Additional security is being put in place after Travellers set up camp on the site of a former prison.

Travellers have been staying within the grounds of HMP Wellingborough since early September.

Since then, MP for Wellingborough and Rushden Peter Bone has been working with residents who live nearby in Millers Park to try and get them to leave.

Mr Bone confirmed that the Travellers finally left on Monday after being served with a notice to leave the prison site, which has been empty since the prison closed in December 2012.

He has been in regular contact with residents and the Ministry of Justice since the Travellers arrived, including meeting several residents on Friday to discuss their concerns.

The MP also raised the issue during a debate in the House of Commons on September 8, just days after the Travellers arrived, and said: “Wellingborough Prison is a reserve prison so it is not operating at the moment.

“It is at the end of a large residential area, and three days ago 10 Traveller families dumped themselves on the prison car park.

“The Ministry of Justice has tried its best to move them.

“The situation has become unacceptable to my constituents, especially those living nearby.”
He also asked for a statement on how the Government deals with Travellers who are on Crown property.

Following this week’s eviction, Mr Bone admitted it had been a ‘long drawn-out process’ to get to this point, which he said was due to the legal processes required in a case like this.

Mr Bone said: “They eventually got the notice to evict the Travellers on Monday and they got them off on Monday, which was great.”

A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said this week: “HMP Wellingborough has been retained in the prison estate to allow for extra capacity if needed.

“A number of individuals were recently removed from the site and we have put extra security measures in to stop any illegal encampment at the site.”

Wellingborough Prison closed in December 2012 and resulted in the loss of almost 600 prison places.

Former justice secretary Ken Clarke said closing the category C prison in Northamptonshire would save £10 million per year.

When the prison formally closed on December 21, 2012, prisons minister at the time Jeremy Wright indicated that the site could be used as a prison again in the future.

In June 2014, Mr Wright stated in a parliamentary written answer to Mr Bone that Wellingborough Prison would be retained in a mothballed state for reserve capacity.

Mr Bone has been campaigning for the prison to be re-opened since it closed and he regularly raises the issue in Parliament.

Leader of Wellingborough Council Martin Griffiths said: “I was actively involved as a ward councillor in the campaign to keep the prison opened back in 2012 and warned of the risk of this to the then prison minister Jeremy Wright.

“I have every sympathy with the residents of Millers Park and still strongly believe that Wellingborough with all its great transport links would be an excellent site for a new modern prison facility to replace the old Victorian jails that sadly are still in use.”

A five-year-old Northampton girl has received a prestigious award in recognition of the incredible support she has given to her big sister during her cancer battle.

Poppy Belle Hyland, of Cavendish Drive, was just a newborn baby when her sister Gracie, two, was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a rare and aggressive type of childhood eye cancer.

In recognition of her outstanding support, Poppy has been named as a CHECT Champion by the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT).

Poppy’s mum, 37-year-old Jodine Hyland, who nominated her for the award, says it was because of her youngest daughter that Gracie was diagnosed in the first place.

She said: “Like all proud parents, my husband Russell and I took lots of photos of our new baby with her big sister and put them on Facebook to share with family and friends. One of Russell’s work colleagues sent him a private message to say that he had seen a white glow in Gracie’s left eye and had read in the news that this could mean cancer.”

The white glow in Gracie’s eye, which was seen in the photo when the flash was used, is one of the main symptoms of retinoblastoma.

Jodine and dad, Russell took Gracie straight to the local eye hospital and were quickly referred to Birmingham Children’s Hospital, which is one of two specialist centres for retinoblastoma in the UK. It was there that they received Gracie’s diagnosis.

Jodine added: “The tumour was so large that the only option was to remove Gracie’s eye as soon as possible to stop cancer spreading. We were in shock, we had only just had a baby and were still recovering from that, and we just couldn’t believe it was happening.

“Poppy is an unsung hero. If you think about what her life has been like, her whole existence has been overshadowed by the fact that her sister was battling a serious illness but it just didn’t upset her at all. She is always willing to hold a hand and give cuddles and she has never once grumbled – she is such a kind, sensitive and unique little girl.”

Gracie needed to have her left eye removed to stop the cancer spreading, followed by years of travelling to hospital in Birmingham for regular check ups.

For Poppy, this has meant spending much of the first few years of her life travelling, sitting in waiting rooms and often getting a lot less attention than her sister, but she has never once complained.

The surgery went well and Gracie now wears an artificial eye, fortunately, she didn’t need any further treatment.

Now Poppy helps Gracie, currently aged seven, with her artificial eye, offering to help her clean it and put it back in.

Patrick Tonks, chief executive of CHECT, said: “Diagnosis, treatment and check-ups following retinoblastoma can cause an immense amount of disruption and upset to family life, not just on the patient but on their siblings too. Our CHECT Champion awards were established to recognise the outstanding bravery of all children affected by Rb – this may be children who have had Rb themselves or their siblings.

“Despite her young age and the upheaval in her life, Poppy has shown an incredible amount of patience, love and support for her sister, and we are very pleased to honour her with this well-deserved award. Well done Poppy!”

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A Northampton world war two veteran, who was taken prisoner by German SS soldiers, has contributed to a new book about his time during the Battle of Arnhem.

91-year-old Alan Gauntlett, who lives in Duston with wife Faye, remembers what it was like to be a volunteer Royal Engineer 72-years-ago and has written about his memoirs in a commemorative book titled ‘Theirs is the Glory, Arnhem Hurst and Conflict on Film’.

In 1945, Mr Gauntlett, along with 130 soldiers, was one of many who was asked to play a role in an Arnhem film remake, and this year marks the 70th anniversary of the film premiere that featured the veteran.

And The Chronicle and Echo has had the privilege of reading Alan’s personal memoirs that were given to his family. He wrote: “I was held prisoner by the Germans between September 26th – 1st October 1944.

“Every night and sometimes during the day we used to hear guns and bombs in the distance and we still imagined the second army were getting nearer and would be with us in a few days.

“I boasted openly that I would be home for Christmas and we both [Squadron Lance Corporal Jon Johanson] talked of escape - pure bravado.

“I escaped with a Squadron Lance Corporal Jon Johanson, with the help and courage of the Dutch people we moved house-to-house approx 35km south-west to the [river] Rhine. On the night of 22 October 1944, 155 men were collected by Canadians and British, by boat.”

