MUSIC, morris dancers, and a teddy zip wire will be the main attractions at a village fete.

Everdon Fete takes place on bank holiday Monday (August 26) from 2pm to 5pm.

The event will be opened by Bernie Keith from BBC Radio Northamptonshire, and there will be music from Daventry Band, morris dancers, teas and cakes, produce and plants.

There will be plenty of games and activities too – putting and golf; coconut shy and skittles all for cash prizes.

There will also be a fun dog show and an exhibition of working vintage machinery. All these events will take place on the village green and surrounding gardens.

In the church will be crafts and goods for sale.

If you have a brave teddy or other soft toy let them experience the 50-metre zip wire from the top of the church tower.

There is free entry and free parking for the fete. There will be a free park and ride service from the car park at the Weedon Road end of the village.

The road through the centre of the village will be closed during the fete (2pm-5pm).

For any additional information call Brian on 01327 361562.

The final design for a piece of artwork at one of the gateways to the town centre has been voted for by the public.

‘Daventry Calling’ was the winning piece, representing the town’s broadcasting heritage with symbolic masts radiating words to the world.

The artwork will go on the roundabout at the junction of Abbey Street and South Way and has been paid for by the developers of the nearby Abbey Retail Park – money that would have been taken back by the developers if not used for its designated purpose.

Artist Tim Ward was chosen by Daventry District Council to lead on the project and came up with three proposed designs that people could vote for and comment on at a number of public events and online.

Over the summer DDC asked people to give their ideas on the piece of art and vote on the proposals.

Cllr Alan Hills, community, culture and leisure portfolio holder, said: “We have listened to what designs people have said they prefer and it’s nice to see that they have gone with something that represents Daventry’s history.

“I would like to stress that this artwork is not being paid for by council taxpayers, it is actually being paid for by the developer of the Abbey Retail Park as part of their original planning obligations.

“I’m sure that this piece of art will be something the community can enjoy for many years to come.”

The BBC World Service was originally broadcast from Borough Hill using the radio call sign of ‘Daventry Calling’ making the town’s name well-known across the world. In 1935, this radio station was used for the first-ever practical demonstration of radar.

The sculpture will stand at around 7 metres high and will consist of five ‘masts’ with a laser-cut ‘radio wave’ text ring.

When the retail park was built in 2009 Ashford Developments were required to provide £10,000 to the council for an original piece of artwork to be put on the roundabout at the entrance to the town centre. An additional grant of up to £5,000 is also being sought from the Arts Council.

Work is expected to be completed on the artwork by the end of the year.

Litter and antisocial behaviour on a Daventry park were the focus during a day of 
action on Monday.

Representatives from the police, Daventry District Council, and their contractors Enterprise were at The Hollow on Monday.

Officers spoke to local residents and park users, while work was done to try and tackle some of the problems highlighted.

Jeannette Midson said: “I come down to the park almost every day to walk my dog and always pick up bottles and cans that have been dropped.

“The worry I have is these things can be hidden by the grass, so when a mower comes over they get broken and spread over the field. There are children who play here, and dogs that are walked so having broken glass isn’t good.

“There are lots of people who come down here to use the park in the good weather, but some of them don’t seem to be able to carry their litter to the bins on their way out. They also need bigger bins as they’re often full.”

District councillor Wayne Howard was also there talking to residents. He said: “The problems people have been talking to me about are things like litter, dog fouling and antisocial behaviour – things we already thought were an issue and that’s why we’re doing things here today.”

Work included cutting back hedges, in places by 10 to 20 yards, used by groups to drink and shelter from the rain. The park’s CCTV camera was demonstrated to residents, who were also given questionnaires and a volunteer team from McDonalds Daventry helped collect litter.

Inspector Helen Pritchett said: “We want people to use the town’s open spaces and to feel safe while they are doing so, but we want them to use the parks responsibly – to pick up their litter, to clean up after their dogs and not to cause a nuisance to other people.”

Paige, who lives on the Headlands in Daventry, also got to meet Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg at a reception.

Paige Suttling, a student at Daventry’s Parker E-ACT Academy spent two weeks working in the neighbour planning team at the Department for Communities and Local Government getting an insight into the civil service.

A course in confidence aims to get young people in Daventry on the right track, starting in September.

The Rushmere Academy, based at the Royal Oak Industrial Estate , are recruiting young people for their new NEET (not in education, employment or training) moves course.

The course offers a range of engaging opportunities to build confidence, self-esteem and skills, these include driving experience, a narrowboat challenge, cheeseburger challenge, equality and diversity training, employability skills, team building and more.

