A TRING Rugby player will be driving around in style this season after being given use of a BMW.

Full-back Tom Newton picked up the Series 1 convertible from Cow Roast dealership Specialist Cars, in reward for the hard work which he puts into developing youth rugby in Tring.

“BMW have donated the car for my use as Tring Rugby Academy coach,” said Newton.

“This is my second year in the role assisting Paul Gunn, head Academy coach, and my aim is to develop the young talent in Tring Rugby and bring them into the senior section where we are having great success.

“The Academy was set up in 2007 and caters for 17 to 19-year -olds – this is great for lads who are finishing rugby at school but want to continue playing and are looking to extend their career by playing senior rugby.

“The Academy bridges the gap between junior and senior rugby – my role is to make the young lads feel welcome when they join senior training on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

“This season the 2s, 3s and 4s senior sides have benefited a huge amount from being able to select Academy players – this is thanks to John Ball who hounds us week in week out for all the young talent coming through!”

Tony Murphy, BMW sales manager at Specialist Cars, added: “We are very much at the heart of the local business community and work closely alongside the rugby club, as well as (local businesses) Grass Roots and Oakman Inns.

“We are keen to support Tom in particular because of his continuing efforts to bring on the youth rugby squads in this area – that is why we have donated the vehicle.

“He’s obviously a very happy bunny but it is mutually beneficial because we also get a lot of respect from the families involved with the rugby club.”

TEENAGE burglar Ryan Dineen was over the limit when he crashed a car he had stolen from outside a house in Hemel Hempstead.

Dineen, 19, was chased from the scene but caught by a police officer as he tried to escape over a wall, St Albans Crown Court heard on Friday.

Prosecutor Alison Ginn said a woman was woken at 4am at her home in Belswains Lane by her dog barking.

She went downstairs to find her handbag on the floor with the purse and car keys missing.

Her door was open and she saw her Toyota, which had been parked on the driveway, being driven off.

She phoned the police and a few minutes later the car was seen in Wheelers Lane travelling at speed with no lights on.

It went into Deaconsfield Road and Runham Road, before hitting a wall at the junction with Seaton Road.

Dineen ran off, but left a blue jacket, a photo-identity card with his name on it and his mobile phone at the scene.

Another officer who had answered the 999 call saw Dineen climbing over a wall and shouted for him to stop.

He carried on climbing but was pulled back and arrested. He smelt of alcohol and later gave a breath test reading of 62 – the legal limit for driving is 35.

The prosecutor said Dineen had also got into a home in Lawn Lane and stolen car keys, vodka and wine.

While on bail he got into a row at Sainsbury’s in London Road, Apsley, after being asked to provide identification for buying alcohol. He told a security guard: “You P*** bastard. Why don’t you go back to your own country. What are you doing here?” He told another member of staff she was a “fat ****”

Dineen, of Maynard Road, Hemel Hempstead, appeared for sentence having admitted two burglaries, aggravated vehicle taking and two public order offences.

Carl Woolf, defending, said that Dineen had been drinking for three weeks at the time of the burglaries after his girlfriend had suffered a miscarriage. “Both were heartbroken and he was drinking heavily,” he said.

Mr Woolf said Dinenn knew he was facing a long time in custody.

Judge Andrew Bright QC sentenced him to two years and four months behind bars and banned him from driving for 18 months.

He told him: “When you drink you behave in a way that is completely unacceptable.”

DEPUTY Mayor of Dacorum Bert Chapman and Hemel Hempstead MP Mike Penning will be among audience members tapping their toes along to the music at a community choir performance.

The dignitaries have confirmed they will be attending the Urban Mass Choir’s festive concert on Friday, December 9.

The choir is made up of Dacorum singers who have come together to put on the show under organiser Charlotte Roel.

Mr Penning said: “The Urban Mass Choir was great last year and is a tremendous opportunity for people to get into the spirit of Christmas. I absolutely love the energy, and excitement and wouldn’t miss their Christmas concert for the world.”

It is being held at the South Hill Centre in Cemetery Hill, Hemel Hempstead from 8pm.

Tickets cost £12 for adults, £6 for under 16s and £32 for a family ticket admitting two adults and two children.

