Our photographers and readers have been out and taking pictures of the week’s events.

Here is a selection of them.

A 28-year-old man has been left seriously injured following a crash in Northamptonshire yesterday.

The man was driving a white Renault Master van at about 3.20pm between junction 1 and Catthorpe Interchange on the A14 westbound, when it was in collision with the back of a green Scania LGV being driven by a 50-year-old man.

The air ambulance landed to take the injured motorist to University Hospital Coventry where he is in a serious condition.

A spokesman for Northamptonshire Police said: “Police would like to speak to anyone who may have witness the incident.”

Anyone with information or who witnessed this incident is asked to call the Drivewatch Hotline on 0800 174615.

A ceremony to celebrate Commonwealth Day will be held at Daventry District Council’s civic offices on Monday, March 9.

The Commonwealth Flag will be raised at 10am, with the ceremony led by the chairman of the council, Councillor Catherine Lomax.

The council will be joining hundreds of organisations across the UK and overseas raising the flag to celebrate the Commonwealth and its values of friendship and cooperation.

Messages from the Queen, the secretary-
general of the Commonwealth, and a specially written Commonwealth affirmation will be read out at ceremonies across the world before flags are raised at 10am. On the day the Girl Guides Association of the Kingdom of Tonga will be the first to raise the flag.

Ceremonies will also take place at more than 730 locations, including on P&O and Cunard Line cruise ships, the Halley VI Research Station in Antarctica, and on top of the UK’s four highest peaks: Scafell Pike in England; Ben Nevis in Scotland; Mount Snowdon in Wales; and Slieve Donard in Northern Ireland.

Each year Commonwealth Day is given a theme. This year’s theme emphasises the role and contribution of on young people to the societies of Commonwealth nations.

Anyone wishing to attend the flag-raising event should gather at the front of the council’s offices in Lodge Road at 9.50am.

The Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards for this year have been launched.

The organisers for the event are seeking nominations from the public for a number of categories including independent cafe and tea room, local food hero and healthy eating workplace.

The awards were launched in Wellingborough on Tuesday.

For more details on the categories of the Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards and to find out how to nominate for the categories visit www.northamptonshirefoodanddrink.co.uk.

Alternatively people can call Rachel Mallows on 01933 664437 or email rachel@rachelmallows.com.

Daventry District Council (DDC) approved a 1.99 per cent increase on its portion of the council tax bill at a key meeting held last week.

The rise in the council tax bill was parcelled up with a number of measures forming DDC’s 2015/16 revenue budget worth £9.679 million and will see residents of Band D properties paying an extra £2.50 a year, equivalent to roughly five pence per week.

The budget includes the authority’s medium term financial plan, which takes account of a 15.6 per cent reduction in its funding from central government through the Local Government Finance Settlement.

Measures identified to bridge the deficit for the next financial year include new income streams from the recent fruition of invest-to save projects such as the joint Rainsbrook Crematorium development with Rugby Borough Council and the new homes for private rent at Middlemore.

Council staff have reviewed the budgets of different teams, with cuts totalling £153,000 to be made.

Investment proposals contained include plans to spend £3.178 million building a new 30,000 sq ft facility for a Daventry roofing products specialist Hambleside Danelaw, next to its headquarters.

There are also plans to spend £45,000 of capital funding to improve and extend the car park for visitors at the country park in Northern Way, Daventry.

Cllr Jo Gilford, resources portfolio holder at DDC, said: “We have planned ahead carefully as an authority over the past five years in order to tackle our financial challenges and secure the future of the services we provide to our community.

“Our consistent strategy has focused on having less reliance on central Government grants, with the eventual aim of being self-sustaining. That prudence is reflected in this budget.”

This photo comes from April 1990 and was found in the Daventry Express archives.

The picture marks the end of 50 years of campaigning for the residents of Staverton as their new bypass was officially opened.

The road cost £1.1. million and ran for just 700 metres.

The new road was designed to stop vehicles travelling along the Daventry-Leamington route from having to pass through the centre of Staverton and its narrow streets, passing close to the village’s primary school.

The procurement team of Futures Housing Group, the parent company of Daventry & District Housing, received an award in the Contract Management Initiative of the Year category at the Government Opportunities (GO) Excellence in Public Procurement Awards.

Judges recognised the team for implementing a new partnering contract which has “revolutionised” the way Futures works with contractors, local businesses.

John Thornhill, Futures Housing Group’s procurement manager said: “Our recognition reflects the huge efforts all of our teams across the group make to ensure our contractors and suppliers deliver on their commitments.