The battle of Arnhem, which was fought both in and around the Dutch town from 17– 26 September 1944, was a key encounter of the Second World War. If unbeaten, Britain’s plan was to hopefully cease combat in Europe by the end of the year and ultimately steer troops into Germany.

Alan injured his leg in battle and avoided being sent straight to a prison camp.

Instead, he was held prisoner at Appledorne, an old Dutch military barracks that was adapted for hospital use.

Mr Gauntlett, who was 19-years-old when he went into service, remembers “eating pork crackling wrapped in grass cuttings” to combat his hunger as food and ammunition were quickly running out.

Sixty years later, Alan revisited Arnhem and found a hollow where he once lay wounded by shrapnel which bounced of Birch trees nearby.

Mr Gauntlett said: “On the 60th anniversary of Arnhem, the Government said soldiers didn’t speak about the war enough.

“It was always a taboo subject, I didn’t want to speak about it, I’ve written down my memoirs for my family.”

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The second Screaming Blue Murder comedy club comes to The Core at Corby Cube on Friday, October 14.

James Dowdeswell, Tamar Broadbent and Luke Benson will be the headline acts with the event being compered by Dan Evans.

James is an imaginative storytelling comedian who combines deft stand-up with daft stories.

He has appeared at venues across the UK as well as across Europe, south east Asia and Australia.

Tamar Broadbent is a comedian, singer, actor and award-winning songwriter, who studied English at Bristol University and went on to train at the Central School of Speech and Drama.

Her song Patrick was featured on BBC Radio 4’s Fresh From the Fringe 2014, a showcase of the best new comedy acts from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Luke Benson has performed extensively in the UK and also abroad, doing shows in the Balkans, Scandinavia, Luxembourg, Spain, Belgium as well as Bahrain.

Tickets cost £12.50 for adults and £10.50 for concessions. For more details or to book in advance call 01536 470470 or visit www.thecorecorby.com.

The temperature drops in the room as I sit down to write. The hairs on the back of my neck rise and there are goosebumps on my arms as though some foul, unseen, force is watching me.

It’s almost dark in the empty theatre but you feel her presence, her eyes watching you. I’m here to meet The (cast of) Woman In Black and my heart is pumping.

We’re at the Fortune Theatre, in London, where The Woman In Black has been terrifying audiences for 27 years, ahead of a new national tour. It comes to Northampton’s Royal & Derngate Theatre on October 10 for a week. But the question is - are you brave enough?

Not only do we have to contend with the production’s malevolent star making an appearance, but also the nightmarish possibility that the theatre’s own famous, star-struck ghost, who haunts the hospitality bar and one of the boxes, and has been known to follow the show’s leading lady onto the stage, may make an early appearance.

Robin Herford’s iconic production of Susan Hill’s horrifying story, was turned into an award-winning stage adaptation by Stephen Mallatratt, premiering in Scarborough in 1987. Two years later it moved to the Fortune and has been here ever since.

The touring production stars veteran actor David Acton as Arthur Kipps and Matthew Spencer as “The Actor” but, between them, they take on a all the other characters who appear in this dark and disturbing story.

And what a tale. A man haunted by what he saw at a desolate and lonely house, turns to an actor for help in telling his reminiscences to his family.

At first the memories are so traumatic that he can barely utter a sound but, through the help of roleplay, on the stage of an empty theatre, watched by its own ghosts, he relives that terrible time.

And through sleight of hand, masterfully created by the show’s lighting and sound designers, Kevin Sleep and Gareth Owen, audiences are plunged into a night of unimaginable horror.

As a set book in some schools for GCSE and A Level the audience is frequently filled with highly suggestible students whose screams (from the girls mainly) sets the pace for the whole evening.

So, Matthew Spencer, do you believe in ghosts?

“I’d love to think that they are real,” he laughed. “I don’t really like being in the stage right wing at the Fortune because there’s this terrible cold feeling”.

The pair fear upsetting resident ghosts in theatres during the tour. An industry steeped in suspicion, it seems pretty much every venue has one.

But what is it that attracts fans, some frequent returners, who know the story inside out?

Downton Abbey and Shakespearean actor, David Acton, who reprises his role of Kipps after appearing in a 2011 production, knows the answer: “It is an extraordinarily clever and brilliant play.

“It’s probably more clever than Steven Mallatratt ever realised it was when he wrote it. The format he chose to tell a story comes out of nothing.

“An empty theatre with just two people, one of whom is an actor who can’t act, and out of this arises this extraordinary story, in beautifully written language, with myriad different characters and different locations which you can almost visibly see as they are created by the imagination.

“Also it is a touching story, a moving story. It has a great sadness about it. About loss and the loss of a child; there’s the chill factor, the shrieks, bumps and squeals (not to mention the demonic rocking chair-ed).

“All that is marvellous, but there’s also laughter, pleasure and pain and the theatricality embodies all those elements.”

Matthew (1984, War Horse) adds: “For me, you can see the film with Daniel Radcliffe, and have a good experience, you can enjoy the book, but there’s something in this play which is about something that you can’t see anywhere else but in a theatre.

“And there’s something magical about two people, a chair and a skip and a few lights, creating all of those different worlds and people and capturing the imagination.”

“I say, in the play, how are we going to create that?” says David. “Through imagination is Matthew’s answer. It’s not denied or pretended. We play to a theatre but we also play - within the story - to an empty theatre. Terribly clever.”

Matthew adds: “I think every venue on the tour will alter the dynamic and bring something new to the piece. It’s very much part of this - the Fortune - theatre, because it has been here so long, but you take it out on tour and it is a whole different experience.”

“It’s terribly good for actors to tour in a play,” says David. “You play a whole variety of houses you really get to know each other and get to know how to play the play anywhere and that gives you a knowledge about it which is terrific.”

How difficult is it, I ask, to recreate scenes horror and fear which we all take for granted on screen though the use of special effects?

“This play is so clever that for the first 20 minutes you are in a world of light,” says Matthew. “There are lots of laughs so that by the time you start to rack up the tension, you’ve had about half an hour of having fun with the audience.

“You’re all on the same side, and in it together….and then you go: ‘ Right, now we’re going for a real journey.

“I think for anyone who has children, then the theme of the play can be upsetting or disturbing. I have a very small boy so I can imagine the horror.