To book call 08451 309548, email info@urbanprecinct.com

There are two fundraising events in aid of the wonderful Hospice of St Francis to go in the diary for the beginning of December.

The first is a festive feast at Jalsa Indian restaurant in Berkhamsted on Thursday, December 1 from 7pm onwards.

The talented Jalsa chefs are putting together a delicious three course meal to showcase the very best of their menu.

There will also be a raffle with some fantastic prizes – including vouchers for meals at Jalsa and a painting kindly donated by local artist Mitzi Green.

A meal costs £19.95 and Jalsa will donate £7 of that to the hospice, which relies on donations to meet the bulk of iuts running costs.

Call 01442 875557 or 07411 302417 to book your table.

And on Saturday, December 3 from 12.30pm to 3.30pm Bovingdon Village will be holding their Christmas fair with proceeds going once again to the hospice.

There will be a great range of stalls – including candles and complementary products, Christmas decorations, South American silver jewellery, paintings and embroidery to name just a few.

And the children will get to meet Father Christmas.

Find out more by going to www.stfrancis.org.uk.

CAMBRIDGE United footballer Ryan Charles escaped jail after his eBay account was used in a credit card fraud.

Charles, who lives in Cuffley Court, Hemel Hempstead, was involved in a scam with 6ft 7in tall basketball player Dwayne Gilpin.

The striker, who used to play for Luton and Rushden and Diamonds, allowed his eBay account to be used to launder money gained from the auction of breaks at luxury hotels that had been bought with stolen credit card details.

Around £12,000 was made in the confidence fraud, St Albans Crown Court was told.

Prosecutor Sally Mealing-McLeod said it was uncovered when Janince Brennan was the highest bidder on eBay for a break at Claridges Hotel in London. She paid £542.99 through PayPal for a voucher for a three-night stay. The hotel then discovered that the voucher Mrs Brennan bought had been paid for with stolen credit card details.

PayPal was contacted and the voucher sale was traced to Ryan Charles.

An investigation was launched. American Express lost $8,532, Claridges £914 and the Trophy Store £44.14.

When questioned by the police on January 24 this year Charles said Gilpin had set up the eBay account using his details. In a later interview he said he had been ‘stitched up’ by Gilpin who was the real fraudster.

Gilpin, who is to play basketball in the Canadian Inter-University League next year, told the officers he and Charles had set up the account together.

Charles, 22, pleaded guilty to money laundering. Gilpin, 23, of Church Road, Northolt, Middlesex pleaded guilty to four counts of fraud.

Chris Georgiou, for Gilpin said: “For as little as £2 or £3 he could purchase credit card details and it snowballed.” He said Gilpin, a former catering student at Thames Valley University, was of previous good character, and was due to play basketball in Canada next year where he will earn 4,000 dollars a month.

For Charles, Michael House said: “He was asked by a friend if he could use his eBay account because Gilpin’s was frozen. He did not stop it. He turned a blind eye. He bitterly regrets his involvement and is ashamed of his conduct. He feels he has let himself and his mother down very badly.”

At the time he said Charles was playing for Rushden but is now with Cambridge in the Conference League, where he earns £1,700 a month.

Judge Andrew Bright QC said: “It was a sophisticated operation by fraudsters who knew what they were doing. It was a confidence fraud. Credit card details were used to acquire hotel vouchers which were sold on eBay.”

He sentenced Gilpin to 12 months’ jail suspended for 18 months and ordered him to carry out 120 hours unpaid work. He must pay compensation of £1,456.99p. He told him: “You have had an extremely lucky escape. I hope this sentence will allow you to continue your very promising sports career.”

Charles was given a six-month sentence suspended for 18 months, with 12 months’ supervision. He must complete 100 hours unpaid work within 12 months and pay £2,044.14 compensation and £350 costs.

A CASH crisis means a hospice could be forced to slash its services for the first time in its 32-year history.

The Hospice of St Francis has put the wheels in motion to close its day hospice from the new year to cut outgoings by £75,000 annually as the tough economic climate bites.

It means bespoke services for terminally ill patients, such as complementary therapy, physiotherapy and pampering sessions, could be scrapped.

