September 2011
The Moor End Road saga has hit the national headlines for trapping 17,000 unsuspecting motorists and raking in more than £600,00 in fines in less than a month.   Before I knew it, I also became a victim. Yes I saw all the signs warning of enforcement cameras but not knowing where Moor End Road was, I didn’t take any notice.That was until I received a fine for driving along it!  

Moor End Road is all of 50 metres long, linking the Leighton Buzzard road to the back of Marlowes. It’s barely signposted and you’ve been able to use it to get on and off the LB road for donkey’s years. No wonder so many people got caught. I have followed the instructions of one of the many people protesting the fine and await to hear if my appeal has succeeded. And all this just to allow a few empty buses to keep to their timetables.

When was the last time we had a thunderstorm? I don’t recall any this year which is quite unusual, but hardly surprising given the dull summer. With the chances diminishing as we head towards winter this may become something of a meteorological record. Meanwhile thunder of a different sort rumbles on along the Leighton Buzzard road. Having allayed residents’ fears that their temporary repairs had made the road much noisier, Herts Highways relaid the surface.

The only problem is that it is still very uneven and the noise is worse than the old road. There are plenty of comings and goings in the village. The Boars Head is under reconstruction as a private house and I know at least two near neighbours who are giving three cheers for that. No more late-night music and intruders in their garden.  Meanwhile the future of the medieval cottages remains in doubt. No one seems to know what has happened to the couple who bought them at auction earlier in the year. The BBC contacted me about wanting to make a program about the cottages but were unable to go ahead because they couldn’t contact the owners.