the action group in their fight.
A 90th Milestone
Former policeman, Percy Wheeler reached another
milestone on November 25, his 90th birthday.
Percy is well-known on Olney and Lavendon
from his days in the Force and is respected
by everyone.
His birthday could not go by without a celebration
and Percy and many of his friends got together
at the Green Man.
Parish Council [Extracts]
The Bus Shelter [Olney Road] is now complete
and the commemorative plaques and interior
light will soon be installed, as well as
the surfacing of the area in front of the
shelter.
Street lighting came under discussion and
it was agreed that a light be relocated on
the dangerous Church corner. It was also
hoped to discuss with the Council improvements
to the main road lighting and also the proposals
for conservation of part of Lavendon.
Finally it was agreed that the developer
of Rectory Orchard should be asked to give
a definite date for completion of the roads
and footpaths.
Sports & Social
It is hoped that the plans to erect a Terrapin
unit, for use as a pavilion, will soon be
approved and thanks to offers from the Parish
Council, to provide the services (electricity,
water, etc) the much needed changing facilities,
showers, equipment store and tea room should
be appearing on the playing field. This will
be of particular benefit to the cricket team,
who won more games than they lost or drew
this year, and to the football team who are
having their best season for a long time
and are currently top of the league.
And finally...
Will the boys who borrowed a wheelbarrow
for their Guy Fawkes bonfire material, please
return it to 2 Castle Road.
*YARA (Yardley Airport Resistance Association) (1979) - This is
Yardley Chase: the wrong place for London's
Third Airport (Yardley Hastings)... |
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January 1980 – No. 2
Planners Preserve Village CharmReservations by the Parish Council over conservation
area plans for part of Lavendon have not
been entirely overcome. Some time ago the
Parish Council voted by four to three against
a planning order which makes a conservation
zone of the area from Northampton Road west
of St Michael’s Church across to the
Green Man and part of Castle Road up to Joiners
Way. Also included are the cottages up to
the Gola factory. Among the properties affected
are the Playgroup, Rectory and the Methodist
Chapel.... The planners think it’s an advantage
for the village – it means buildings
can’t be demolished or trees felled
without consultation with the borough....
However, members of the Parish Council are
still not entirely happy about the order
which has now gone through despite village
reservations. [Conservation Details Available Here]December’s Parish Council Meeting [Extracts]The Council agreed that the Sports and Social
Club’s application for a pavilion to
be built on the Playing Field should be supported
as it would greatly add to village amenities.
A promise has been received from the developer
of Rectory Orchard that the road and pavements
will be completed by the end of March. The
Council felt that because of the dangerous
conditions there, this date was not good
enough. School Action Committee Primed With Ammunition
Lavendon School came under the magnifying
glass of the County Small Schools Panel who
paid the village a visit last month in connection
with the threat of closure of some village
schools.... Subsequently the School received a letter
suggesting that, as the panel had not removed
Lavendon School from the list of possible
closures, there were various alternatives
to be considered. One of these stated that the panel were “of
a mind to close Newton Blossomville School”
and went on to suggest that, should the parents
of these children wish to transfer them to
Lavendon, as opposed to the alternative Emberton
or Olney Schools, the case for retaining
Lavendon School would be stronger. The Action Committee in Lavendon have been
monitoring all the statements made by the
parties involved, very carefully, in order
to provide themselves with ammunition for
any future confrontation.... The Committee have established, by means
of a survey, that the number of children
in the school, far from decreasing, will
remain fairly constant over the next five
years, and indeed, with the possible addition
of children moving into the houses to be
built in Langlands in the near future, there
may even be a rise in numbers. Sighs of ReliefThe village heaved a great sigh of relief
when the Government announced that the Third
London Airport is to be sited at Stansted.
Many supporters of YARA, while happy that
Yardley Chase has been reprieved are concerned
that the Government has opted for an inshore
airport. Now YARA is to be wound up, the committee
must decide on what to do with the fighting
fund. The cash could be channelled back to
the villages who contributed to YARA or the
money could be donated to help Stansted resist
the airport proposals. Sports and Social ClubRevised plans for the pavilion have been
submitted by the club to the Borough Council
and these are being inspected. They are now in discussion with the planning
department over the siting of the pavilion.
