A WOMAN who grew up in Daventry but now lives in Australia has been presented with an award by the Governor-General.

Glyniss Ingram (née Jones) received the Public Service Medal for ‘outstanding public service’.

The citation states: “Ms Ingram has worked tirelessly to protect children and young people who are most at risk of abuse, and to deliver community and human services in some of the most remote and isolated areas of New South Wales.

“She has developed a strong relationship with many Aboriginal communities. Ms Ingram endeavours to ensure social justice and inclusion are considered and her broad knowledge and experience of the region is valued by New South Wales and Commonwealth Government agencies.”

For those interested in paranormal activity, the Angelic Peace Paranormal Team invites you to Casey’s Club on Wednesday, August 14.

The unique evening begins at 8pm with a fish supper. Tickets are £20 and are available at the main bar at Casey’s Club. For more information, contact Casey’s on 013327 877899 or Yvonne on 07928 197644. Guests are asked to bring a camera.

Councillors at Daventry District Council have voted not to support the so-called Robin Hood tax on financial transactions.

The tax, which has been proposed at a European level, is opposed by the UK Government.

Cllr Maureen Luke proposed a motion asking the council to write to the Government in support of the tax.

Seconding the motion, Cllr Abigail Campbell (Labour) said: “We spend a lot of our time wringing our hands about what we would do if only the financial situation was different. This motion calls on the Government to impose a tax on speculative investments, which could raise £20 billion. Three days of it would pay for 1,000 new affordable homes. A financial transactions tax on share transactions is already in place.

“We have seen that a survey showed people believe the level of benefit fraud to be 27 per cent, when in fact it is 0.7 per cent. HMRC’s tax gap, the amount of tax they estimate they don’t collect, is £30 billion. We don’t have many opportunities as a small council in middle England to send a message to the financial establishment, which really caused the recession.”

Council leader Chris Millar (Conservative) replied: “I support that the financial sector should make a fair contribution to the public purse, which is why we have the UK bank levy, something that’s more than the one-off bonus tax from the last Labour government.

“Without a global intiative, if we introduced this tax, 70 to 90 per cent of some financial markets would move away from the EU. I can’t support this motion as the Government is already committed to financial reform. This tax would see the removal of this industry from the UK.”

The measure was supported by Labour and Lib Dem councillors, but failed when the Conservatives voted against it.

Weedon Football Club is holding its annual legends match on Saturday August 17 at 2.30pm on the Jubilee Field.

There will also be a fete with Winky’s barbecue and a bar will be there with side stalls and amusements for all the family. The reggae band Mystic Crew have been booked to appear in the evening from 6.30pm. If you or your organisation would like to run a stall contact Danny Chapman on 07840 842841 or chapman_d@hotmail.com or Tony Wincott on 01327 341767 or email tony.wincott@btinternet.com

Work has started on improvements to the A5/A45 crossroads in Weedon.

The changes for the crossroads started on Monday and will see a widening of lanes to improve journey times and ease congestion.

It will cost £950,000 and has been funded by the Government’s growing places fund, which is designed to help push forward housing and economic growth.

Leader of Northamptonshire County Council, Cllr Jim Harker, said: “This is good news for the county.

“This is one of the most important junctions in Northamptonshire and anything that can be done to improve the safety on the crossroads needs to be carried out.

“In addition it also supports economic growth in the Daventry area, which has to be welcomed, particularly as the UK economy moves into recovery.”

However, Cllr Harker added the start of the improvement work will not have an effect on the planned bypass for the area.

He added: “It in no way diminishes, however, the need for the Flore, Weedon, Nether Heyford bypass and the council is working hard to bring this major scheme forward as quickly as possible.

“The Growing Places Fund was established for schemes such as this and I’m delighted that we’re seeing results, right here in Northamptonshire.”

The work will take around 12 weeks and includes extending the carriageway, creating additional lanes and installing smart traffic lights to improve traffic flows.

Chairman of Weedon Bec Parish Council Stuart Jacks said: “We’re looking at 12 weeks of work starting with very little notice.

“We will have to deal with the short term inconvenience but we hope it will alleviate some of the congesion on the junction.”

An eyewitness has described the moment he heard “big bang” and saw a light aircraft crash into a Northamptonshire field

Rosie Nichols, who was riding near Canons Ashby House, near Daventry, when she saw a light aircraft crash said: “Me and my friend were out riding and we saw it come down and heard a bang. It wasn’t too high when we saw it and then we just heard this big bang.”

An 11-year-old boy was airlifted to hospital with ‘serious injuries’ after the light aircraft he was a passenger in crashed at about 11.45am today.

The air ambulance was called and the boy was taken to Birmingham Children’s Hospital with serious injuries.

Neighbours reported at least three helicopters were sent to the scene, including the air ambulance, while around five fire engines, as well as police cars and ambulances attended the crash.