“The structure of the story is so brilliantly constructed that I never worry about whether the audience is going to be scared today. I look forward to it. You know that if you’ve got a few laughs at the beginning then they’re really going to scream later on”.

“The screams are fantastic,” added David. “When we play the big houses, with the schools’ audiences, we find they love screaming! So they scream again! Then they look at each other and scream again!! And they giggle and do it again. It can get a bit rowdy.”

“We live for those moments,” said Matthew. “It’s great.”

David is constantly darting off stage to return as a different character - from landed gentry, an old solicitor, a carriage driver and more.

“I love them all. They’re all great characters. The problem is they all come from Yorkshire and have to have their own accents and characteristics!”

Matthew first saw The Woman In Black when he was at school doing his A Levels. He was one of those boys egging the girls in his party to scream. After drama school he saw it again at the Fortune and was excited to be asked to audition for the role of The Actor.

“We’re now touring until June next year. All that time - stuck with him!” laughs Matthew, prodding David.

“Ha! Luckily we get on very well!”

Go see The Woman In Black and be prepared for the fright of your life.

The Woman in Black is staged from Monday October 10 to Saturday October 15. Tickets for the show can be booked by calling the box office on 01604 624811 or visit www.royalandderngate.co.uk.

Two pillars of British comedy will share the stage at The Core at Corby Cube for two nights.

Jasper Carrott and Alistair McGowan will appear at the venue on Saturday and Sunday, October 15 and 16.

Birmingham-born Jasper said: “I had known Alistair McGowan and our agent put us together for an event at Henley where we shared the bill. I had known him a little bit to shake hands but not much beyond that.

“And we did this gig and it went really well and we thought it could work.

“It made me fall in love with doing comedy all over again. It’s been a long time since I did a long live tour, it was probably about 1998 and I did 150 concerts.

“But it works that we do half an hour each and then a break followed by half an hour each again and Alistair and I get on like a house in the fire and it is a pleasure to go into work.”

He also praised the skill of his comrade.

Jasper said: “He is so skilled at what he does.

“I’m not quite sure how it works but it does. He can get a laugh because he is good at what he does and captures them perfectly.

“Of course they are rolling around on the floor with laughter and there are times when an audience laughs too much. I’m sitting there in the wings waiting to go on stage and hoping the audience don’t get too tired from laughing too much, which has happened at one of the shows.”

“There are times he has nearly had a coconut on his head,” Jasper jokes before adding, “But actually, I feed off the energy that the audience give him and vice versa.”

It is a return to the world of touring stand up. He was a regular name at some of the biggest arenas throughout the 90s.

Jasper said: “I had decided to stop doing the live shows around 2001. It was all going really well but I wasn’t getting the enjoyment that I once had out of it.

“It was all very successful but it was when I came back from South Africa I decided to have a break for around 12/18 months. I didn’t quite expect it to last 13 years.

“I started to do some smaller shows and was getting some laughs for the new material as well as the old material revamped and it was that that bought me back into the world of doing stand up. It was a great feeling getting a laugh for the new material.”

He was a regular visitor to Corby throughout his touring comedy career and is looking forward to returning to the area.

Jasper said: “I’ve been performing in Corby regularly since 1978 and have done the folk clubs there.

“I’m looking forward to going back there. It’s a big Scottish community and it’s a welcoming crowd although you always get the one heckler even though you can’t understand what they are saying. I tell them if you are going to heckle, at least do it in English.

“I was last in that area when there was the Scottish referendum and I was doing a gig in Peterborough and asked the audience, do they think Corby will vote to leave the UK. They were all amazed.

“I’ve made some good friends and looking forward to seeing them all again.”

As well as his stand up, he has appeared in the sitcom The Detectives and was host of the quiz show Goldenballs.

He said: “The Detectives was such a long time ago but it was created and written by Steve Knight who has written Peaky Blinders and also Who Wants to be a Millionnaire. It was a show that lived with me for a long time and working with Robert Powell was great. We had talked about doing something together for a little while and then this came along.”

And he took a complete change of career by hosting Goldenballs, a show which he admitted was hard work.

Jasper added: “I only originally asked if I could do the pilot for Goldenballs because I wanted the experience of hosting a game show. They then said they didn’t see the host in the way that I did it, but I got offered the chance to do the series and there I was, 300 episodes later.

“It was very hard work because the game was so complicated, you could only record eight shows in a week whereas something like Pointless, they can record the same amount in a day.

“I had someone in my ear piece constantly reminding me where people had gone, what was going on. We started about 10am and would finish at 10pm at night on a recording day.”

Tickets for the Corby show can be booked by calling the ticket office on 01536 470470 or visiting www.thecorecorby.com.

The distinguished baroque violinist Pauline Nobes willjoin Preston Capes music ensemble Fiori Musicali for a concert later this month.

They take part in a concert at the church in Syresham on Friday October 14.

Also performing will be Heidi Fardell on recorder, teaming up with Fiori for a dazzling concert of music by stars of the baroque –Vivaldi, Bach and Telemann.

This is an opportunity to hear how (under Heidi’s fingers) the humble recorder rises to surprising and breath-taking heights of virtuosity Joining Heidi and Pauline will be renowned popular baroque oboist Gail Hennessey.

Fiori’s artistic director Dr Penelope Rapson sitting at the harpsichord is set to take the audience back to the sound-world of an earlier age. The concert starts at 7.30pm at St James the Great in Syresham.

Tickets cost between £15 and £20. To book or for more information visit www.fiori-musicali.com or call the box office on 0333 666 3366.

The public have been urged to engage with developers designing a new 4,000-home extension to Daventry.

Leaflets, posters, exhibitions, and a website are all on the cards for the coming weeks as developers Davidsons plus Barratt and David Wilson Homes, along with planners Pegasus, draw up their designs for the ‘Daventry North East Sustainable Urban Extension’.

On Tuesday night this week the team behind the project presented their work so far to Daventry Town Council.

The site lies along the B4036 between Daventry and the A5 Long Buckby crossroads. The district council’s plan says the site must provide 4,000 new homes, primary schools, a site for a secondary school, better links to the town centre, Southbrook, and to Long Buckby Station, an extension to Daventry Country Park, and that a corridor of land must be left to provide space for the canal arm.