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  Lavendon Life - front covers by Fay Hipkin: above from December 1979 and below from March 1995.
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February 1980 – Issue No. 3
The Children’s Friend Retires
After eighteen years as a midday meals supervisor
at Lavendon School, Mrs Ethel Bowyer finally
retired on Friday January 16th. She joined the school staff in 1962 when
Mr Britnell was Headmaster and when the school
was housed only in the Old Buildings and
has, over the years built up a tremendous
bond with all the children she has supervised.
She will be missed greatly, particularly
by the very youngest children who were never
far away from her when she was on duty.....
Stop Press on the School
Unlike Emberton, Filgrave and Newton Blossomville,
Lavendon has not been removed from the list
of schools under threat because the panel
did not have time to discuss us at their
last meeting. We trust that at the next meeting
in March it will be our turn to be crossed
off the list.
A Warm Welcome
We are pleased to welcome to the village
Beryl and John Woodhouse who have taken over
the village Post Office and Spar store.....
Pavilion
[Parish Council Report Extract]
The council still have reservations about
the question of conservation of the village,
but are in full agreement that the application
by the Sports and Social Club to erect a
pavilion on the playing field should be supported.
They have contacted the Planning Committee
of the Milton Keynes Borough Council and
given their views. The matter of a car park
in the playing field has been held over until
a later date.....
Eric and Phyllis Celebrate
Congratulations to Eric and Phyllis Bates
of Joiners Way on achieving their 40th Wedding Anniversary on January 27th....
After 48 years in the Engineering Department
of Vauxhall Motors, Eric decided to take
a premature retirement and they chose to
live in Lavendon. Having both come from country
stock, they are very happy to be living here
and have already made their mark in the like
of the village, for as many will know, Eric
is the Clerk to the Parish Council.....
Action Group Disband [YARA (Yardley Airport Resistance Association)]
YARA have sent the caravan, various posters
and hoardings and considerable amounts of
technical information to Stansted. They have
retained £50 of Lavendon’s money
for twelve months in case of unforeseen expenses.....
It was decided at the original meeting of
the action group that of any of the money
remaining after the campaign, one quarter
should go to Brayfield and three quarters
to Lavendon, and this was subsequently voted
on and agreed at the public meeting....
A vote was taken [about what to do with the
money]..... By a large margin, the outcome of
the vote was that the [Lavendon] money should
go to the Village Hall. |
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Look out for more extracts from Lavendon
Life to follow!
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March 1980 – Issue No. 4
Yet Another Crash on Dangerous Church Corner
The latest in a succession of crashes on
the dangerous bend at the church corner on
the main A428 road through Lavendon occurred
on Monday, March 10th. The Roadline lorry, on its regular route
from Northampton to Cambridge, skidded into
the front wall of Mr Miller’s garden
in the High Street at approximately 7.30
p.m. and finally, came to rest on its side
against the corner of the Post Office.
Diversions were necessary, and these were
in operation for almost three hours, until
the road could be cleared again for traffic.
The Woodhouse family, newly installed in
the Post Office Stores, were some of the
first on the scene, having been startled
by the thunderous noise of the lorry crashing.
Mr Woodhouse’s son, leaning from his
bedroom window to find the lorry below, saw
the driver clambering from his cab, apparently
unhurt. The damage to the building appears
to be superficial, although Mr Miller’s
wall is very badly cracked.....
....the question most worried residents are
asking is what would the consequences have
been had the lorry been carrying a dangerous
load or had the crash been at a time when
children were coming home from school or
villagers on their way to the shops? It was
only a matter of luck that the outcome was
not more serious.
England Footballer Draws Raffle
Former England and Arsenal footballer, Malcolm
Macdonald visited Lavendon with his wife
and some friends to attend the Youth Club’s
Fish and Chip Supper on February 27th. He was there to draw the raffle and to
auction the many items donated to raise funds
for the Stoke Mandeville Hospital Appeal
Fund.