Read the full story in this week’s Gazette.

CHARITY: Age UK Dacorum fears it may have to cancel a visit from Santa to their annual Christmas party because of a lack of presents.

They are expecting 200 guests at the festive bash on December 9 at Shendish Manor but less than 50 gifts have so far been donated for Santa’s sack.

Donated presents can be dropped off at the charity’s HQ in Half Moon Yard, Hemel Hempstead, the Roundhouse in Marlowes, Wilkinson and Riverside.

ONE of the men who murdered Hemel Hempstead PC Frank Mason has been extradited back to the UK to complete his life sentence after escaping custody in 1994.

James Hurley, along with Perrie Wharrie and Charlie McGhee, were all found guilty of killing the 27-year-old police officer and were jailed for life in 1989.

But on February 16, 1994, Hurley, now aged 49, escaped custody while being transferred between prisons.

He had been the getaway driver during an armed robbery of a security van in Bank Court, Hemel Hempstead on April 14, 1988.

PC Mason, who was off duty at the time, was shot in the back as he tried to arrest one of the gang. It was never established who pulled the trigger.

It is believed that after his escape Hurley used a fake identity to travel freely between the UK and Europe.

But his life on the run came to an end when a raid by Dutch police saw him arrested in The Hague on November 19 in 2007.

He gave a false name but fingerprints and DNA on a European police database meant officers could identify him.

Since that time, officers in the UK have been working with the Dutch authorities to have Hurley extradited to serve the rest of his sentence for PC Mason’s murder.

After serving four years of a six-year sentence imposed for the possession of Class A drugs, he was returned to the UK on Wednesday and is now back behind bars. He has another four years of his 10-year life sentence to serve.

Det Chief Supt Mark Drew said: “It felt like unfinished business for Hertfordshire’s policing family, particularly in Dacorum. There is a great sense of satisfaction that he is back where he should be serving his time in a UK high security prison.”

He was brought back to the UK last Wednesday by five officers from Herts Constabulary, including PC Lazarus Clark, who was presented with the Frank Mason award earlier this year.

The accolade is given annually to a serving police officer who has gone the extra mile in their service to the community. It is presented as part of a memorial service held in Hemel Hempstead’s town centre on the anniversary of PC Mason’s death.

McGee died behind bars and Wharrie, now 52, is due to be extradited to the UK after he completes a 30-year sentence in Ireland for drug offences.

Police say this will not be until at least 2020.

ROADS chiefs have denied motorists have valid grounds to appeal after 53 people escaped a fine for driving down the Moor End Road bus lane.

The 53 – among more than 2,000 drivers who have appealed – took their cases to a tribunal but before they were heard Herts County Council said it would not be contesting them.

Campaigners claim the council fears losing a case, which would set a precedent and mean thousands of pounds may have to be reimbursed to the more than 25,000 drivers caught on camera since August.

But the council says it did not have enough time to complete the paperwork.

Read the full story in The Gazette.

ONE of the men who murdered Hemel Hempstead PC Frank Mason during an armed robbery has been extradited back to the UK after escaping custody in 1994.

James Hurley, along with Perrie Wharrie and Charlie McGhee, were all found guilty of killing 27-year-old PC Mason and jailed for life in 1989.

But on February 16, 1994, Hurley escaped custody while being transferred on a prison coach to HMP Wandsworth.

Following an intelligence led raid by Dutch police, he was arrested in The Hague on November 19 in 2007, where he was found to have Class A drugs and a firearm.

He gave a false name but fingerprints and DNA allowed officers to identify him.

Since that time, officers in the UK have been working with the Dutch authorities to have Hurley extradited to serve the rest of his sentence for PC Mason’s murder.

He was returned to the UK on Wednesday (November 16) and is now back behind bars.

McGee has since died in prison and Wharrie is due to be extradited to the UK after he serves a 30 year sentence in Ireland for drug offences. He will not be extradited until at least 2030.

>For the full story pick up a copy of next week’s Gazette.

How much do you care about your family?

What if you were wracked with apocalyptic nightmares that threatened their safety and might just herald the end of the world?