Eyewitness Ben Nichols has described the moment the engine of a light aircraft, belived to be a Gypsy Moth, sounded like it “cut out” while performing a loop, sending it crashing to the ground.

Mr Nichols said: “We saw it go up and it looked like it was climbing. It just looked like it cut out and it came down and it crashed into the next field and it has been smashed up a bit.

“It looked like it went to do a loop and it sounded like the engine cut out. It looks like they had to cut the cockpit to get them out.”

Writing on its Twitter page, Canons Ashby House said: “Our thoughts are with those affected by the light aircraft crash today in the parkland. Nothing was damaged in the house or gardens.

“Thankfully no visitors have been affected and the property is undamaged. Our thoughts go out to the injured and their families.”

AN 11-YEAR-OLD was injured following a light aircraft clash at Canons Ashby earlier today (Monday).

Police and several other emergency service colleagues attended the incident at 11.45am.

The youngster was a passenger in the plane and has been air-lifted to Birmingham Children’s Hospital with serious injuries while the pilot is still receiving treatment at the scene.

An eyewitness described hearing a “big bang” when she saw the accident.

Rosie Nichols, who was riding near Canons Ashby House, when she saw a light aircraft crash said: “Me and my friend were out riding and we saw it come down and heard a bang. It wasn’t too high when we saw it and then we just heard this big bang.”

Neighbours reported at least three helicopters were sent to the scene, including the air ambulance, while around five fire engines, as well as police cars and ambulances attended the crash.

Eyewitness Ben Nichols has described the moment the engine of a light aircraft sounded like it “cut out” while performing a loop, sending it crashing to the ground.

Mr Nichols said: “We saw it go up and it looked like it was climbing. It just looked like it cut out and it came down and it crashed into the next field and it has been smashed up a bit.

“It looked like it went to do a loop and it sounded like the engine cut out. It looks like they had to cut the cockpit to get them out.”

Writing on its Twitter page, Canons Ashby House said: “Our thoughts are with those affected by the light aircraft crash today in the parkland. Nothing was damaged in the house or gardens.

“Thankfully no visitors have been affected and the property is undamaged. Our thoughts go out to the injured and their families.”

Residents in Ravensthorpe Ward will go to the polls next month to elect a Daventry District Councillor.

The by-election for a seat on the Council will be taking place on Thursday September 5 following the recent sad death of Cllr Ken Melling.

People living in DDC’s Ravensthorpe Ward – which also covers parishes including Althorp, the Bringtons, East Haddon, Holdenby and Hollowell – will be able to vote in the by-election. To do so, residents must be on the electoral register. Those who are not must be registered by 5pm on Tuesday August 20. Electoral registration forms are available from the Council at www.daventrydc.gov.uk or by phoning 01327 871100.

People living in DDC’s Ravensthorpe Ward – which also covers Althorp, the Bringtons, East Haddon, Holdenby and Hollowell – will be able to vote in the by-election.

In order to vote by proxy people need to complete an application form and also return it to the Council’s Electoral Registration Officer by 5pm on Wednesday August 28. Voting by proxy means that people appoint someone to vote on their behalf if they are unable to get to a polling station. The proxy must be eligible to vote in the relevant election and willing to vote on the individual’s behalf.

A Statement of Persons Nominated, providing details of candidates intending to stand for the by-election, is available to view, alongside other elections notices, at www.daventrydc.gov.uk/elections.

For more information on electoral registration or voting by post or proxy, contact Daventry District Council on 01327 871100 or go to www.daventrydc.gov.uk/elections.

Twelve members of a Daventry family have completed Land’s End to John O’Groats in 12 days; nine of them cycling and the others as support.

One of those taking part, Denise Grey, said: “There were three generations ranging in age from 15 to 80.

“The route taken was 901 miles and climbed 40,000 feet. There were times when we all felt like giving up, but we were sponsored to do it and, among other things, the thought of our charities kept us going.”

The charities being supported can be found at www.virginmoneygiving.com/team/TheFamilyChallenge and http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/bondslejog.

Golfers across the Daventry district are being asked to tee off in a good cause and support The Jago Worrall Foundation

A charifty golf day will take place at Staverton Park Hotel and Golf Club on Friday September 20. This will be followed by a sportsmans dinner in the same evening. Tickets for the events are now available.

Teams will be able to fuel up for the day with coffee and bacon rolls before taking part in an 18-hole golf tournament alongside Liverpool legend, Alan Kennedy.

Three lucky people can bid for a chance to join Alan’s team. Later on, there will also be the chance to enjoy a three-course sportsman’s dinner with a guest speaker, to be announced.

The evening includes a charity auction and lots already announced include signed and framed football shirts from footballing legends Lionel Messi, Pele and Robin van Persie.