Some 170 people were present at the Supper,
68 of them having come from a Bletchley Old
People’s Home. The evening was a great
success and a profit of £40 was made
for Youth Club funds from the Bingo and Raffle.
The Auction netted an excellent £119.80
with some of the items having been brought
along by the Bletchley Old People and this
added to other sources of income has so far
meant a grand total of £234.90 collected
by the Youth Club for the Appeal.....
The fund will be open until Easter when Mr
Chris Martin, from the committee and a friend
of the Youth Club, Mr Phil Gooday from Bedford,
will be doing a sponsored walk from Lavendon
to Stoke Mandeville, a distance of approximately
40 miles....
The Youth Club would like to thank those
who helped at the Fish and Chip Supper and
all those who have given their support.
[See next month’s extract with additional
interesting comments from Lyn, Chris Martin’s
wife]
Reader’s Letter
[Family History Relevance]
From Robert Fordyce, Grandson of the late
Reuben & Emily Cotton, now at Paerata
Pakekone of New Zealand: with sadness Robert
notes “the fewness of numbers who attend
the Union Chapel.”
A New Garden of Remembrance
Advice has been obtained by the Parish Council
..... on the planting of quick growing trees
at the north end of the Cemetery, and, in
addition, the landscaping of the spinney
in the left hand corner. It is envisaged
that this area would be designated a “Garden
of Remembrance”.....
Pavilion No Further Forward...
At the planning meeting held on February
27th Milton Keynes Council decided that the application
for permission to erect a pavilion on the
playing field submitted by Lavendon Sports
and Social Club, should be deferred.
The Council plan to send representatives
to meet the Club and the Parish Council,
who are supporting the scheme, in the near
future. It is hoped that discussions on site
will clear the way to planning approval being
granted and that as Building Regulations
can be satisfied, it will not be long before
there is a pavilion on the field.
Advertisement - Lavendon Parish Council
Situation Vacant – Village Caretaker
The above to keep tidy and maintain the following
areas of the village during the period from
1st March to 31st October each year:
Playing Field: Cemetery: War Memorial: Dodds
Hill Field: Eight Benches
Salary of £320 per annum which would
be paid in eight equal instalments (£40)
at the end of each month from March to October....
Applications.... to Eric Bates (Clerk)....
Nature Notes 4, by Geoff Moss
If you walk up Castle Road, as well as all
the native birds you may be surprised to
see a dozen large, noisy, strange looking,
game birds wandering about. They are dark
grey, spotted with white, have a reddish
brown helmet on the head and are, in fact,
West African helmet guinea fowl belonging
to Castle Farm, which, incidentally, also
has a peacock and some peahens, I have occasionally
seen near the road....
YARA Money Handed Over
Mr Wileman, representing Warrington, and
Mr Bates, representing Lavendon, handed over
£508.04 to the Lavendon Village Hall
Committee on February 18th after the disbanding of the Lavendon Action
Airport Group.
The money due to the Cold Brayfield Village
Hall Committee amounted to £169.35
and was handed over to them on February 27th by Mrs Chappell representing Lavendon.
Plans to Raise the Roof
A new roof for the old section of the Village
Hall is the aim of the Lavendon Village Hall
Committee this year and they are keen to
hear from anyone who has ideas for fund raising
or would be willing to help. |
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April 1980 – Issue No. 5
Lavendon School Gets Reprieve
Letters have been sent to Miss Peache, Head
Teacher of Lavendon School, Mr Cony, Chairman
of the Governors and to Mr Weatherall, Chairman
of the Action Group, stating that, at the
last meeting of the small schools panel,
Lavendon School has been removed from the
present review list.....
....whilst Lavendon has a reprieve, if pupil
numbers were to drop significantly, the School
would, very quickly, be reviewed once again....
The members of the action group do not consider
the matter closed, for they feel that the
implication that Lavendon is still threatened
is an unnecessary burden for Miss Peache
and her staff to have to carry.