Rubbish, grime and other detritus will be tackled by residents on the Grange Estate as part of their ‘community clean-up’ day on March 21.

Residents will be meeting at the Pike & Eel pub in Tamar Square from 10am. After the success of previous litter-picking campaigns in dealing with historical litter– some of which to dated back the 70s – the determined campaigners say they will instead be focussing on cleaning bins and re-edging paths and grass.

Cllr Wendy Randall, who is helping to organise the clean-up event said: “Over the last two years the litter pickers and residents involved now number 23 people, which is amazing, and litter in the area we have cleared has been kept clear, but there are still areas that needs tackling.

“There are lots of people who have moved into the estate who have found it really, really sociable and we are also getting to know where our older and vulnerable people are living to keep up with them.

“But it has been really difficult to set up and has taken a lot of time to get more people.”

“Now when I see litter it is difficult not to pick something up. Litter is a big concern for us and residents in Daventry. If people want to start their own litter picking group they should contact the district council for support.”

Cllr Randall has been joined for the event with resident Jacquie Ward and support from Daventry District Council.

Jacquie was inspired by the sight of litter on the estate to set up The Grange Estate Facebook page – an increasingly popular online community for people to share information and work together to make improvements.

“I started litter picking and it just snowballed from there,” said Jacquie.

“By pulling together as a community we’ve made huge improvements to our estate. Walking around now I can see that people are happier and it really is thanks to all the volunteers who have given up their time to help keep the estate clean and tidy.

“I would urge people to join us for the Clean up Day on March 21. Come out and get to know more of your neighbours. It’s not just about litter picking - it’s also about being a part of your community.”

A number of similar events are taking place across Daventry District on the day and DDC has provided litter-picking equipment to help volunteers in Weedon, Whilton and East Farndon.

DDC environment portfolio holder Cllr Daniel Cribbin said: “The dropping of litter is a real blight on our District but we have seen on the Grange Estate how communities can work together – with help and support from this Council – to make real improvements.

“We have offered particular support to volunteers from the Grange, not because that area is in greater need of a clean-up than others, but in recognition of the fantastic community work that is happening there.

“We would urge people to come together to make the Clean up Day a fun activity and to send a message to the litter louts that it is not acceptable for them to spoil our District by dropping their rubbish.”

DDC has also began work this week to remove trees and overgrown hedges from the area around the old New Street bowls club ahead of the building’s demolition later this year.

Once demolished, the site will be levelled and turfed or seeded, forming part of the New Street Recreation Ground.

Temporary fencing will be put up around the site this week and will remain until the demolition and reinstatement work is complete.

The former bowls club was managed by Daventry District Bowls Club until it disbanded in April 2011. DDC launched an appeal to find a new group to take it on but none came forward.

The bells at the Holy Cross Church in Daventry are currently being repaired.

All the clappers and pulley wheels were removed from the bells on February 18 and 20 together with one mis-shapen wheel by a team of volunteers led by tower captain Richard Waddy. The renovation is being carried out by John Taylor and Co of Loughborough and is due to be finished for Sunday, March 15.

A new micropub serving a range of local ales and ciders opened its doors in Prince William Walk , Daventry on Friday, February 27.

Partners and new landlords Neil Hawkey and Caroline Langlands say Early Doors aims to offer an alternative to the loud music and the standard brand beers offered by some venues in the town.

Mr Hawkey, 43, works as an electrician for Northamptonshire County Council. He said: “We were looking at getting our own venue, we looked at taking up the Coach and Horses in Daventry but they would not let us put on the beers we wanted.

“We went and looked at the closest micropub, which is The Old Post Office in Warwick, and we have had the idea of opening our own for the past 18 months.

Mr Hawkey said a micropub seemed to be the ideal choice of venue as while it won’t be able to compete with bigger pubs in terms of opening hours or floor space, with a few part time workers it is a business that can work well without becoming too much to handle.

He said: “The micropub movement is all about going back to how a pub should be , which is all about having somewhere you can get a nice pint of beer and you are not being ripped off.

“There is no music and you can have a nice conversation.”

Ms Langlands, who is 45, will be taking over running the business after leaving her previous job working as a warrant officer of 13 years. She has previous bar experience, working in Bentley’s Wine Bar (now closed) and Fridays.

She said: “It was taking ages to find a premises but a month ago we signed the lease.”

The couple say they went for a design that is a little different to your usual boozer.