The event is also being organised in conjunction withFootball for Charity.

To enter a team into the golf day just complete the entry form, available from Staverton Park Hotel and the Daventry Express offices in High Street.

Return it to Andrew Gibbins at Staverton Park Hotel along with a £10pp deposit.

The golf starts at 11am and costs £25. The dinner starts at 7pm and cost £45. Both events can be bought at a total cost of £60.

Canons Ashby House will open its doors as part of the free Heritage Open days weekend.

The House will open on Saturday, September 14 from 11am until 5pm for visitors to take a look around the medieval priory church and parkland and the recently restored early 18th-century gardens.

Visitors can look around the stables and tea rooms and Victorian-themed coach house shop as well as children’s trails.

The heritage opens days run from Thursday, September 12 until Sunday, September 15.

St Peter’s Church in Dunchurch will open on Friday 13. Weston Hall in Towcester will open on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 and Draycote water in Rugby will also open for visitors on Thursday 12.

For more information about open properties in the area and others in Northampton visit www.heritageopendays.org.uk.

A feast of live music, locally made crafts and produce, children’s entertainment and a pudn competition return for the annual Long Buckby Feast.

Thousands of people turn out for the feast week which begins at 7pm on Wednesday August 21 with a quiz night.

For the first time a special Feast Handbag Heaven evening will take place on Friday with BBC Radio Northampton’s Bernie Keith .

Hilary Tibbs, one of the feast organisers, said: “Bernie is an angel and has agreed to a night of disco for the feast. The tickets are just £5 from the newsagents and it will certainly be a good night.”

On Saturday the Elation Community Voices Choir will perform at the feast for the first time .

Organiser Sara Jelley said: “The choir were born at the feast last year and have since had massive success so it will be nice to see them perform.”

The grande finale takes place on Monday when stalls, live music, games and the ever popular feas pudn competition will take place in Market Place.

This year, Feast Day will also include a French Market run by the village’s twinning association to welcome Twinning partners from Damville, in Normandy.

As always funds raised from the feast will go to the Buckby Feast Trust set up to support good causes and charities associated within Long Buckby.

For more about the feast, see this week’s Daventry Express.

A First World War hero from the Daventry district who won the Victoria Cross is to be honoured with a commemorative paving stone.

Henry Reynolds, from Whilton, was awarded the highest military decoration for bravery in 1917.

Eric Pickles, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), announced a project to help local authorities honour Victoria Cross recipients from the First World War in their area by laying a commemorative paving stone.

The paving stones will be paid for by the Government and given to councils across the country where the Victoria Cross recipients were born as a symbol of the centenary of the Great War.

Captain Reynolds, who was born in Whilton, received the Victoria Cross for showing gallantry under heavy fire in Belgium on September 20, 1917. He had already been awarded the Military Cross.

In recognition of his bravery, DDC will arrange a suitable site for the paving stone to be laid in September, 2017.

Chris Millar, leader of Daventry District Council, said: “We are delighted to support this project in honour of the brave recipients of the Victoria Cross during the First World War as the centenary of the start of the war fast approaches. Cpt Henry Reynolds was born in our district and was one of those brave men, and we look forward to laying a commemorative stone to recognise his courage in 2017.”

Cpt Reynolds continued to serve with the Army until 1927. After leaving he lived in southern England and worked in a care home set up for veterans of the war who had been left with mental health problems.

He died in Surrey in 1948 at the age of 64. His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Scots Museum in Edinburgh Castle.

A national competition to design the paving stones that will be used across the country has been launched, entries need to be submitted electronically to VCdesigncomp@communities.gsi.gov.uk. The deadline is 5pm on Friday, October 4, 2013.

Andrew Humphries ran 11 marathons in 11 days to raise awareness of multiple sclerosis.

He has raised almost £2,000 completing the challenge with the support of his best friend of 15 years Dan Hughes who has the condition.

Police say the body of a 37-year-old local man was found on Sunday, August 18, in Daventry.

The body was discovered by a member of the public in Shackleton Drive, by the old railway line footpath at 8.05am.

Northamptonshire Police say the circumstances are not suspicious and they will be preparing a report for the coroner.

Daventry District Council says it has saved over 1,000 tonnes of carbon emissions since 2008/9 after implementing a range of energy saving initiatives.

The initiatives resulted in DDC saving on its energy costs and reducing its overall carbon emissions by 17 per cent.

The measures include the installation of solar PV panels on the council’s three main buildings in Lodge Road, The Abbey and Daventry Leisure Centre cutting electricity costs by 35 per cent.

Lighting inside The Abbey and outside the main council offices was replaced with new LED lights. A new more efficient gas boiler was installed, and lighting improvements were made at the leisure centre.

