Blackberry Collection by Bedfordshire Schools

Blackberries [Image source: Wikimedia]

Tuesday 9th October 1917: About 120 Bedfordshire schools are taking part in  a scheme to collect blackberries which will be used to make jam for soldiers and sailors. Both children and teachers have been gathering blackberries enthusiastically, regardless of the weather. By the end of last week the county had collected nearly 25 tons of the fruit. The most successful schools last week were Eaton Socon and Cranfield, which each sent in over 7 hundredweight, Wootton with nearly 6 hundredweight, Toddington Voluntary and Council Schools with over 7 hundredweight between them, and Sharnbrook and Marston Moretaine with 5½  and 5 hundredweight respectively. Three small schools, at Pulloxhill, Pertenhall and Lidlington, deserve particular mention for sending over 2 hundredweight each.

Source: Bedfordshire Standard 12th October 1917

Excitement at Ridgmont and Lidlington

The Lane, Lidlington, 1912 [Z1130/73/23]

Thursday 6th May 1915: The villagers of Ridgmont and Lidlington have enjoyed great excitement this week. The Engineers Signalling Company established their headquarters at the Parish Room in Lidlington on Monday and about sixty men were billeted in the village overnight. Ridgmont has been turned into a signalling station, with motorists coming and going all day and through the night. Yesterday evening nearly forty motor transport wagons passed through the village and were given tea by the inhabitants. An unfortunate collision took place between an officer’s car and Mr L. Humphreys’ motor cycle but there were no injuries, although the motorcycle was a casualty.

Source: Leighton Buzzard Observer and Linslade Gazette, 11th May 1915

Incident on a Train

The Three Counties Asylum at Arlesey, 1913 [Z1306/2/19/4]

Friday 16th April 1915: An incident on the 9.08 westbound train from Bedford this morning serves as a sad example of the effect that the war is having on the mental state of some of the fighting men taking part in it. When the train arrived at Lidlington a man was handed over to the stationmaster by other men in the carriage. It appears he had tried to commit suicide by jumping from the train between Millbrook and Lidlington. A discharged soldier, he was driven to this extreme by the belief that he had killed his own wife and children. The man was detained while the police were sent for, but he escaped, ran down the line and into a field. After a two mile chase he was caught by P.C.Arnold and Mr. Boddington, the stationmaster. His state of exhaustion was such that he spent five minutes unconscious. On medical examination at Ampthill he was found to be insane and was taken to the Arlesey Asylum.

Source: Leighton Buzzard Observer and Linslade Gazette, 20th April 1915