Lavendon Life Opinion
At last we hear that our school has been
saved, but far from being grateful to the
powers that be, we should surely be up in
arms at the fact that we were ever put on
the list for possible closure in the first
place. How unfair it is that such unnecessary
suffering has been thrust on Miss Peache
and her staff, as well as parents and children
in the village.....
Garden of Remembrance
With the assistance of Milton Keynes Borough,
a scheme has been prepared to make the Spinney
in the Cemetery into a Garden of Remembrance
and the matter has been referred back to
Cemetery committee for their recommendations.
Phil and Chris Walk Through the Night
Chris Martin and Phil Goodway left on their
sponsored walk to raise money for the Youth
Club’s Stoke Mandeville Appeal Fund,
at midnight on Easter Saturday from the Horseshoe
Public House and arrived at Stoke Mandeville
Hospital at 2.30pm on Sunday. This tremendous
effort raised approximately £300, which
brings the total fund to £530.
When they arrived at the Hospital, the walkers
and their back up team were invited to have
tea with the patients and nurses in one of
the spinal injuries wards.
[N.B. Lyn, wife of the late Chris Martin,
has kindly added the following comments about
this event:
“What really interested me was
the March 1980 report about the Youth Club,
Fish and Chip Supper and Auction with Malcolm
Macdonald. I was, along with others, part
of the team that ran the Youth Club at the
time. It was a great evening with an Old
folks club from Bletchley who always
came to our Fish & Chip Suppers. Malcolm
was great, so friendly.
After that event my late husband, Chris,
and his mate, Phil, decided to walk from
Lavendon to Stoke Mandeville. They left the
Horseshoe at Midnight Easter Sunday and arrived
at Stoke Mandeville around midday on the
Monday. The whole episode is too complicated
to tell here about their routes etc, but
we did meet Jimmy Saville and went to
a wonderful ward, with very brave people
and dedicated nurses. After all these years
I cannot remember how much we raised but
I am sure it was great deal, but I do remember
the fun, the planning, silly incidents
along the way, daffodils plucked and
inserted into hats, packed sarnies, etc,
and a bottle of cheap Champagne
squirted all over us all. Happy times! -
Lyn”]
Life in Langlands [Extracts from a report
by Stewart Jones]
The building of 28 houses to complete the
Langlands Estate has at last started.
The first planning application in 1971 to
build 27 houses has been considerably changed
to the scheme now under construction. In
1975 permission was given for the building
of 39 terraced houses, but a further similar
application in 1977 was refused, following
fierce objections from the existing residents.
It is thanks to these residents who opposed
the 1977 plans that the present and much
more acceptable development, is now under
construction. The Langlands Residents Development
Group carried out endless research and Lorne
Cameron particularly, spent many late nights
compiling concisely worded letters and information
circulars, while Jon Emmony carried out the
initial site survey. The residents undoubtedly
feel that the hard work has been well worth
while, despite the mud now on the road from
the construction traffic!!
The developers for the present project are
Messrs Colroy and the agents are Millers
of Northampton (31691). There are to be 22
four bedroomed which will sell at £28,500
and 6 three bedroomed houses at £24,500..... |
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Credit for the extracts shown below are of
course due to the original founding Lavendon
Life editorial team, including: Hilary Lucas,
Jo Chappell, Chris Pointer, Jane Simmonds
and Pauline Grosse.
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May 1980 – Issue No. 6
Expansion for the Green ManChanges are likely to the north side of the
High Street with two new buildings planned.
The first is a proposed extension to the
Green Man Public House, which will add sleeping
accommodation to the present bar and restaurant
facilities. Drawings are still with the planning
authority for their decision, but should
they agree to the scheme, and there seems
no reason why they should object, the extension
will comprise 12 bedrooms with en suite bathrooms,
8 of them on the ground floor and 4 at first
floor level. The architects have designed the block of
bedrooms, which will stand on the existing
car park, to blend in with the style of the
original building and great attention has
been paid to the external appearance to ensure
that it is totally in keeping with the rest
of the Green Man. The other new building we will soon see,
is the Sports and Social Club’s pavilion
which, at last, has the approval of the planning
department of Milton Keynes Borough Council,
much to the delight of the Club’s committee.