At the meeting, Cllr Lynne Taylor said: “The fact is this site is going to happen. What we need to do is ensure we get the best for the existing and future residents.”

Key points are that the A5 junction could be replaced by a roundabout, the developers are seeking to bury the overhead power lines across their site and continue them underground up to the Norton Road substation, and the new development will include two ‘local centres’ with shops and other facilities. One of these centres is to be positioned close to the Norton Road end of the site to benefit the existing homes in the area.

Sue Mann from Pegasus told the meeting: “We haven’t come with a plan saying ‘this is it’, but rather this is what we’re thinking, what do you think?

“We’re in a process and that is continuing.”

Later in October the planning team will send out 6,000 leaflets to the nearby homes. There will be public exhibitions in November in Daventry, and a website. All of these will give people a chance to feed back ideas, potential problems, or suggestions.

Sue said: “The key thing is we won’t judge the responses based on number. We will read every single one because there might be one person out there with a really key point we need to know.”

The public exhibitions will take place at Daventry Library on November 11 from 2.30pm to 7.30pm, and on November 12 from 9am to 1pm. Mini-exhibitions will be held in Norton and Welton for their residents – the parish councils will distribute the details.

The results will be looked at and then presented in December to a workshop comprised to councillors from Welton, Norton, Daventry, DDC and the county council.

The firm says if all goes well an outline planning application covering the masterplan for the whole site will be lodged in January 2017 with further consultation by Daventry District Council before a decision is made in the autumn. Planning applications for the design and layout of homes would start to be made in early 2018, and if all goes in the developers’ favour, work could start on site by the end of 2018 with the first homes completed in 2019.

The death of an Oundle man whose body was found in a river was so badly decomposed that pathologists couldn’t explain his death, an inquest has heard.

Lindsay Prior, 45, known commonly as Bert, disappeared from the house where he lodged on January 21.

An extensive police search followed to try to find him, but his body was not found until the morning of March 25 in the River Nene at Water Newton – some 10 miles away.

An inquest in Kettering yesterday (Thursday) heard how two women were out walking their dogs when they noticed something in the reeds about 5m from the river’s bank.

Upon further inspection they discovered that it was a body and called the police.

Forensic pathologist Dr Mike Biggs told the inquest there was an element of decomposition to the body and that Bert was identified by his dental records.

He said that due to the decomposition it was not possible to confirm when he died or say for certain that he had drowned.

He said: “The best way to describe the death is unascertained.

“I am unable to say when he died.”

Mr Prior had alcohol problems and was not working after a serious assault which left him with multiple injuries, including four broken ribs and a detached retina.

He had been affected physically and mentally, with a statement on behalf of partner Alison Butler saying he was “in a constant state of panic”.

On the day he went missing, Bert was halfway through a meal when he got up and walked out without saying a word, leaving behind his glasses, wallet and phone.

Bert’s mother Rosemary said her family was devastated by her son’s death as they had so many questions.

Recording an open verdict, senior coroner for Northamptonshire Anne Pember said: “I am unable to say how it was that Lindsay Prior came to be deceased.”

Saints fans who headed to the Wanderers’ clash with Wasps on Monday night got their first glimpse of the club’s newest recruits.

Api Ratuniyarawa and Nafi Tuitavake arrived at Franklin’s Gardens late last month after leaving Agen and Narbonne respectively.

Both had been on the Northampton radar for some time, with Jim Mallinder keen to strengthen in the second row and in the centre.

And the new duo fit the bill, with Ratuniyarawa a lofty lock with plenty of bulk and Tuitavake a stylish centre who has experience of playing 
for Super Rugby side Crusaders.

It took Saints time to get their clubs to let go of them, but they are finally here and ready to make their mark in English rugby.

However, there is no doubt that it will take both time to settle, especially if Tuitavake’s early experiences of English breakfasts are anything to go by.

“There was a big tray of scrambled egg and it looked like porridge to me,” the Tonga international explained. “I was scooping that into my bowl and the boys were just watching me.

“They knew what it was and I was putting sugar on. Then I went to eat it and the boys started laughing and I was like ‘what?’

“I had a mouthful and it was then I realised I had scrambled eggs instead of porridge. Then the chef came out and told me that I wasn’t the first and we had a good laugh about it.”

Tuitavake has learned about the food the hard way, but his first experience of life in the green, black and gold wasn’t too tough, as he helped the Wanderers to win 45-10 on Monday night.

It was a low-key encounter, but one the 27-year-old enjoyed, especially coming from the turmoil at his previous club.

“Things weren’t working out at Narbonne – they went through a change in president and things are a shambles over there at the moment,” Tuitavake said.

“But things turned around pretty quick and next thing I knew I was sorting out visas and I was here.

“A lot of things were going wrong at Narbonne – they were getting rid of coaches, getting rid of players.

“The season’s just started and they’re doing all that. I think money problems are the big thing.”

Though life off the field in France was tough, Tuitavake found life on it easy.

He admits he was able to ‘stroll around’ in France’s second tier and is now glad to be back at a high level, saying his early days at Saints have had him ‘sleeping like a baby’.

As well as wanting to step up a level, Tuitavake’s decision to move to Northampton was inspired by the players he knows in the squad.

“When they said the team Northampton, I looked on the internet and the photo of George (Pisi) was loading on the screen,” Tuitavake said.

“I was like ‘Georgie!’, and then I saw Ken (Pisi), Ace (Tuala) and Api, who had just signed here. I played with all of them in New Zealand and thought I might as well come here.

“I’m not too good with fresh starts, so they made the move pretty comfortable for me.”

Tuitavake actually went to high school with Ken Pisi, who describes the new arrival as ‘a ladies’ man’.

But how would Ratuniyarawa describe himself?

“I’m a physical player,” says the 6ft 6in lock. “I think I have a lot to offer to the team.”

Ratuniyarawa certainly put himself about on Monday night, and he helped to set up a first-half score for Howard Packman.

Now it is about continuing to learn Saints’ style of play and developing in England for the Fiji international.

“It’s challenging, arriving at this time in the season,” Ratuniyarawa said.

“I did pre-season back in France with Agen and coming over here when the season has started is challenging.

“I have to learn a lot, keep up with my conditioning and try to be in good form.

“The way we train here is slightly different to France. Here, the tempo of training is really up and really challenging, too.