Welcome to Take Shelter, a freaky drama from writer-director Jeff Nichols that blends a descent into madness with the everyday struggles of Curtis (Michael ‘soon to be fighting Superman as General Zod’ Shannon).

Shannon, pictured right, is married to the lovely Samantha (Jessica ‘Tree of Life’ Chastain), they have a deaf six-year-old daughter Hannah (Tova Stewart) and live seems very normal.

In a topical plot line, the family are having a hard time making ends meet and Curtis feels burdened in his dead end Ohio building job.

Things get worse when Curtis starts having vivid nightmares in which he’s in danger – always heralded by an unnatural storm and backed up with some cool special effects. What’s a man to do?

Well, our hero takes to constructing a tornado shelter in his back yard, much to the consternation of his wife and the bemusements of his work colleagues.

The film builds up a creeping sense of dread and disorientation, summoning up strong echoes of like Donnie Darko in that it’s a strong psychological thriller where the threat is always ambiguou.

Is he going nuts, or is he actually picking up supernatural warning signals?

Take Shelter plays with your emotions and will keep you guessing right up to the unsettling ending.

It all looks amazing, too – stunning shots of the American flatlands mix with the weird and disturbing nightmares to form a unique fusion of fantasy and reality. There are some shots in this movie that will could burn themselves into your subconscious and leave you mulling the meaning over for some time to come.

Shannon is great in the difficult lead role and he is ably backed up by the excellent performance of Chastain who is fast becoming the ‘go to girl’ for playing hot young mothers.

Young Stewart is also good in her supporting role and together they form one of the most convincing on screen families for some time.

Director Nicholls tackles a fascinating ‘what if?’ subject matter and gives you a vital viewing experience that is likely to demand repeat watching to fathom the complexities of the plot. Mental breakdowns have never been so interestingly depicted.

Evo-Stik League Southern Premier Division: Cirencester Town 0-0 Hemel Hempstead Town

Molten Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division: Berkhamsted 1-2 Hadley, Leverstock Green 2-1 Tring

MSSML Division One: Cranfield United 3-0 Kings Langley

Basketball

Hemel Storm 87 London United 72

HEMEL storm kept their undefeated National League record in tact as a three-point flurry saw them overcome a young London United side at Sportspace.

Storm scored more than half of their nineteen three-point shot attempts – including four from captain Simon Kearney.

Saturday’s win moves Storm to second place in the National League, two points behind Team Northumbria with a game in hand.

Head coach Dave Titmuss – who was without injured starters Bode Adeluola, Drew Spinks, Michael Darlow and the now departed Andy Harper – substituted freely and gave valuable court time to 17-year-old juniors Jacob Lloyd and Davis Nicholson.

“It was a pretty disjointed performance from us but I guess given our injury situation it wasn’t particularly surprising,” said Titmuss.

The club’s woes were added to in the fourth quarter when the experienced Richard Wellings, who had 16 points, five rebounds and six assists in the game, damaged ankle ligaments again just a couple of weeks after returning to the line-up.

“What started as an irritation has become a full-blown crisis now,” said an exasperated Titmuss.

“We’re trying to reinvent ourselves. We have tough games away at Birmingham Mets and at home to Glamorgan before the Christmas break so there’s not much time to reorganise.”

Titmuss brought in three new starters against London – Tolu Adebekun, James Dawes and Fred Stephens – but it was scoring by captain Simon Kearney and the inside play of Tom Frederick that helped Storm to edge the first quarter 25-23.

Storm’s usually reliable man-to-man defence was consistently penetrated by London but they were able to maintain their lead through some accurate shooting to stay ahead 46-41 by half-time.

“We didn’t think that we should have conceded 41 points in the half so we re-grouped and came out for the third period with more determination to contain them,” said Titmuss.

And in a decisive opening four minutes, London were held scoreless while Storm added eight points and forced an early time-out from the visitors.

Hemel went on to win the third period 30-16 and take control of the game, and although they had lapses at both ends of the court in the final stanza, the result was never in doubt.

Storm travel away to Birmingham Mets on Saturday and are back at Sportspace the following week against third-placed Glamorgan Gladiators, tip-off 7pm.

Police are trying to track down the family of a man who was found dead in a Hemel Hempstead churchyard earlier today (Monday).