Anyone aged 16 to 18 may be eligible for a free place on the course.

For more information contact Tiffany on 01604 635586, email tiff.rushmere@btinternet.com or search on Facebook.

Police are appealing for information after two men said ‘sorry’ to a person whose house they had broken into and left without taking any property.

The burglary took place in Danetre Drive, Daventry at around 2.15pm on Saturday August 24.

Two men rang the victim’s door bell seven or eight times then held it down on the last try. When the victim did not answer the door, the offenders forced the door open and entered the property. When the men saw the victim in the hallway, one of the men said ‘sorry’ to her and they both left immediately taking no property.

The men are both described as white men, around 5ft9 tall, of skinny build and wearing black clothing. One of the men was wearing a bandana covering his face up to his nose.

Witnesses to this incident, or anyone with information, should call Northamptonshire Police on 101 - alternatively, information can be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

A parked car was covered in rock salt and had its windscreen wiper snapped off in Crick at the weekend.

The Ford Focus was damaged in Portlow Lane between 10pm on Sunday August 25 and 10.30am on Monday August 26.

It was parked near the junction with Bucknills Lane and windscreen wiper was recovered in a nearby drain.

Witnesses to this incident, or anyone with information, should call Northamptonshire Police on 101 - alternatively, information can be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Police are investigating suspected bomb hoax in Daventry.

They were called out shortly after midnight in the early hours of Saturday morning (August 24) to High Street to reports of a suspect package.

When they arrived officers discovered a suitcase outside Its A Gift.

Bomb experts were called in and declared the suitcase safe before it was removed for investigation.

A 19-year-old was arrested and subsequently bailed in relation to the incident.

Police are appealing for people who were out in Daventry at that time and may have seen something to get in touch via the 101 number.

A motorcyclist sustained serious injuries after he lost control of his bike in Braunston yesterday.

The 34-year-old man was travelling along Dark lane at around 6.15pm when he was in collision with a grass verge and possible a Vauxhall Astra which was stationary at the time.

The man was riding a black Honda Fireblade motorbike and sustained serious injuries as a result of the collision. He was taken to Walsgrave Hospital in Coventry by air ambulance.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the incident. Anyone with information should call the Drivewatch Hotline on 0800 174615.

After a 17-year break the West Haddon Community Carnival is returning on Saturday, September 7.

The family fun day on the village playing fields will run from 12pm until late with a parade, stalls, live music, dog show, dancing, bouncy castle, games and a BBQ hog roast on offer.

On the day the carnival parade will run from 12pm until 12.30pm followed by a flower and produce show until 2pm. A dog show will then take place until 5pm and summer stumble will continue into the evening.

Anyone who would like to get involved in the day by holding a stall, running the raffle, entering the dog or produce and flower show, performing, advertising or generally helping to organise things, should email lukesage@aol.com or sdj.welch@me.com.

You can also follow the carnival on twitter @WHaddonCarnival and find more information on Facebook.

Residents in Kilsby are invited to share coffee and cake with the police next week.

Daventry Rural’s Safer Community Team has organised a ‘drop-in’ event at Stephenson Court in Devon Ox Road on Friday September 6 between 10am and 12pm.

PCSO Lorraine Humfress, of Daventry Rural SCT, is the event organiser.

She said: “This is a great opportunity for the Kilsby community to come and see us and other agencies who work on their behalf.

“Everyone is welcome to attend, either just for a cup of tea and a chat with friends or to speak to any of the agencies attending.

“Representatives from Daventry and District Housing will be at the event to answer any questions or concerns anyone may have, for example questions about life lines, income and welfare reform.”

Other agencies due to be represented alongside the police are the county’s energy saving scheme, Citizens’ Advice, Kilsby Parish Council, the Crick surgery manager, the Women’s Institute, Trading Standards and Age UK.

A community group in Daventry which helps to support those with mental health problems and anxiety are holding an open day next week.

Green Health Daventry are opening the doors to their community gardens.

The group is inviting residents to share vegetables, salads, herbs spices and fruit from its summer harvest.

The freshly picked ingredients will make tasty meals cooked outdoors for those attending on Saturday, September 7.

Entertainment, a large crop of flowers, plants to purchase and home made cakes will also be on offer on the day.

The event runs from 12pm until 4pm at the Daventry Country Park Community Gardens.

The Green Health Project is a partnership between Daventry District Council and Green Health Daventry - a local community group which is supported by the UK’s leading mental health charity Rethink Mental illness.