“Now we turn up for training in the morning and eat with the boys. It helps a lot as a group to stick together and it will help a lot in the games.

“The move here was in the process for a while and I am happy I’m here now and I’m looking forward to the challenge.

“There’s a lot of learning for me to do and I just want to do my best.”

As Premiership debuts go, Rory Hutchinson’s entered the realms of fantasy.

Come in at late notice, play alongside world stars, score a try and secure a dramatic win. It was like a rugby version of Roy of the Rovers.

The 20-year-old was called into the starting side after Stephen Myler was forced to pull out with a shoulder problem.

Myler had taken part in the team run the day before, but could not play any part, meaning Hutchinson was given an hour’s notice that he would be lining up at 12.

Harry Mallinder moved to 10 and, in an amazing turn of events, Hutchinson scored a first-half try and Mallinder landed the penalty which earned a 20-19 win two minutes from time,

It was an incredible evening at Franklin’s Gardens, where Saints won for the first time this season to banish memories of defeats to Bath and Wasps.

And for Cambridge-born Hutchinson, things really couldn’t have gone any better.

“It was an amazing day for me,” said the centre, who represented Scotland Under-20s in the Junior World Championship during the summer.

“I’m really happy with how it worked out.

“It was really good and really important that we got the win after a few losses.

“We came out and it was really good.”

And how about that try?

Hutchinson could easily find himself picking up the prize for score of the season, not only at Saints’ end-of-season dinner but the Premiership awards do, too.

It was a special effort, largely created by George North, who collected a kick-off inside his own 22, beat two men and gave the ball to Nic Groom, who passed it to the onrushing Hutchinson to score.

“I think I got quite lucky with the try and I thought at one point I’d missed the opportunity,”Hutchinson said. “But George did excellently and Groomy luckily gave me the pass. They did all the hard work.

“I’ve trained with George North a lot, learned a lot off him and to be out there with him was really good.”

Hutchinson was part of a youthful backline, ending the game alongside the likes of Mallinder and Sam Olver.

It was reminiscent of a Monday night playing for the Wanderers at the Gardens, apart from the fact that there were around 13,000 more fans than you would see at a second-team game.

“It was good and it reminded me of when we were back in the Academy,” said Hutchinson, who was making only his second appearance for the first-team, following a brief cameo as a replacement in an LV= Cup game at Leicester in January 2015.

“It was good to have them out there and to be alongside some of my really good mates was really good fun.

“There’s been a lot of boys who have sat on the bench but you still learn a lot from watching, being so close and part of the team during the week.

“Luckily for me, I got my opportunity.

“When we youngsters get opportunity we do like to take it and hopefully more can.

“For me it’s about taking every week as it comes. Whatever is in front of me, I look to take it head on.”

Hutchinson certainly did that last Friday, and he will now hope to get the chance to confront Harlequins at The Stoop this weekend.

“After a win like last Friday, it shows we’ve got it,” said Hutchinson, who joined Saints from National League 2 South club Shelford RFC.

“We’d come up short in our two games before but we can definitely go to Harlequins and show them what we’ve got.”

Traffic on a Daventry roundabout faced an unexpected hazard after a van flipped onto its roof.

Police say they were called to the roundabout at the junction of Long March and Admirals Way at 1.15pm on Thursday due to the vehicle blocking the road.

The white Ford Transit ended up blocking the roundabout by the Long March exit, leading to police being called to the scene to handle the traffic.

They added that they did not know how the vehicle ended up rolling onto its roof, but that no one had been injured in the crash.

No-one should need reminding Towcester can prove a setting for the unlikely and bizarre although a four month break ahead of Wednesday’s meeting meant we all felt a little ring rusty.

However the point was re-enforced by the David Dennis-trained Fled Or Pled which ran out a 40/1 winner of the 2m 5f Agetur UK Novices’ Handicap Hurdle, with 5lbs claiming jockey Jamie Bargary in the saddle.

There may have been an element of fortune as Sam Twiston-Davies was unseated from Song Of Night two flights from home when seemingly going well, but Fled Or Pled got up close home to deny 5/2 favourite Spring Steel by two and a half lengths.

This was the longest priced Towcester winner since Caroline Fryer and Bridget Andrews teamed up with 50/1 shot Doyenne Dream on April 10, 2014 and most punters were understandably aghast as the four year-old Shantou gelding had hardly inspired in his five previous runs over timber, his shortest odds in those races being 28/1.

Dennis said: “Bumpers (National Hunt Flat races) would have wrecked his head. He gets very wound up and we have sent him down to the start early and put a hood on him.”

He added: “We were getting to the stage with him where we were struggling to even get into the handicap. He had a terrible fall at Taunton in March.”

Dennis trains at Hanley Swan near Worcester and with his horses apparently in good order he goes to Chepstow on Sunday with Catskill Mountains in a juvenile hurdle.

Neil Mulholland is based at Limpley Stoke near Bath and after sending out a winner at Towcester’s opening fixture last year he did even better this time round with a double courtesy of two favourites, namely Prettylittlething (2/1) in the 3m 1/2f handicap chase and Pinkie Brown (6/4) in the 2m novices’ chase.

Prettylittlethink won the Lane Wealth Management Handicap Chase with James Best on board, scoring by a length from Red Penny, while Pinkie Brown, named after one of the central characters and notorious gang leaders in Graham Greene’s novel Brighton Rock, galloped to an impressive, virtual all the way success under Tom Scudamore.

Innocent Girl (1/4 favourite) was always holding Pretty Rose in the opening mares’ contest having won over fences just two days earlier while the grey Moonday Sun (3/1) took the Toast To Mick and Sheila White Handicap Hurdle.

On a day that saw blue skies but also penetrated with a strong wind, it was appropriate that the bumper went to Dans Le Vent (3/1 joint favourite) for Paul Morgan and Denis O’Regan.

The next Towcester jumping fixture is on Thursday November 24.

Kingsthorpe Indoor Bowls Club player Connor Cinato has qualified for the Scottish International Open Championships, which will be played from November 5, 2016, in Perth in Scotland.

He qualified for the event following matches at the City of Ely IBC in September, and he joined five others in this singles event at Blackpool Newton Hall IBC on Sunday, the winner of which was to be rewarded with a place in Scotland.

