jun2012 Bulletin - Biggleswade Rugby Club

26 BULLETIN JUNE 2012 TEL: 01234 834700 EDITORIAL: editorial@biggleswadebulletin.co.ukContinued from page 24request to the Editor or Secretary.Subscriptions for the year are nowat £7.50 per person, plus £6 perannum for postage of the monthlyNewsletter. alternatively, memberscan opt for free delivery byemail or free delivery by hand toaddresses in the town.Renewals: Subscriptionsbecame due at the beginning ofapril. Two-thirds of our 133 membershave renewed since then,bringing current paid-up membershipto 94.MeetingsFrom 3 September 2012 theSociety will meet monthly at itsnew venue, Trinity Methodistchurch, Shortmead Street. Doorsopen at 7.45 for an 8.00 pm starton the first Monday of the month,unless notified. Meetings are freeto members; visitors are normallywelcome at any indoor meetingfor a fee of 3.00. In the summermonths indoor meetings give wayto a programme of members onlyevening walks and visits.NEW research from charity SueRyder has found that almost one intwo people (46%) who live closeto a stately home, yet have not visitedit for years would jump at thechance to see it under a new light.To satisfy this curiosity, and tohelp people see fundraising in awhole new light, Sue Ryder hasteamed up with some of the uK’smost iconic landmarks, includingThe Shuttleworth Estate to host aseries of sponsored Starlight Hikes– night-time walks with a difference,throughout September.Through the Starlight Hikeevents, the charity aims to recruit10,000 walkers, and raise £1 millionto help Sue Ryder continue toprovide long-term, compassionateMembers will be notified inadvance if there is an admissionfee for these.Last Meeting atMillennium House:1 May 58 members attended atalk by historian and author,Stephen Risby, on Italian andGerman Prisoners of War inBedfordshire during the SecondWorld War. Severe wartime manpowershortages and the progressivestifling of food imports by theGerman u-boat blockade placedgreat strain on agricultural productionat home. The dark days of1940 saw the British evacuationfrom Dunkirk and the Blitz, andGermany and her allies had theupper hand but in December therewere some victories over theItalian army in the Western Desertresulting in the taking of some36,000 prisoners. Here was aready source of much neededmanpower, and from 1941 ItalianPoWs were shipped to Britain inever increasing numbers and set towork in the fields. at first all theand end-of-life care to peopleacross the uK. The Hike inBedfordshire will take place atThe Shuttleworth collection, pastthe historic aircraft hangers, alsotaking in the impressive site ofThe Mansion House’s clock towerand the stunning Regency Swissgardens with its bridges, pondsand interesting buildings onSeptember 29 2012 at 9.30 and isin aid of St John’s Hospice.“our findings show that it is alltoo easy to take things for grantedwhen they are part of your day-todaylife – whether that be yourhealth or the landmark down theroad. We know that only eight percent of people took part in afundraising event for a healthmen were housed in huts in largecamps, like the one at Ducks crossnear colmworth, and taken out intrucks each day to work, but itsoon became apparent that mostItalian other ranks could be trustedto work in small gangs with minimalmilitary supervision, and anetwork of smaller local hostelssprang up. Eventually many menwere billeted with the farmers whoemployed them. In the vicinity ofBiggleswade there were PoW hostelsat Northill, Potton, cockayneHatley, Roxton, Tempsford andSandy. The prisoners at Duckscross spent their time off improvingtheir surroundings; photographswere shown of neat gardenplots with classic Italianate featuresand of the profusion of religiousmurals in the chapel hut,none of which has survived, unfortunately.When in 1943 the Italiangovernment sued for peace theItalians in Britain were technicallyno longer prisoners but theirlabour was still essential and manychose to continue working on thefarms but with better conditions,more privileges and freedom ofmovement. after D-Day in thesummer of 1944 large numbers ofGerman PoWs began to arrive andwere placed in the camps first usedfor the Italians. They too were setto work, mainly in agriculture, andwent through a similar processwhereby trusted men were accommodatedin hostels and billets.after the war repatriation wasslow, the last German PoWsdeparting in 1949.Stephen Risby’s book,‘Prisoners of War in Bedfordshire’is available via amazon and eBay.Next Meeting:12 June Members only. Visitto Gamlingay: ‘DiscoveringMessages from Previous ages inSt Mary’s church. Suggesteddonation: £2 per person, or more,towards the upkeep of the church.Meet at the church for a 7.00pmstart. Please come a little earlier toallow time to find a street parkingspace. If the weather is fine somemembers may also wish to join usafterwards for a stroll around thevillage before leaving for home.Charity night hike shows Shuttleworth Estate in new lightcharity last year, so we have madesure our fundraising activities arenew, exciting and give people anopportunity to see some of theuKs best known local landmarks– as well as fundraising – in awhole new light.Sue Ryder St John’s Hos -pice has a long and distinguishedhistory of providing end of life andpalliative care for people livingwith life-limiting conditionsincluding cancer and non-cancerconditions such as renal failure,heart failure and Motor Neuronedisease. The hospice has beenproviding high quality care forover 30 years supportingthousands of people through itsday therapy, in-patient andcommunity-based services.The Sue Ryder Starlight Hikeswill take place in eleven beautifullocations across the uK;aberdeen, Bedford, cheltenham,clitheroe, Dundee, Driffield,Haworth, Ipswich, Leeds,Peterborough and Reading.For more information aboutStarlight Hike, or to sign up to aStarlight Hike event, please seewww.starlighthike.org