GM CROPS - 7th November 2019

Village Link would like to welcome you to a talk by Professor Andrew Cockburn who is one of Europe’s top toxicologists and an expert on GM crops so all farmers will be welcome!

CANOEING AND MY TRAINING ROUTINE - 11 September 2019

Village Link are pleased to bring you speaker Jake Cox who is a student at Nottingham University studying Sports Science. He is one of the top ten canoeists in the country and is preparing for the 2024 Olympics, hoping to represent the country. He will be talking about canoeing and his training routine. His talk will include slides and videos. This talk is likely to appeal to all generations, especially sports fans and Olympics followers, so please do come along.

The next Village Link meeting is on September 11th 2019 starting at 8pm in Rushden a Village Hall.

NAZING GLASSWORKS - 13 MARCH 2019

On Wednesday 13^th March, Village Link will host a speaker from Nazing Glassworks at 8pm in Rushden Village Hall. Please join us there for a good talk followed by tea or coffee and homemade biscuits or BYO if you prefer.

HITCHIN BRITISH SCHOOL - 21 February 2018

Although we were disappointed not to be able to have our original speaker for Village Link in February, we were fortunate to have a fascinating illustrated talk on Hitchin British School. Many of us have visited there but we all learned something new. At present they have an exhibition dedicated to trench living in World War 1 so why not take this opportunity to see it.
We hope to have our next meeting in June. Speaker to be announced.

MY RESEARCH INTO COINCIDENCES OF WW1 - 15 November 2017

Jeff Lawton's talk on The Sally B took us on a tour of Britain in this iconic plane dating from 1945 which he had helped to rebuild. After the War she had been involved in Coastal Command and map making amongst other things. Now she flies regularly at air shows frequently alongside the Red Arrows who we were told are called the Scarlet Tarts amongst the cognoscenti! Her top speed is 287 mph and she consumes 180 gallons of fuel per hour.

Concerns were expressed about a recent village burglary and its possible link to air ambulance charity bags being delivered. There was no collection date on the bags. 

Our next meeting is on Wednesday 15th November at Sandon Village Hall at 8pm when Jean Handley will speak on My Research into Coincidences of WW1. Cost is £4 for the evening or £10 for annual membership. Tea or coffee and home made nibbles will be provided or BYO.

REBUILDING AND FLYING THE SALLY B - 17 September 2017

On Wednesday 17th September at 8pm prompt, Jeff Lawton will be talking about rebuilding and flying the Sally B. It was an impressive sight when we saw it last year flying over Swansea Bay as part of the Air Show Festival. Come and find out more about its history. You will also have a chance to let us know what is happening locally and enjoy the usual delicious home made nibbles. BYO if you fancy something stronger to drink.

TURNING JAPANESE - 29 March 2017

Extra chairs needed to be put out on Wednesday 29th March at Rushden Village Hall when Caron Lawton, curator of The Japanese Gardens at Cottered, talked about the garden from its inception in 1923 and compared pictures of then and now. Herbert Goode bought the garden in 1903 with no intention of changing it but after visits to Japan he brought over a Mr Kitsumoto to be in charge of design with the stunning results one can see today.

 The next meeting will be on Thursday 29th June when Mike Thomas will be taking us On Safari!

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN AIRLINE PILOT - 6 October 2016

At October's Village Link meeting we went behind the scenes of our holiday flight's with a talk by Captain Martin Clutterbuck entitled A Day in the Life of an Airline Pilot. We learned about the problems with French air traffic controllers and how their strikes affect flights across Europe not just to France;  the cost of a flight simulator- the same as an aeroplane; that the slot refers to the landing availability at arrival not departure airports and that 1 in 4 staff's luggage is checked as opposed to 1 in 20 passenger's.

We are pleased to welcome Dave Handley as a new member of our committee. 

Our next meeting will not be until next year, probably about the end of March when we may be changing to a Wednesday.