Cllr Chris Millar, leader of DDC, said: “Saving so much of our energy and carbon emissions is very impressive and clearly shows that the Carbon Management Plan we put in place has been very effective.

“The various initiatives have not only helped the Council to reduce its carbon footprint, but also significantly cut its energy bills, which is great news for the taxpayer as well as the environment.”

Daventry District Council has also helped other businesses reduce their carbon emissions by sharing beast practice through the Environmental Business Network.

A motorcyclist suffered serious injuries in a crash on the Kilsby to Hillmorton Road.

At around 12.50pm on Monday 19 August along the B4038 a black MV Agusta F4 motorcycle, being ridden by a 44-year-old man, collided with a black Fiat Punto, which was being driven by a 46-year-old man.

The motorcyclist suffered serious injuries and was taken to Walsgrave Hospital in Coventry for treatment.

Officers from the collision investigation team at Northamptonshire Police would like to speak to anyone who may have witnessed this collision or either of the vehicles prior to it.

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

DRIVERS in Daventry are being reminded to think about the security of their vehicles after 19 thefts from the vehicles took place over two weeks.

The vehicles, which include cars, vans and caravans, had various items stolen including tools and a sat nav, between 1 August and 16 August.

A number of the cars had been left insecure, making it easier for thieves to target them.

In some cases, items from on the vehicle were stolen such as hub caps and wiper blades.

Owners are being given the following advice by police:

– Always keep your car locked, closing both the windows and sunroof - even if you are only leaving the vehicle for a few moments.

– Always remove all items from your vehicle when parked; even an old coat can tempt a thief.

– Ensure when removing your sat nav that the cradle and suction pad are also removed.

– Store your car in your garage, and keep both the car and garage locked and secure.

– If you do not have a garage, park on your driveway, in well-lit areas or where it is overlooked.

– If you park on the street, tuck in wing mirrors and put the aerial down to avoid criminal damage to your vehicle.

Sector Inspector Helen Pritchett, said: “Although we have seen a small spike in thefts, the figures show that there are still fewer offences than there were for the same time last year, which is positive.

“However, we want to nip this spike in the bud. If somebody is acting suspiciously around cars, we want to know about it. If anyone has any information that could help, we want them to report it.

“We advise people to make sure they protect their vehicles as much as they can.”

After more than 11 years and hundreds of services in the local community, the vicar of three villages will be retiring at the end of the month.

The Rev Liz Cowley, who covers the villages of Staverton, Hellidon and Catesby, will be standing down from her role.

Her final service wil be held at St Mary’s Church in Staverton on Sunday which starts at 11am.

The service will then be followed by a special lunch at Staverton Hall which has been opened by Rupert and Serena Frost. Parishioners from all three villages are contributing to the food.

People are welcome to attend the event but anyone coming is asked to bring outdoor seating as large numbers of people are expected at the event.

People in Hellidon got the chance to say goodbye to her at a service held on Sunday and she was presented with a gift to say thank you for all of efforts and help in the village.

The vicar has been instrumental recently setting up partnerships in South Korea, with religious officials visiting Staverton from the Far East country.

Rev Cowley visited South Korea earlier this year alongside others from the Daventry Team Ministry.

She also did a sponsored slim in 2010 in a bid to raise funds for all three churches.

The church has not yet announced a replacement for the Rev Cowley.

A giant picnic was organised to celebrate 90 years since the first major strike on the Engish canal network.

Almost 150 people turned out to the Stop House Garden at Braunston on Tuesday last week to remember the strike. The day included live music, food and short guided walks organised by residents, members of the Canal Society, the local Labour Party,Canal and Rivers Trust, Braunston Marina, local trade unionists, the village church and others.

It marked the strike which took place in 1923 when around fifty canal families used their boats to block the canal at Braunston opposing wage cuts for boat crews.

It was the first major strike on the English canal system, canal workers staying out for 14 weeks before their victory. The strike reduced the wage cuts and established the right for boatworkers to belong to a union.

Outdoor and boating journalist Peter Frost, who lives in Braunston, said: “We decided to mark the event because it is a very important one in British history and all those people who went on strike should not be forgotten.

“We were delighted with the turnout as we had lots of people from canal boating families. We printed out a lot of photos of the strike and we had people picking out their grandparents which just added to the atmosphere of it.”

Over 100 booklets containing a short history of the strike were given out on the day and band Life and Times performed a special song to commemorate it.

Unite the union sponsored the day with guest Julia Long coming along to celebrate.

Cllr for Braunston and Welton Abigail Campbell said: “There was a really good atmosphere with people wanting to find out more about this historic event in their village.

“Braunston is very much a working village and that’s because of the canal. People feel at home here and the day was very emotional for that reason with people celebrating that link to the canal.”

A small amount of money was left over from the day which will be used to start a fund to form a monument by the canal to commemorate the strikers.