The micropub is simply decorated with a bare concrete floor, while the furnishings are mostly created from recycled and reclaimed materials; the bar itself is made from a weathered former scaffolding plank bought at auction in Northampton. Pictured right you can see a First World War propeller on the wall.

Ms Langlands said:“We feel that sense of community we like in pubs has been lacking in Daventry, we wanted to create a sense of community and give something back.”

But what really draws the eye is the micropub’s range of local brews, including Gun Dog ales from Woodford Halse. There are also plans to source cider from the village of Welton.

The micropub will open from midday to 9pm Tuesday to Saturday. For a £1 charge, pub-goers are welcome to bring their own food which will be plated up, with the money being donated to charity. An official opening event will take place on March 30, with representatives from local microbreweries attending.

A Daventry-based vehicle trailer manufacturer is set to grow after purchasing a new warehouse to accommodate more overseas trade.

International trade currently accounts for more than 50 percent of Brian James Trailers’ turnover and the new premises will help streamline the manufacturing process, with the additional space being used to develop sub-component assembly.

It also means the company can now facilitate container handling from the main site in an important step to make the export process more efficient.

Formed in 1979 with more than 40 dealerships, the company, located on Sopwith Way, employs nearly 100 staff across England – a number expected to rise as it takes on more clients from abroad.

Among motor industry customers such as Aston Martin and Mercedes UK, the firm has also supplied several teams in Formula 1– providing them with top-of-the-range trailers to transport racing and show cars across Europe.

The purchase for the new warehouse was made available through Yorkshire Bank’s flexible lending measures, which allow businesses to borrow up to 100 per cent of a property’s value.

The deal was arranged by Ian McEwan, relationship manager for Yorkshire Bank’s business and private banking centre in Northampton.

Brandon James, managing director of Brian James Trailers, said:“Customer care and value for money lie at the heart our business’ success around the world.

“The new warehouse in Daventry means we can continue developing higher levels of service and enhance our value-for-money offer in international markets, particularly in Europe. Yorkshire Bank has been extremely supportive in recognising and helping us to invest in the business by developing a funding package which suited us.”

Simon Moore, head of business and private banking for Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank in Cambridgeshire and Northampton, said: “Brian James Trailers is one the UK’s leading names in car trailers and vehicle transporters and a strong employer for the region. We’re proud to support them with the new premises purchase which will help them grow the business at home and abroad.”

To mark World Book Day pupils from Parker E-ACT Academy, Falconer’s Hill Academy and Falconer’s Hill Infants took part in a ‘book buddies’ event held on Tuesday, March 3.

Pupils from all three schools came together to read with older pupils reading to the youngest from a range of storybooks. The youngest children responded well to the event, which teachers hope to now set up as a regular activity.

The nine missing sex offenders from Northamptonshire are believed to be living abroad, a police spokesman has said.

Figures released by 39 forces under the Freedom of Information Act show 394 sex offenders in England and Wales are currently wanted because their whereabouts are unknown.

Registered sex offenders are required to keep in touch with their local force and inform them of any change of address so they can be monitored.

A spokesman for Northamptonshire Police said it took the management of sex offenders “extremely seriously.”

He said: “Of the nine sex offenders whose whereabouts are currently unknown, the vast majority are either believed, or known, to be living abroad - with a number having left the UK to return to their home countries.

“Changes in national legislation which came into force on Sunday, March 8, will make it possible for police forces to apply for orders to ban sex offenders from travelling abroad. It is hoped this change in the law will make the system even more robust.”

The owner of a Daventry business has spoken of her relief after an inspector approved plans to carry out structural repairs to the premises.

For the past two years the facade of First Light Photographic in High Street has been supported by scaffolding after Daventry District Council refused permission to carry out repairs and alterations.

Council officers were concerned that removing the modern cement render to reveal parts of the original 15th century timber frame structure and proposed oriel style windows would not be a ‘faithful’ restoration of the building.

However on Thursday last week planning inspector Nigel Harrison ruled against the council on both issues, stating that the restored timber frame would “add interest and variety” to the existing street scene and not be harmful to Daventry’s conservation area which restricts changes to the town’s historic centre.

For Ms Branigan the decision marks an end to the uncertainty which has thrown the future of her business into doubt.

She said: “I am ecstatic. I have waited two years for this. The original planning application was refused on May 14 last year. I have had a hell of a year because a week later I lost my father.

“It means a huge amount. It is the difference of keeping the business afloat or losing the business. Ecstatic is the word to use.

“I was dreading getting the letter. It was worse than waiting to see your A-level results. I can’t tell you how relieved I am; I know it was right for me and the business and right for Daventry.