Statistics show that one in four people in the UK are affected by mental illness and gardening and outdoor activities can often be used as a form of therapy.

The horticultural and environmental work the group facilitate in Daventry helps those suffering with mental health problems in the area.

The community gardens are located opposite the A425 from the Daventry Country Park.

A Daventry man has been jailed for perverting the course of justice after a jury found he had tried to intimidate two crown court witnesses.

Northampton Crown Court heard that on January 24, this year, Ricky Allsop, aged 24, of Beatty Close on Daventry’s Southbrook estate, threatened one male witness who was due to give evidence in a court case against one of his friends.

After bumping into him in the street, he told the witness: “I dare you to turn up to court, I know where you live.”

Three weeks later, he was driving through Daventry when he came across another witness involved in the same case.

The court was told Allsop drove close behind her, overtook her and sped up the road, before turning around and then proceeding to block the road with his car.

Allsop was found guilty of two counts of perverting the course of justice on Friday and was jailed for a total of 18 months.

A Braunston man who does not believe in God has donated £20,000 in a bid to help restore the village church.

Peter Andrews has given the funds to the £250,000 appeal to restore All Saints Church in the village which has bought the total raised to £50,000.

“So far as I am concerned, the church is a charity like any other which does good work, and I do support a lot of charities.

“I feel very happy for people who are Christians. It just doesn’t do anything for me anymore, but I recognise what it does for a lot of other people.”

He sees preserving the fine Grade II Listed building that is All Saints’ Braunston as a quite different issue, and one still worthy of his support.

The former maths and physics teacher lives in a modest two-bedroom flat in Brindley Quays.

So it is all the more remarkable that he should have become such a major benefactor. It’s not as though he is dishing out thousands of pounds in all directions to every charity that takes his fancy.

His other donations have, for the most part, been limited to a few pounds here, a few more pounds there. But the appeal to save All Saints’ Church was different.

A clue to the inspiration behind his actions may be in the view from his sitting room window. It takes in the marina and the old windmill and is crowned by the church spire.

He clearly loves fine old buildings – yet the church at Braunston is special to him, as it is to so many other people.

His greatest sadness is that others in the village with far more money than he has have not so far come forward to support the appeal with significant donations of their own.

The sale of pens and mugs and concert tickets have all helped along the way. But no significant single contributions from local businesses or other individuals have been forthcoming.

Peter said: “Buildings are a part of our heritage and people do enjoy them just as people do enjoy seeing this church – partly because they can see it for many miles around.

“It is, after all, the Cathedral of the canals, and if people who are not churchgoers see it as part of our heritage, then surely it is worth supporting”.

For Peter, the biggest attraction is being a worthwhile cause, it’s a local charity, with finite and achievable goals. When work began on repairing stonework around the windows, he could actually see his money being put to good and measurable use.

His hope now is that others in the village will follow his lead. He’s not suggesting that everyone could but all it would take is just a few like-minded people who share his vision.

He added: “Maybe no one will give £20,000. But if twenty people gave just £1,000, or if a few people gave four or five thousand each, it would at least match what I have done.”

Church vicar the Rev Sarah Brown, said: “Peter is a generous, quiet and self-effacing man who has a real heart for this place. We are really grateful for this wonderful response and hope it may inspire others too.”

People across the district are being urged to cast their vote for Daventry Country Park in a national online poll to find the best open space in the UK.

Daventry Country Park was one of a record 1,448 parks and green spaces to receive a prestigious Green Flag Award this summer.

The annual People’s Choice Award, managed by Keep Britain Tidy, is now open and gives the public the power to decide which one of the Green Flag sites should be named park of the year with an online vote.

The vote will close at midday on October 1 and the winner of the 2013 People’s Choice will be announced on October 9 at a ceremony in London.

All Green Flag Award-winning parks and green spaces are entered into the annual People’s Choice Award vote, which last year saw thousands of votes recorded and resulted in the crowning of Victoria Park in London’s Tower Hamlets as the People’s Choice.

To vote, people need to visit {http://greenflag.keepbritaintidy.org|green flag|Britain} find the Daventry Country Park page using the interactive map and click the ‘vote for this site’ button.

Community, culture and leisure portfolio holder at DDC cllr Alan Hills said: “Daventry Country Park is the jewel in the crown of our district and I would urge anyone who has visited and enjoyed the park to spare a few moments to go online, cast their vote and help the park get the national recognition it deserves.”