Each of his matches, played in sets of nine ends each, were very tight, going to a tie break in each, much as you would expect at this level of competition, with the results as follows:

Game 1: Cinato beat Allan Ramsey of Scotland 1-1 in sets (6-5 & 5-10 shots) with a 2-1 win in the tie break.

Game 2: Cinato beat Tom Warner of Five Rivers IBC 1-1 in sets (9-7 & 7-9 shots with a 2-0 win in the tie break

Final: Cinato beat Paul Maynard (his Pairs partner referred to in Item 4) from Foxhill IBC 1-1 in sets (4-9 & 7-6 with a 2-1 win in the tie break.

Cinato will now play well known Welsh International Jason Greenslade in the first round in Perth on November 5.

Connor claims place at World Tour event

CONNOR CINATO has also qualified for the World Bowls Tour (WBT) event at Potters in January, 2017, following the qualifying event at Dolphin IBC in Poole in Dorset last weekend.

The Kingsthorpe IBC bowler almost qualified again for the singles too.

In the Pairs, Cinato joined forces with Paul Maynard, a former Northants player who moved home and now plays out of Foxhill IBC in Aylesbury.

Their progress to qualification was as follows, play being of two sets with a tie break if needed.

First round: Maynard & Cinato beat Henry Frost & Adje Soffers-Tiggelman 2-0 (9-3 shots & 12-1 shots)

Quarter-final: Maynard & Cinato beat Shaun Jones (Malvern Hills IBC) & Danny Denison (Torquay United IBC) 1.5-.5

Their opponents are both former England Internationals, so this very tight win was very commendable, with a tie being achieved in the first set 5-5 shots when Cinato drew the shot bowl with his last wood, and in the second set with one end to play the scores were level at five shots each.

Cinato again drew the winning shot bowl for the 6-5 shots win.

Semi-final: Maynard & Cinato beat Norma Duin & Graham Robertson (Camberley & District IBC) 2-0 (13-3 shots & 10-1 shots)

Final: Maynard & Cinato beat Ben Coldrick & Steve Knight (Midglos IBC) 1-1sets (7-6 shots & 2-8 shots) & 2-0 in the tie break.

This was clearly a very tough final match to qualify, with the score in the first set 6-5 against with one end to play, which they won by two shots to take the set.

The second set went very much in favour of the Gloucestershire pair after three ends of play as Maynard and Cinato were denied further shots from being 2-1 up after three ends.

The tie break, however, went the way of the Kingsthorpe/Foxhill combo, as they took both ends to qualify for Potters.

They will play at 9.45am. on Friday, January, 13, 2017, against opponents not yet finalised.

In the singles, Cinato was narrowly ousted in the quarter-final by the eventual winner of qualification, James Rippey, of Falcon IBC in Chelmsford, Essex. He lost the match by the merest of margins on a tie-break.

With the last wood of the match having been bowled, Cinato was asking for one shot, when Rippey’s second shot bowl fell and tilted Cinato’s shot bowl against the bias, for James to take shot and match.

Joy for Jamie as he gets England call

NORTHAMPTON West End bowler Jamie Walker has been named in England’s senior international team for the British Isles Bowls Council Senior Men’s International Series to be held at Belmont BC in Belfast next July.

Team: Ben Render (Yorkshire), Andrew Knapper (Berkshire), Tom Millership (Warwickshire) & Jamie Walker, Northampton West End BC, (Northamptonshire); Josh Minto (Northumberland), Andrew Walters (Worcestershire), Graham Shadwell (Wiltshire) & Stephen Farish (Cumbria); Ashley Clipston (Derbyshire), Taylor Monk (Kent), Mark Read (Cornwall) & Sam Tolchard (Devon); Lee Haywood (Devon), Louis Ridout (Devon), Chris Yeomans (Northumberland) & David Bolt (Durham); John Rednall (Suffolk), Matt Marchant (Hampshire), Richard Catton (Cambridgeshire) & Robert Paxton (Devon); Steve Mitchinson (Essex), John McGuinness (Buckinghamshire), Ian Lesley (Devon) & Jamie Chestney (Devon)

Police are appealing for students to stay safe after a man tried to get a schoolgirl in his car.

It comes after a girl was approached in Wootton by a man who said that her mum had sent him to pick her up. However, she did not get into the car and ran off.

The incident took place in a cut-through off Wooldale Road on September 30.

Police have since been in touch with nearby Caroline Chisholm School to organise a ‘stay safe’ assembly to alert the children of the dangers of strangers.

A police spokeswoman has said: “We can confirm that we received a report at around 3.45pm on 30 September. A teenage girl was approached by a man in a car as she walked through Whittle Cross, off Wooldale Road.

“The man allegedly told the girl that her mum had sent him. The girl then ran off. We are currently investigating the incident.”

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Lewis White of Northampton Golf Club lifted the NGL Club Champion of Champions title after shooting a level par 72 in the final at Wellingborough.

David Gottsch (Staverton) and Richard Dalton (Overstone) were next on 74 apiece.

Northants County’s Tony Lord used all his experience in the NGL Scratch Matchplay KO Final as he beat James Northern with one of the 36 holes still to play.

Craig Cotterill and Gary Osborne (Hellidon Lakes) were successful in the NGL Fourball Betterball final as they recorded a 3&2 win over Karl Byron and Mark Conway (Cold Ashby).

Ladies

Five net birdies in a seven hole stretch either side of the turn helped Marcel Aarts 
(Kettering) and Mary MacLaren (Wellingborough) win the NGL Mixed Fourball Betterball crown at Northampton.

The duo grabbed 42 points to finish one ahead of Staverton Park’s Barry Harding 
and Samantha Harding, with two pairings a further point adrift.

MacLaren went into the event in winning touch after claiming the gross prize in the NGL Ladies Seniors Championship at Farthingstone.

The Ireland international nudged one stroke ahead of Overstone’s Gill Hodgson, who enjoyed a convincing victory in the net category after posting a net 72.

Lorraine Gilder, Sue Pawson and Gill Snelson finished in the prizes, while the Tazza Trophy went to Rosie Cullis (Kingsthorpe) with 33 points.

Seniors

Northampton’s David Dare and Colin Dare were the combination to beat in the NGL Seniors Pairs Open at Wellingborough as they fired the leading score of 42 points.

Peterborough Milton duo Ian Kerr and Geoff Dyson were made to pay for a slow start to the back nine as they had to settle for the second prize with 41.