“I lost my mum three years ago on the day I got the letter. I was like she was looking out for me.”

In a unremarkable field close to Litchborough, two men armed with little more than a truck, some basic instruments and two antenna made history by successfully bouncing radio waves from Borough Hill in Daventry off a Handley Page Heyford Bomber flying up to eight miles (13km) away.

This demonstration in 1935 by Robert Watson-Watt and Arnold Wilkins, later known as the ‘Daventry Experiment’, was crucial in paving the way for the radar (Radio Detection And Ranging) installation at Bawdsey Manor, Suffolk in September 1937.

After the outbreak of war in 1939 this technological innovation would be a key advantage in the Battle of Britain that was to follow, helping the outnumbered RAF to intercept Luftwaffe bombers and to effectively manage its resources in what became a hard-fought war of attrition between the opposing air forces.

All that remains now of the famous experiment is a small memorial by a field off the A45,yet the role of researchers Robert Watson-Watt and Arnold Wilkins and the contribution their research made to the war effort has not been forgotten.

On Thursday last week, braving blustering wind and rain, volunteers from Coventry Amateur Radio Society and Bawdsey Radar Trust came together to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Daventry Experiment.

They were joined on the day by comedian and actor Eddie Izzard,who had a special interest in the event having played Robert Watson-Watt in the BBC drama Castles in the Sky. The star toasted the occasion with the volunteers before taking to the airwaves to speak to Bawdsey Manor.

In the spirit of the original experiment radio volunteers set up their own 40-metre band station in the back a car complete with an 8ft antenna.

They made contact with stations across Europe including the old transmitter block at Bawdsey Manor which specially opened for the occasion. You can watch the Bawdsey volunteers in radio contact with Eddie Izzard on the day by visiting: http://ow.ly/JPsnj.

Mary Wain, chairman of the Bawdsey Radar Trust, also visited the memorial to lend her support.

Her family were deeply involved in the radar project. She said:“The reason I’m involved in this, the reason I have turned out in the pouring rain in a field in Daventry is because my mother died when she was 93 and she had been a radar operator.

“She and my father had met as radar operators and they married in 1942 so their whole engagement was life at the beginning of the war.”

Mrs Wain, who was born and brought up in Bawdsey, said her mother had never talked much about her experience of serving as a radar officer because of the top-secret nature of the project.

“Bawdsey was a big part of my life, but she never really talked about it. She did say on one occasion she had met Watson-Watt and it was a nice memory for her.”

The Bawdsey Manor transmitter station closed in 1991 and remained crumbling until the Bawdsey Radar Trust formed in 2003 to oversee the site and promote its historical significance.

Mrs Wain said: “We have been working towards doing something with the transmitter block to commemorate what happened at Bawdsey and what radar meant for this country. For the funny thing that it is, we can barely cope with the interest.”

The group are working towards gaining Lottery funding for the project, but say they are still £300,000 shy of their target.

Mrs Wain added: “Radar was absolutely ground-breaking in its day, and people don’t know about it.

“My mother was very proud of her role but she wasn’t allowed to talk about it because of the secrecy.

“It’s just as interesting as Bletchley Park but it’s not a story that has been told.

“People take radar absolutely for granted, totally for granted and it’s a scientific and technological discovery and development that has changed the world.”

Brian Leathley-Andrew, press officer for Coventry Amateur Radio Society, helped to organise the occasion. He said: “We made contact with Bawdsey and Nottinghamshire.

“It was a fantastic day. I was soaked to my undergarments but I would still call that a good day.”

A small fire was started in a council building after a vandal threw a piece of rubble through a ground floor window.

Offices of Daventry District Council in Lodge Road, Daventry, were targeted sometime between 8.20pm and 8.35pm on Saturday, March 7.

The fire caused damage to a window blind and the windowsill.

Police are treating the incident as arson.

A Daventry District Council spokesman said: “The fire was picked up by the smoke detectors and we understand that a passerby also called the fire service, who attended to put it out. Thankfully the fire was contained quickly and the damage to the building was minimal.”

Witnesses, or anyone with any information about this incident, can call Northamptonshire Police on 101.

Alternatively, they can call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or use the anonymous online form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

Efforts are stepping up this month to ensure that people living across Daventry district have registered to vote in time for May’s general and local elections.

Canvassers from Daventry District Council are currently out and about visiting residents across the District who have not yet registered under the new Individual Electoral Registration (IER) system, which was introduced nationally last summer.