The next step is to obtain the 5 “Terrapin”
units, each one 24ft x 8ft, which will make
up the pavilion and which will be erected
on the properly constructed foundations in
the playing field. The Sports and Social Club now need volunteers
to help put up the pavilion..... OpinionThe time has come, it seems, for yet another
fight in order to protect our villages. For
many years the village has wanted a bypass,
and with the increasing number of big and
heavy lorries thundering along our main street,
we cannot allow the situation to continue
unchallenged. The crash, in March, of the Roadline lorry,
thankfully and incredibly without any casualties,
served as yet another reminder that the A428
is a danger to every resident, for there
can be no villager who has not at some time
walked along that road.... About a year ago, the Parish Council invited
Mr John Wetherall to form a committee to
fight for a bypass for Lavendon, but with
the more pressing problem of the possibility
of an airport on our doorstep, it proved
an inopportune moment to set up such a group.
However, with the airport danger in the past,
that committee is now being formed. There
was some correspondence last year between
Mr Wetherall and the Department of the Environment
and our Member of Parliament and it is now
planned that yet more facts will be gathered
to arm the six committee members for their
fight..... Cricketers WantedThe Lavendon Sports and Social Club would
like to hear from anyone who would be interested
in playing cricket or from would-be Umpires
and Scorers..... The Changing Face of LavendonA bit of Old Lavendon has (almost) disappeared.
The old Bier House adjoining No 2, Olney
Road, for many years used to house the Bier
for carrying coffins to the Church and Cemetery.
The previous tenant of the house used it
as a shed and coal-house, and now it has
been re-born as someone’s luxury kitchen;
let’s hope it isn’t haunted!
Some really authentic Lavendon “Old
People” will no doubt remember it being
used for it’s original purpose. Vandalism AlreadyThe Parish Council at their meeting on May
12 th were very disturbed that the inside walls
of the Bus Shelter in the Olney Road had
already been defaced.... The plaques commemorating the Queen’s
Jubilee are soon to be installed on the outside
of the shelter. The lighting fitment is already
inside and all that remains is for the Electricity
Board to link it up with the main supply.
Allotments Need WaterThe council stated at their meeting that
they regretted that the work of piping water
to the allotments had not been completed
although the estimates had been approved
for some considerable time..... It was also reported that the work necessary
to turn the Spinney into a Garden of Remembrance
at the Cemetery would have to be undertaken
in two stages and there is a proposition
to maintain a book of Remembrance recording
all those whose ashes are scattered in the
Garden. Diary Date [Extract]Wed 25 May: A Gathering to mark the retirement
of Rev W. E. Douthwaite in the Cold Brayfield
Hut. Sun 29 May: Family Service Rector Retires
Report – Rectory OrchardDespite assurances from the Developer that
the footpaths would be made up in Rectory
Orchard in April, nothing as yet has been
done and the County Council has been asked
for help. The lighting should be installed
shortly. The road nameplates, it has been
agreed should be put up, as visitors to the
village have been unable to find both Rectory
Orchard and Orchard Way. Action Group on IceDue to the reprieve given to Lavendon School,
when the Small Schools Panel removed the
school from the list of possible closures,
the Action Group no longer has need to meet.
However, at their last meeting, it was decided
that subject to the approval of the School
Governors, they would not disband altogether,
as the letter from Mr Roberts of the Education
Department, giving the news of the removal
of the School from the list, suggested that
should circumstances change the school would
undoubtedly be reviewed once again. In the light of this, the Action Group decided
that should they be needed again in the future,
they would be ready to act immediately, armed
with information already collected. It was also decided that a letter should
be sent from Mr Wetherall, Chairman of the
Group, stating that the group were still
in existence, in the event of any future
change in policy.... A Cooling GiftDisaster for Mr Woodhouse at the Post Office
became joy for the pupils of Lavendon School
the day his ice cream freezer broke down!