Izzard Trophy

Heavy and persistent rain on Saturday lunchtime made the course at Cold Ashby unplayable for the NGL Izzard Trophy, so the three-man team event was cancelled. No alternative date has been arranged yet.

Girls

Northampton’s Katie Amos seems to enjoy her seasonal county girls competitions in 2016 as she added the Autumn Cup to the Spring Cup she lifted earlier in the season.

Emily Horsted (Peterborough Milton) was successful in the nine-hole Autumn Cup, while Rayner Edwards and Caitlin Worth (both Whittlebury) won the Introductory Pairs comp, which was also played over nine holes.

Junior League

Peterborough Milton A got the better of Peterborough Milton B to clinch the Junior League crown with a 5-1 success on their home course in the final.

After the opening match was halved, captain Ben 
Morris earned the A team the lead by winning the 16th and 18th holes against Adam O’Brien, whose driver shaft snapped with five holes to play.

Ben Baker and Jade Roberts couldn’t be separated in the next game, before Kai Raymond moved the A team within touching distance of victory with a 4&3 win.

The honour of bagging the winning point went to Lisa Johnston as she beat Rylan Thomas on the 15th hole, while Harry Smith completed the scoring by slotting in a long putt on the 17th hole.

Scratch League

Northampton improved their chances of avoiding relegation from Scratch League Division One with a crucial 5-3 home victory over Wellingborough, who now prop up the standings.

Lloyd Skidmore (6&4), Darren Matthews (2&1) and Andy Limbert (4&3) gave the home side the ideal start, with Chris Billson replying for Wellingborough.

With Lewis White (5&4) and Jon Harris (4&3) sharing the last two points, Northampton’s hopes of victory depended on taking something from either of the middle two games - both of which went the distance.

Dominic Jessup made sure the hosts didn’t endure an anxious wait as he secured a half against Adam Sherlock, before Ross Skidmore did the same in the other match with Ryan Connolly.

Title-chasing Peterborough Milton could hold the key to relegation as they host Northampton on Saturday before travelling to Wellingborough 24 hours later.

Overstone are not out of the relegation dogfight just yet and may need to get something from their home game with leaders Northants County on Sunday to maintain their top flight status.

Division Two

Cold Ashby kept alive their promotion ambitions with a 5½-2½ home victory against pacesetters Priors Hall.

All the damage was done early on as Bradley Green secured a half for Ashby in the opening tie before James Lovett (3&1), Paul Fuller (4&3) and James Gibson (4&3) added points.

Dennis Mathers (5&4) confirmed the team win, Jim Burberry (4&3) secured another victory for the hosts before Priors Hall grabbed a couple of consolation points late on.

The Corby club, who have not won a match since July, remain in the box seat and will confirm top flight golf for next season if they defeat bottom club Brampton Heath on Sunday.

Ashby will be hoping to pounce on any slip up by the leaders as they travel to Kingsthorpe, who only sit one point and one place above the relegation zone, on the same day.

Intermediate League

Northampton will host the final on Sunday as Kettering go in search of their first ever Intermediate League title by taking on 2009 champions Collingtree Park.

Looking for seriously BIG reservoir pike?

Then Ravensthorpe and Pitsford could be the places – right on town anglers’ doorsteps!

This weekend saw both trout waters open for their first lure-and-deadbait break of the winter...with the top fish boated taking the scales all the way to 30lb!

That came from Ravensthorpe and fell to a ‘Mr Walton’ (no one seems sure of his first name – but ‘Izaac’ it is not) and it was not the only trout-fed biggie boated.

A 28 was also landed, while Stuart Boulton had a red-letter-day double featuring a 23 and 20. And Pjak, who measures his fish, boated a 108 centimetre snapper – a whopping 42.5 inches.

Not to be left out, Pitsford produced a 29lb snapper among a stream of other good fish.

And there are very strong, but as yet unconfirmed, stories of a Pitsford trouter catching a bream on a fly...a BREAM weighing a mind-blowing SEVENTEEN pounds!

Even if that mistakenly included the weight of the landing net, that would still be a real show-stopper of a slab.

All it needs now is Anglian Water to find a way for anglers to target the water’s huge bream without cleaning out the relatively insignificant trout. If they can do that they will be sitting on a fortune!

THERE is a carp in Stanwick’s Elsons which follows young Ollie Pruden around. Over three years he’s had it at 24lb, 26, 28...and this week at 31-4. Dan Sharpe had a PB 35-9.

THE Grand Union is currently alive with good perch. Even I’ve had a 2-4 in recent days.

WHITE Hart Flore. Tofts: Andy Sibley 101lb, Glen Tilson 94lb, Jeff Wiggins 89-8.

CASTLE Ashby, Brickyard, Saturday: Rolly MacEneany 88-4, Chris Garratt 75lb, Keith Garratt 45lb.

WILSON Construction, works-outing, Barby Mill: Tom Griffiths 84-10, Drew Adams 72-11, John Spencer 46-12.

MILL Lane, Lakeside: Alan AIrd 76-10, Gary Abrahams 65-2, Mark Whadhams 51-
11.

FLORE & Brockhall, Dog Lane: Rob ‘who’ Rawlins 41lb, Steve Smith 31lb, Jim Tanser 27lb.

GLEBE, Peatling Parva: Dave Haddon 34-5, Paul Latter 27-9, Russ Lay 23-9.

FINEDON, Dennetts: Dave Roberts 27-8, Barry Lawrence 27-5, Paul Lafflin 26-15.

CASTLE, Canons: Jeff Rice 21-12, Gary West 15-4, Alan West 14-1.

OUNDLE, Nene below Ashton weir: Dave Mabbutt 9-8, Mark Cunnington 7-5, Alan Smith 5-13.

NEWPORT, Ouse open: Steve Wright 8-12, Paul Abbott 8-9, Steve Chilton 7-11.

SPORTS & Social, Nene, Woodford; Jim Broadbent 8-9, Dave Chamberlain 7-10, Ken Taylor 7-2.

NENE, Canal, Heyford: Tosh Saunders 5-12, Dave Gibbins 4-8, Wayne Robinson 4-6.

FIXTURES: Tues Oct 11 & Sun Oct 16, Olney Ouse opens, 01234 240061; Oct 16, Towcester open, Castlethorpe cut, 01908 56563617 (evenings).