Even if people do not wish to vote, they must still register by law or they could face an £80 fine. Not being registered to vote can also affect credit scores, as the register of electors is often used to verify a person’s existence and for credit referencing purposes to counteract fraud.

The electoral canvassing, which takes place every year, is a follow-up to registration letters sent to households by the Council. To be able to vote, people living in Daventry District need to ensure they have registered on the electoral register by April 20, 2015.

Ian Vincent, Daventry District Council’s Electoral Registration Officer, said: “Our canvassers are currently out and about visiting properties to speak to those residents who have not yet registered under the new IER system. If someone’s not at home then they leave a calling card with further details on how to register.

“Local politics affects everyone in our everyday lives, so it’s important to be able to have your say. If you don’t register to vote then you have no voice at election time.”

Residents can register online at www.gov.uk/registertovote or can request a form by calling the Council on 01327 871100.

Young people aged between 15 and 25 have the chance to get a behind-the-wheel experience with a new free initiative at Silverstone.

CarKraft is aimed at two groups, non-drivers who will be able to experience their first driving lesson in a controlled environment and drivers who will be able to enhance their driving skills, being assessed by an advanced driver in a simulation of adverse road conditions.

CarKraft sessions will be taking place this year in March, May, June, September and October and anyone interested in signing up can go to www.carkraft.info .

However there are a few places left in two of the sessions in the first event this year on Sunday, March 22: session one, between 8.15am and 10.45am and in session four between 3.55pm and 6.25pm.

Cllr Michael Clarke, county council cabinet member for transport, highways and environment, said: “This is an excellent initiative which was designed to give young people the chance to acquire some basic skills in a safer and supervised environment.

“The intention is for these skills to provide a foundation for them to then learn to drive in a way which increases their safety on the roads.

“This course has proved enormously popular in the past and I’m confident that this will continue.”

The scheme is delivered for the county council by Northamptonshire Highways with 50 per cent of the funding coming from Northamptonshire Police. Cars are provided by Renault UK and insured by insurance company Adrian Flux.

Northampton College has announced plans to shut down its nursery service at Badby Road West, prompting anger from parents.

The move, which is currently out on consultation, could see the current full daycare provided to staff, students and local residents from the ‘Tertiary Tots’ centre disappear in July, with the loss of 10 jobs. The cuts could potentially affect up to 200 children who take part in breakfast and after-school clubs.

Sarah Hicken, whose son goes to the nursery said: “This nursery is a important facility and my son loves it there. If this facility closes many people will struggle to find their children new places to go.

“I am lucky in the fact that my son will start school in September so he would avoid the change. But I am devastated that my youngest son will not be able to attend.

Another parent, who did not wish to be named, said: “As a full time working parent I rely on the service offered for childcare both before and after school. When the plans for a new college were proposed I believe the agreement was it was to be built ‘like for like’.

“Now it appears that this is not the case and the childcare service is threatened with closure. This is a service that is in demand, has a lot of parents utilising this service, and is one for which we pay; it is not a free service and it is totally unacceptable that for the sake of cost cutting that a much-needed service is under threat.”

Earlier this year the college revealed ambitious plans to redevelop its Daventry campus to provide state of the art facilities and create up to 130 homes on the site. However, principal Pat Brennan-Barrett stressed the closure of the nursery was not linked with the potential development of the college site and that the proposals were part of a “standard process” to deliver best value for the funding it receives.

She said: “The college regrets that this move is under consideration but the reduction in our income has left me with no alternative but to consider all the options available to make cost reductions.

“If the decision is made to discontinue nursery services at Daventry, the college will do everything it can to help students and other customers to find alternative childcare provision. Once again, I regret any inconvenience that this may cause and would like to assure both students and customers that the college will do everything it can to help them in the event that a decision is made to proceed with this course of action.”

Two men wearing balaclavas broke into a house in Willoughby Road at about 6.45pm on Tuesday, March 10 and stole a substantial amount of money.

Once inside the property, the men forced the woman living there hand over a substantial amount of cash.

They then fled, leaving the woman in the property.

Detective Inspector Philip Mills, who is leading the investigation, said: “Incidents like this are fortunately very rare, but this was a nasty robbery which has obviously left the victim very shaken.

“I would urge anyone who knows anything about this incident to contact us as soon as possible.”

The two men are believed to be aged between 20 and 40 and may have been eastern European.

One was between 5ft 6in and 5ft 7in while the other was between 5ft 9in and 5ft 10in.

Witnesses, or anyone with any information about this incident, can call Northamptonshire Police on 101.

Alternatively, they can call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or use the anonymous online form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.