Unable to transfer the melting lollies and
ice cream to another freezer until repairs
could be carried out, he decided that, rather
than throw it all away, he would treat the
children to free ice creams – and what
a treat it was for the children and staff
alike, particularly with the temperature
that day in the seventies. Church Bells – by Tom PeachN.B. For this edition, Tom Peach wrote
a lengthier article about church bells in
general and Lavendon’s bells in particular.
This article can be found by clicking here. |
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June 1980 – Issue No. 7
(Parish) Chairman Re-ElectedMr A J Cony was re-elected Chairman of the
Parish Council at their Annual meeting on
June 9 th. Vice Chairman for the year is Mr S Jones
and Mr R C Horwood continues as Council representative
on the Village Hall Committee. Mr Cony, Mrs
J Chappell and Mrs J Woodford are continuing
to serve on the Board of Lavendon School
Managers. At the meeting Mr Cony thanked the members
of the Council for their nomination and said
that he looked forward to another year’s
successful working together for the benefit
of the community. AdvertisementNew Homes at Langlands, Lavendon
1. 3 Bedroom detached houses with gas warm air
central heating and garage...£24,000
2. 4 Bedroom detached house with gas radiator
central heating and garage...£28,500
3. Really spacious 4 bedroomed detached house,
2 large reception rooms, central heating
and garage...£31,500
Maximum Mortgages are Available. Now
is the time to buy!
Selling Agents: Millers, 22 Gold Street,
Northampton.
Invitation to Cream Teas
The ladies of Lavendon W.I. will be serving
Cream Teas at Bell House on Sunday August
3rd at 4.00 p.m. The W.I. hope that many villagers
will accept their invitation as the proceeds
will go to the Bromham Hospital.
Speed Trap
The rate at which people speed through Lavendon
measured by the Thames Valley Police, based
at Newport Pagnell, when they set up a radar
trap in the village in May.
Exact figures on those caught were not available,
but a spokesman for the police commented
that they had never NOT caught anyone in
Lavendon! Indeed, several lorries, cars and
motor cycles were seen to be stopped at the
bottom of Castle Road having passed through
the trap at more than 30 mph.
The police message to those of us who obey
the speed limit when we are in our own village
was “do you also slow down in other
villages?” Well, do you?!
Knockout Fun on the Field
In beautiful sunshine, the Sports and Social
Club’s annual Sports Day, held on Sunday
May 25th in the playing field, got off to
a good start with a procession through the
village, led by the Wolverton Silver Band.
Also in the procession were the four teams
who were taking part in the ‘It’s
a Knockout’ fun and games later in
the afternoon, Olney Road whose strip was
pink and grey stripes, Harrold Road in green,
Northampton Road in maroon and Castle Road
in red. The band and the teams, two of whom
had with them their ‘Jokers’
in the form of wheelbarrows, walked from
Langlands along Olney Road, through the High
Street and Harrold Road to enter the field
from The Glebe entrance....
The first sports to be seen were the children’s
running races, run in age groups, to which
there was enthusiastic response, which was
rewarded by prizes for every entrant.
There then followed a tug-of-war between
the tough guys of the Green Man and the Horseshoe
Public Houses. After the best of three pulls
the Green Man team won by 2 victories to
1 and enjoyed a liquid prize, kindly donated
by Mr Jim McBreen. One wonders, however,
how much the natural slope of the field was
instrumental in the result!
The main event of the afternoon was the ‘It’s
a Knockout’ competition. The games
were, as usual, very wet and most amusing
to watch and no competitor left the field
without having been half drowned. The spirit
with which every team competed was a great
tribute to the village, as everyone threw
themselves into the competition wholeheartedly.
The winning team, as last year, was Castle
Road....
All the profits from the day.... go towards
the Sports and Social Club’s ‘Old
Folks Evening’ at the village Hall
in October, which the Club finance, in order
to provide a really good cabaret evening
for Lavendon’s old people.
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