TRINITY HOUSE - 7 July 2016

Village Link welcomed a speaker from Trinity House to talk about their work
on 7 July 2016. When Trinity House is mentioned, most of us think of
lighthouses but their work is so much more than that. Started originally in
1215 with the Guild for the Trinity , they received a Royal Charter from
Henry V111 in 1514. Guilds were established in UK ports and they were given the right to control pilotage on the River Thames and look after "decayed" seamen. They were instrumental in setting up the Royal Navy, provided ships for The Armada and raised money by charging for ballastage.  The first offshore lighthouse ( Eddystone) was candle powered but this changed to wood or coal and then oil before electricity took over. Light vessels were introduced in 1732. They remained neutral and unarmed during WW1 but nevertheless lost 81 people to enemy action. 50 vessels were sunk by U boats in WW2.

By 1998, all lighthouses were fully automated and run by solar power centres are now left at Harwich, London, St Just and Swansea. Scotland and Ireland are separate. It is the largest endowed maritime charity.

Our next meeting will be on Thursday 6th October 2016 at 8pm at Rushden
Village Hall when the talk will be on A Day in the Life of an Airline Pilot.

THE TRINITY LIGHTHOUSE - 7 July 2016

After April's fascinating talk on the life of a spitfire pilot we are looking forward to our next talk on Thursday July 7th when Carl Lumbers will be talking about the work of The Trinity Lighthouse. The meeting begins at 8pm and we ask everyone to bring along village concerns and details of village events. Afterwards there will be time for soft drinks and homemade nibbles and a chance to chat to friends. Cost is £4 a session or £10 for a year's membership.

THE LIFE OF A SPITFIRE PILOT - 7 April 2016

Village Link on Thursday 7th April There was a chance to learn about the life of a Spitfire pilot.

John Dingeman's took some photos, click here.

The Royal Household - 1 October 2015

A packed hall greeted Mr Graham Craker, popularly known as Crackers at the latest Village Link meeting. He was Princes William and Harry's personal security officer and had some very amusing tales to tell about his time with the family and the characters that made up the Royal Household, whilst never letting us forget the serious nature of his work.

There will now not be a meeting until next year when the first meeting will be in March. The speaker and date are still to be confirmed.

Medical Detection Dogs - 2 July 2015

Village Link's talk on Medical Detection Dogs required extra chairs for the people who had come to find out more about this fascinating medical advance. Geoff Lambert, the speaker introduced us to Buddy, a retired medical dog and warned us that he would probably be checking our breath afterwards for sugar overload from the biscuits, that was if he didn't eat them first. We were amazed at how these dogs can be used. At present they are a major support for children with type 1 diabetes and also for people with narcolepsy. Mongrels are used and it costs £11,000 to train a dog. They are dedicated to the detection of human disease through canine olfaction. A dog's sense of smell is estimated to be 100,00 times more sensitive than a human's. They are trained by learning to recognise glasses of water and their contents but owners have also said that dogs are aware when they have illnesses such as cancer and work is continuing along these lines including bladder, bowel, prostate and breast. They are now legally allowed in schools and in Holland stand at hospital entrances to sniff out C Difficil. If the dog sits down you are a carrier! Other diseases recognised are Addison's and TB. If you would like to learn more visit their website or write to geofflambert2@ntlworld.com 


Our next meeting will probably be in October and the speaker will be Princes William and Harry's former Protection Officer.

Forced Marriage in Today's Britain - 19 February 2015

Judge Lindsay Davies gave a fascinating talk on Forced Marriage in Today's Britain. She drew on analogies with marriage customs in history and other countries. She also pointed out that forced marriage is not only found in certain ethnic communities, her first case being that of an Irish Catholic family.

Everyone is welcome to a talk on medical sniffer dogs at Rushden Village Hall on Thursday 2nd July at 8pm. Recent research has shown that these dogs can warn people of a need for medication or of undiagnosed illnesses. Soft drinks and refreshments will be provided afterwards or if in need of something stronger you are free to bring your own.

Please remember also that we look forward to your sharing your village news.

My Time as an RAF Test Pilot - 2 October 2014

Village Link was fortunate to welcome top speaker Air Vice Marshall Alan Merriman to its Autumn meeting on Thursday 2nd October at Rushden Village Hall. He was an RAF test pilot for many years and amused and horrified us with tales of all that can go wrong ( and occasionally right!) with military planes and how they have developed over the years. This talk was as interesting for the non techie as the science buffs as was proved by the very lengthy question time at the end from all members of the audience.

Points raised on village matters were that there are plans to expand both Luton and Stansted airports. If you want to know more or would like to express your concerns please contact your Parish Council.