At 7.56am this morning (Monday) officers responded to reports that a man’s body had been found at St Mary’s Church in High Street.

The death is currently being treated as non-suspicious and the immediate area, which was cordoned off earlier, has now been re-opened.

The man has now been identified but his next of kin have not yet been made aware.

For the full story see this week’s Gazette.

Hemel Town Ladies 8 Wandgas 2

THE Tudors bagged another three points as they cruised past a struggling Wandgas side.

Mickey Taylor opened the scoring for Hemel after four minutes and she didn’t have to wait long to double her tally – adding a second goal just two minutes later.

Titch Wood Thompson made it three for the Tudors after 10 minutes as a cricket score looked to be on the cards.

Wandgas got a goal back five minutes later, but two more Hemel goals from Wood Thompson and Suzy Read made it 5-1 at half time as the Tudors took complete control of proceedings.

It only took Hemel two minutes to add to their tally after the interval as Steph Cripps made it six, before Charlene Turturici added a fine seventh with a typically venomous long range strike.

To their credit, Wandgas did not let their heads drop despite the obvious gulf in class between the two sides, and scored a well-worked goal to make it 7-2.

That inspired Hemel to search for more goals of their own, though, and with eight minutes to go, Hannah Noonan – playing her first game this season – added an eighth for the hosts.

Hemel will be looking to carry on their winning form as they travel to Denham next week.

Cranfield United 3 Kings Langley 0

KINGS’ run of seven consecutive wins came to a grinding halt at Cranfield in a result which added another hefty dent to the visitors’ outside hopes of earning a promotion spot.

Early honours were even as both teams searched for openings, and Kings’ Chris Mason came closest when his inswinging free-kick hit the post.

But it was United that grabbed the initiative when Jermain Ivy’s cross was swept in from close range by Jack Leadbetter.

And within two minutes the lead was doubled when Nathan Pooley lost possession and Alex Baker somehow wriggled through a crowded area to set up Stuart Reynolds who beat the outcoming Ross Channer.

Kings never really recovered from the two minute barrage and when Gary Connolly’s penalty was saved by Dan Green on the half hour– after Jimmy Armstrong had needlessly been brought down – the game effectively slipped away.

Craig Lynskey and Jimmy Armstrong still caused United problems, but the home defence blocked everything that came their way and keeper Green dealt well with any shots that did get through.

The home side took every opportunity to run at the defence with slick interplay, and it was no surprise when Reynolds’ low shot put the result beyond doubt with just under 30 minutes left to play.

With Christmas just around the corner and the festive school holidays a week to two away, as a family treat it might be worth turning back the clock to a time when life was much less hectic and enjoy a live show.

With London under an hour away by train, instead of visiting the West End, there is a rather special show playing at a 1,000 seat theatre in the disused Eurostar terminal at London’s Waterloo Station.

The venue is clearly a stroke of genius and is the perfect backdrop in recreating the classic story of Roberta, Peter and Phyllis, The Railway Children.

In fact Damien Cruden¹s production of Edith Nesbit’s epic tale has taken London’s theatreland to a whole new level and was the winner of the Best Entertainment category at the 2011 Olivier Awards.

Edith Nesbit was the JK Rowling of her day. She wrote a string of children’s books incuding ‘Five Children and It’ and ‘The Phoenix and the Carpet’ a full century before Harry Potter was even thought of and quite remarkably, The Railway Children has never been out of print in over 100 years!

In association with Welcome to Yorkshire, a special stage has been constructed against a single railway track and with the audience seated on either side, the set breaks with the usual confines of a stage production.

The award-winning show which is set in rural Edwardian Yorkshire has been running in London since June 19 and has wow audiences ever since, although it is set to close on January 8.

And its undoubted star is a magnificent 66-tonne Great Northern Railways (GNR) ‘Stirling Single’ steam locomotive. The bright green liveried 100-year-old engine is driven by a giant pair of 8ft high wheels and it chugs between the tiers of seats and brings the action to life.

The story remains true to Edith Nesbit’s original children’s book which was first published in 1906 although today, is perhaps best known for Lionel Jeffries’ wonderful 1970 film version of The Railway Children.