Keep Britain Tidy’s Green Flag Award scheme manager Paul Todd said: “Our judges have decided on this year’s winners of the coveted Green Flag Award but the public now have the opportunity to decide which park or green space deserves The People’s Choice Award.”

The Green Flag Award scheme is licensed to Keep Britain Tidy, from the Department for Communities and Local Government, and managed across the UK in partnership with Keep Scotland Beautiful, Keep Wales Tidy and Tidy Northern Ireland, the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens and the National Housing Federation.

The Daventry Bromford Support team is asking people to clear out their closets and donate any unwanted clothes to help those most in need with the launch of Daventry’s first clothes bank.

The Daventry support team will be launching the clothes bank on 20 September and are appealing for as many donations as possible.

Katharine Rymell, senior support worker said: “There are lots of food banks in place but we wanted to tackle another issue people face when living with little to no money. As we come to the end of the summer it would be fantastic if people could donate some items if they are sorting out their wardrobes.

“All clothes are welcome – coats and warm clothing in particular - but please leave your undies out! We’ll be buying those new with cash donations.”

Bromford will collect from anywhere in the Daventry area or people can drop clothes into the Bromford support offices at the Abbey Information and Resource Centre in Daventry’s market square.

Alternatively, if you are further afield you can contact the team on either 01327 701675; facebook at ‘Daventry Bromford Support’ or tweet them @bromfordsupportdaventry.

Daventry blood donors were honoured by the NHS Blood and Transplant service for reaching either 75 or 100 donations each.

Michael Prichett, Angus Cook, David Proud and Peter Brabrook were thanked for their generous donations.

Police and bomb experts raced to cordon off part of Daventry High Street in the early hours of Saturday 
following a bomb alert.

Police were called out shortly after midnight when they received reports that a suspicious suitcase had been left outside It’s A Gift. Once on the scene they cleared the street of people and set up barriers, they called in bomb disposal experts.

Leanne Campbell, manager at Fridays, said: “The police cordon started outside our door. They also blocked the Bowen Square walk-through. We were all asked to move our cars, but we weren’t told much about what was happening.

“Thankfully it was late on so it didn’t have a lot of impact on our trade, but our customers wanting to go to The Square had to walk the long way around.”

Police say the suitcase was examined and found not to be dangerous. It was taken away as evidence.

Tracy Hodgkiss, store manager at It’s A Gift, said: “We didn’t know anything had happened until we opened on Saturday morning and customers were asking us about it.

Northamptonshire Police say they arrested, and later released on police bail, a 19-year-old in connection with the incident and indicated it is being treated as a bomb hoax.

They are appealing for anyone who may have seen anything suspicious or something they believe may be connected to the incident, to get in touch with them via the 101 phone number or Crimsetoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

A tribute has been paid to two brothers who died after falling through the roof of a family-owned property last week.

Keith, 65, and John Lambdon, 62, died on Tuesday August 20 at Highfields, Deppers Bridge, Southam, both were formally members of the Staverton Park Golf Club.

Reports from the Leamington coroner’s office suggest the men were doing repairs when they fell through a weak spot in the roof. The building they were working on is thought to be an outbuilding on farmland.

The deaths were certified at 6.05pm though it is believed they died approximately six hours before. The brothers were found by Keith Lambdon’s son.

President at the golf club Judith Pearson said: “As president and on behalf of Staverton Park Golf Club we extend our deepest sympathy to the Lambdon family on the deaths of John and Keith Lambdon Snr. John and Keith were both highly respected members of the club with John being the vice captain.

“We have no details of the tragedy other than knowing that both died in an accident at home. We at the club are all deeply shocked and will do all we can to support the family in any way we can.”

Northampton College, which has a campus in Daventry, has announced its new principal.

Pat Brennan-Barrett took over at the helm on Monday, replacing Len Closs.

She was previously vice principal at Havering College of Further and Higher Education College in Essex until last month.

Ms Brennan-Barrett has a wealth of experience in the sector having started her career as a secondary school teacher and then later moving into the further and higher education sector.

She said: “It is an honour to have joined Northampton College as its principal. I was delighted to be offered thisopportunity to work with such a successful college which has achieved a ‘good’ grade from Ofsted in its recent inspection. I am passionate about teaching and learning, and will continue to build upon the excellent achievements already gained. I look forward to working closely with the governors, staff, partners, local employers and the wider community.

“My aim is to empower teams within the college to achieve their full potential, so that the students can be successful in securing their best possible results and progress on to employment or further or higher education. I will be wholly focussed on supporting economic growth for Northamptonshire and on leading Northampton College to become an even brighter star.”