Forced Marriage- What Are Your Views?

On Thursday 19th February 2015 at 8pm at Rushden Village Hall, Judge Lindsay Davies will be speaking on Forced Marriage. If you want to express your opinions on this subject or just come and learn more this
is your chance

This is a Village Link meeting. Subscriptions are £10 for the year or £4 per meeting. Soft drinks and light refreshments are provided but fell welcome to bring your own if you prefer something stronger.

An Independant Bookseller - 3 July 2014

At our Summer meeting we greeted Stephen Poulter, ex BBC producer turned bookseller and author. He began by telling us about the problems of being an independent book seller these days and of the numbers of bookshops closing. Consequrently he had to look for alternative ways of selling books and so began to contribute to books on local history, originally town based and then for Befordshire and Hertfordshire. We were treated to an alphabetical tour of the county of Hertfordshire through photos and enjoyed a guess where this is quiz and were then told about the town itself.

Village events mentioned during our tell us what's happening session were from Jean Handley who talked about her latest book now on sale all proceeeds going to the British School Museum in Hitchin and the recent trip to Belgium to lay a wreath for "Our boys."

Chris Hoefkens informed us of the forthcoming Sandon event of life in the villages 100 years ago with poetry readoings, music provided by the Taylor family and an Act of Remembrance.

Our Autumn meeting will be on Thursday 2nd October ( please note change of date) at 8pm at Rushden Village Hall. As our speaker has been taken ill we are looking for an alternative.

The First Woman Bomb Disposal Expert - 24 April 2014

If you want to know why as a female army officer you should wear six pairs of knickers to functions or how the first woman bomb disposal officer ended up in a brothel in Ecuador on her birthday with eleven soldiers you will have to ask someone who attended April's Village Link meeting. As you can imagine, the talk was extremely amusing and very much enjoyed by everyone.

This was followed by Jenny's delicious nibbles.

Forthcoming events mentioned by members were the villages commemoration of the beginning of WW1 on Saturday  12th July commencing with a concert at 2.30pm at Sandon Church.

On 4th May 2014, Jean Handley will hand over her research on the WW1 Soldiers of Rushden to St Mary's Church for display.

Friday 16th May is Sandon Cinema Night.

Our next Village Link Meeting is on Thursday 3rd July when we are hoping that Stephen Poulter, ex BBC producer and now author will talk about his recent book on the History of Hertfordshire.

On Thursday 6th October, we are looking forward to a talk by Andrew Hambling on The Somme Offfensive.

Judge Lindsay Davies is unable to talk in October but will be coming to speak in February on Forced Marriages.

If you would like to become a member of Village Link please email me at john.lever@btinternet.com

Police Forensics - 27 June 2013

Anyone interested in crime missed a very informative meeting last night if they weren't at Village Link when Martin Leadbetter spoke on The Forensics of Fingerprinting, its past, present and future. It has been known about since the 17th century but it wasn't until the turn of the last century that it was adoped by police forces across the world. Currently one in ten people in Britain have their fingerprints on file. They are used not just for establishing guilt but also innocence, identity and even for telling fakes from the real thing.

Our next meeting is on Thursday 17th October at 8pm when a representative from Paradise Park Broxbourne will speak on Breeding and Conservation.


Entry is £10 for a year's subscription or £4 for one meeting

The Baldock Skeleton Find - 28 February 2013

Our next meeting is on Thursday 28th February when Keith Fitzpatrick Matthews will speak on The Baldock Skeleton Find. We would also like to draw villagers' attention to the proposed expansion of Luton Airport which we will discuss after the meeting.

From Rags to Royal Rags

Eddie Rowland’s talk to Village Link proved a real hit, from his tales of his father’s POW boat being torpedoed to his name dropping of the rich and famous he has dressed. Starting with the Beatles and ending with our country’s leaders, he never ceased to amuse and inform.   Our next talk will be by Keith Fitzpatrick- Matthews on Thursday 28th February 2013  (Please note change of date) at 7.45 for 8pm and the following talk will be on Thursday 18th April 2013 when we will have a speaker on Stem Cell Research.   The Village Hall will be undergoing repairs during the first three weeks of February so please note change of venue for various events to Wallington Village Hall. Annual membership is £10 for four meetings or £4 for a single meeting.