It featured Jenny Agutter, Sally Thomsett and Gary Warren as the children with Dinah Sheridan as their mother and veteran actor Bernard Cribbins playing station porter, Mr Albert Perks. Also in 2000, Simon Nye’s adaptation for ITV scored another coup by casting Jenny Agutter as the children’s mother!

Fortunately Mike Kenny¹s clever stage adaptation also remains true to the original although, rather than using child actors in the roles of Bobby, Peter and Phyllis, they are now played by adults.

With most of the action taking place on a moving stage there are three seperate blocks cleverly manoeuvred and manhandled between the two station platforms it means the staging is whizzing up and down with the actors having to navigate them. Yet it’s all made to look very easy and it creates an incredibly fluid and exciting promenade performance.

The show tells the story of three children who are relocated to the Yorkshire countryside after their father is imprisoned for treason. It’s also an interesting idea bringing adult problems to a child¹s perspective.

While the adults realise the seriousness of the father’s predicament, the youngsters don’t fully understand why he has to go away ‘on business!’ after two men (policemen) come to call at their London house and he leaves with them.

The upshot is, the family who appear to be left penniless and say goodbye to their two servants and butler have to relocate to the Yorkshire countryside where their favourite pasttime is waving at the trains as they pass by.

The children, Roberta (Bobbie) played by Amy Noble, Peter (Tim Lewis) and Phyllis (Grace Rowe), take on their roles with gusto and navigate between the adult characters, mother (Pandora Clifford), Mr and Mrs Perks (Mark Holgate and Elizabeth Keates), the family doctor (Stephen Beckett) and another key character known as ‘The Old Gentleman’ (David Baron) as they rediscover scenes from their past.

From next week, the role of Mr Perks will be played by television’s Waterloo Road mathematics teacher Mark ‘Mr Chalkley’ Benton. It’s a high energy role as he runs and rides up and down the platform on his grocers-style bike. In fact he seems to be everywhere.

The children courageously stop an express train after debris from a landslip fall across the track and then help save a boy who breaks his leg in a tunnel while on a school paper-chase; so naturally the youngsters are rewarded. The railway’s district superintendent presents them with new fob watches while the audience are encouraged to participate in the appreciation by clapping and cheering loudly.

There are various twists and turns in the plot the mysterious appearance of a defected Russian author and a pardon for the children’s father from what was to be a five year jail term; but obviously the star of the show is the mighty steam locomotive and the show’s reaches its climax as Roberta utters the famous words: ³Oh, my daddy, my daddy!²

It all results in a huge cathartic response from the audience who stand to cheer and waved the cast off down the line after an evening full of entertainment and a certain innocence which all too often missing from the lives we live today.

The Railway Children which was first seen at the National Railway Museum in York in 2008 closes on January 8, 2012 so you will need to get in quick.

Performances (which last two hours 20 minutes including an intermission) start at 7.30pm from Tuesday to Saturday while there are matinees at 2.30pm on Thursdays and Saturdays and again on Sundays at both 1pm and 5pm.

Ticket prices vary between £22.75 and £49.75 and you can book by calling the box office on 0844 412 2960 or see the website at wwwRailwayChildrenWaterloo.com

However there are special school rates available on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with the teacher going free with every ten children booked. Call 0844 412 4649 or see education@seetickets.com

West Herts League

POTTEN End recorded the biggest win of the day as they thrashed Croxley A 12-2.

Dave Boswell and Dale Jenkins weighed in with four goals each, and further strikes by Rob Hopkins, Raul Thaker, Dan Simpson and Mark McDonnell completed the rout.

Hemel Rovers, meanwhile, were also on hot form in front of goal as they crushed Harpenden Rovers 10-0.

Paul Hanafan bagged a hat-trick, and Dan Field (2), Tom Porter, Scott Webster, Curtis Donaldson, Ray Wood and an own goal finished the rout.

Elsewhere, Tring Athletic A had Dan Smethers to thank for the three points in a 1-0 win against Croxley C&H.

Gadebridge FC recorded a 5-1 success over Daleys FC as Chris Size grabbed a brace and Simon Judge, Ged Butler and Charlie Martindale also found the target.

