Lighting Offences

High Street, Eaton Bray c.1905 [Z1306/39/2/2]

Tuesday 22nd August 1916:  The need to keep lights shaded is still causing difficulties for local residents. Henry Impey of Eaton Bray has pleaded guilty to failing to subdue the lights in his house on 1st August. He was asked to do so by special constable Edward William Brown who was on duty that night due to air raid reports. He saw a light in Mr. Impey’s cottage at Chapel Yard at 12.15 and told Mr. Impey to put it out. Mr. Impey did so, but at 2.10am another light was visible through the sides of the window blind. The defendant said that one of his three children was very frightened of the dark and had to have a small light. He had now altered the blind and shaded the light so that it cannot be seen through the window, but he was still fined nine shillings with costs.

Emily Evans, a domestic servant at “Northcourt”, Leighton Buzzard also pleaded guilty to failing to sufficiently reduce or shade an inside light on the same night. Special Constable T. H. Bishop said that he had seen the light through the trees at the side of “Northcourt” while on air raid duty in Heath Road at 1 a.m. The window blind was up and the light full on. When he called out the gas was immediately put out. Nineteen year old Miss Evans said she was the only one in the bedroom, and the light was only a candle. She was fined ten shillings.

Source: Leighton Buzzard Observer, 22 August 1916