A Hemel derby between Sharpshooters and Rovers A ended in a 4-3 win for the Sharpshooters. Nick Reynolds (2), Ian Duthie and Warren Davies did the damage for the winners, while Grant Knight, Jamie Merrick and John Teakle scored for Rovers.

In Apsley Senior Charity Cup action, meanwhile, SWR Doors squeezed past Wellington FC 4-2 after extra-time courtesy of goals from Sean McCarthy, Rick Parkin, Warren Drysdale and Dan Hartley.

Tring Athletic B lost 5-0 at Abbots.

Another local derby – this time in the Webster Cup – saw Rovers Reserves beat Bovingdon A 3-0 thanks to Dan Thorne (2) and Oliver Buckley.

Pic – Jack Sunderland helps Tring Athletic A to victory over Croxley C&H.

Football

Cirencester Town 0 Hemel Hempstead Town 0

THE Tudors extended their unbeaten run to four games – but slipped to second from bottom in the table after a 0-0 draw with fellow strugglers Cirencester Town.

In difficult, windy conditions, a draw was a fair result between two clubs scrapping for their lives – but in truth the stalemate did little to help either side’s cause.

Managerless Evesham United, meanwhile, picked up a valuable 2-1 win over Cambridge City to leapfrog the Tudors into 20th position.

The wind proved a constant disturbance at the Corinium Stadium as both Hemel and bottom side Cirencester struggled to deal with the conditions.

Hemel came close to taking the lead as a direct result of the elements when Cirencester keeper Kevin Sawyer almost punched the ball into his own net, before Nicky Beale saw his follow-up effort cleared off the line.

The hosts then had a good chance of their own as Paul Banks delivered a cross onto the head of Mitch Bryant – but Bryant could only head the ball tamely into the hands of Hemel keeper Nick Bussey.

There was controversy at the end of the half as Ryan Blake raced through on goal following a drop-ball, but the Hemel man could not get this shot away.

Both teams continued to search for a breakthrough after the interval, and Beale’s header from a Dave Pearce corner went narrowly over the bar.

Jon Else then tried his luck for the hosts, before Hemel launched a sustained period of pressure on the Cirencester goal.

First, Andy Gunn cleared an effort off the line, before Matt Wright and Lewis Toomey were denied by a fine double save from Sawyer.

The hosts then had a glorious chance to hit Hemel with a sucker punch, but Danny May made a fine goal-line clearance from Bryant’s effort.

And minutes from the final whistle, Bussey came to the rescue for Hemel as he made a superb flying save from another Bryant effort to ensure the game ended goalless.

DEVELOPMENT: A family’s project to make their home energy self sufficient is being blocked by council planning chiefs because it’s In the Green Belt.

Ben Taylor’s application for an 11 kilowatt wind turbine and a solar photovoltaic system was refused on Friday after it was delegated to a borough planning officer.

Mr Taylor is appealing against the decision because he believes his project will leave a leave a legacy of self sufficiency.

The turbine and solar photovoltaic system is a small part of his design to covert the farmhouse, where he lives with his family on Marshcroft Lane in Tring, into an zero-carbon home.

His vision will see the building, which was constructed in 1890, keep its character but be powered completely by renewable resources.

The turbine will generate electricity on windy days while the photovoltaic system will generate electricity on sunny days.

Solar panels that look like roof slates will generate heat and while underground heat storage will keep unused heat for the winter.

Good insulation will prevent heat energy wastage and rain water will be collected on the roof for use in the home.

The design mimics many of the technologies used at Renewable Energy Systems (Res) in Kings Langley, which is famous for pioneering sustainable building.

Mr Taylor said: “We are designing ourselves a system that integrates all of the available renewable energy systems so that our home has a zero carbon footprint. You can call it a mini Res if you like.

“I don’t feel the project is understood by the planning department at the council. We are really upset that it has been refused especially since it didn’t even go before the planning committee for debate. I think it’s important to discuss the pros and cons of doing this sort of thing.”

In a statement Dacorum Borough Council said that wind turbines and photo voltaic panels were not appropriate development for the Green Belt.

What’s your view? Let us know what you think, our contact details are on page 9