Old Scouts’ reshuffled pack had to work hard to earn a 19-13 win in a nail-biting encounter against Market Rasen & Louth at Rushmere Road.

Scouts were dominant without scoring in the first quarter, although Adam Frost eventually notched a penalty to take the lead.

The visitors began to slip into gear and they crossed for a seven-pointer near to the end of the first half.

With several stoppages, an extra 15 minutes were added to the half and Frost kicked two penalties to nudge Scouts ahead before Rasen grabbed the lead with a penalty of their own.

After the break Frost slotted his fourth penalty to put Scouts back into the lead and with five minutes left a scintillating break by centre Liam Hancock saw him stopped five metres short. Dean Lake was in support and picked up to dive over and with Frost converting Scouts were two scores ahead.

The visitors battered Scouts’ line but resolute defence held out to only give away a penalty and the final whistle was a welcome relief.

Old Northamptonians 12 Lutterworth 13

OLD NORTHAMPTONIANS suffered their first league defeat of the season as they were edged out by Lutterworth.

ONs had taken an early lead as Rory Seymour’s break helped to send Matt Love over close to the posts.

Seymour converted, but Dan Glass replied with a penalty and the score was 7-3 at the break.

ONs started the second half as they had the first, with Love scoring.

But the conversion was missed and Lutterworth then began their fightback, with Glasse grabbing another penalty.

Dan Jones then scored and Glasse converted to win it for his team.

Meanwhile, Old Northamptonians beat Lutterworth IIs 43-10.

Ben Hammersley scored a hat-trick, with Billy North, Adam Faulkner, Kieran Murdie and Charlie Barker also registering.

Murdie added one conversion and Barker three.

Heathens 37 Bedford Swifts 12

SOLID forward play and new-found backline creativity was the basis for Heathens’ friendly win over Bedford Swifts.

Ben Jackson, with numerous lineout takes, steals and turnovers, and Josh Budd, who made enormous contributions both with ball in hand and defence, combined for a joint man-of-the-match award.

The Romany-based Heathens made a strong start as Mark Evans and Joe Yeo scored. Swifts replied with a try of their own but full-back Budd fed Dave Pontin to score for Heathens.

Swifts responded again to reduce arrears to three points before Jake Doyle scored Heathens’ fourth try.

Budd scored after the break, with the conversion added by skipper and prop Craig Wilson.

Tony Hazell was next to dot down and Sam Berry finished things off.

Towcestrians 36 Bridgnorth 13

TOWCESTRIANS continue to enjoy life in the National League after securing another impressive win at Greens Norton.

Bridgnorth had taken the lead with a penalty, but Tows responded with tries from Matt Bodily and Fen Gallagher.

Matt Yuill added the extras to the second of those scores and after Bridgnorth registered another three points, Gus Hopewell grabbed a third Tows try to make it 19-6.

Bridgnorth scored after the break, but that spurred Tows on and further tries from Ben Roe, Kieran Frost and Jamie Warr saw the home side finish with a 
flourish.

Meanwhile, Tows IIs took the long trip to Herefordshire to suffer a 53-27 loss to National League Two side Luctonians.

Tows IIIs beat BBOB 55-0 away from home and the Colts scraped home at Long Buckby, winning 25-24.

Oundle 34 Olney 5

PROP Jeremiah Shields scored for Olney but his effort proved to be too little, too late as the away side were well beaten at Oundle.

County men’s skipper Mark Taylor may decide Sunday’s poignant doubles victory in the Jim Bailey tournament at Oundle may have been a personal swansong in his world of tennis.

Taylor partnered his Northants Over 35 team-mate Andre Porritt and secured a fourth success in the competition run by Oundle’s John Whight in memory of the former Northants skipper.

This was a third victory in a row for Taylor/Porritt while Taylor has previously been successful with Corby’s Neil Shorrock, but at the age of 45 he was feeling the aches and pains on Monday morning.

He said: “It has always been a tournament I have wanted to support because Jim was Northants captain when I first played for the county. It was great to see people such as Bob Wenman taking part as he and Jim used to team up at Hunstanton every year.”

In the tournament, each of the nine pairs played one set against the other eight, the league leaders playing out a finale set which saw Taylor/Porritt defeat Claude Badowski and Jakob Bonnett 6-2.

“They were undoubtedly the best other pair which was great for me as I used to coach Claude while Jakob is going to be one of the stars of the future,” said Taylor.

DALLINGTON LTC is eagerly anticipating a visit by the President of the LTA Cathie Sabin on Sunday November 6.

The club is celebrating its 130th anniversary and Sabin will be dropping in at Dallington during the afternoon following a scheduled trip to the Corby Tennis Centre during a round of the 12 Counties junior tournament during the morning.

Anniversary year celebrations came to a head last month when the club hosted a vintage event which saw about 20 players and a further 26 for afternoon tea enjoy a nostalgic tournament when wooden rackets and all white kit was the order of the day.

Former club players who returned for the afternoon included Joan Bradley, Jane and Roger Pinnock, Brenda Turner, Margaret Field, Pam and Rosemary Weston, Jill Tallett, Crystal Harris, Peter Bateman and Anne Fowler.

Committee member Lisa Hodges-Cox said: “It was a great fun afternoon with members’ old and new participating and it may become a yearly event.”

The 12 Counties tournament kicks in for the autumn/winter series when Northants 14 & under sides do battle at Corby on October 23.

An auctioneer from Northamptonshire will feature in a new collectibles show hosted by Storage Hunters star Jesse McClure.

The show follows US reality star Jesse as he travels across the UK searching for antiques and collectibles to send back to his family's antiques mall in Lose Angeles.

Jesse will meet Jonathan Humbert, from JP Humbert Auctioneers near Towcester and Tanks A Lot in Northamptonshire where he will try to buy a tank.

The show, British Treasure, American Gold, will start on Quest at 8pm on October 19.

A spokesman for the show said: "This all-new series is a vibrant and original take on the world of antiques and trading. Jesse McClure, self-dubbed ‘Resale King’ heads to the UK complete with his 1978 black Pontiac Firebird (named Lily) to travel the length and breadth of the country searching for antiques and collectibles.

"He visits stately homes, collectors’ markets and even car boot sales on the hunt for typically British curios and valuable artefacts to send back to his family’s antique business in Los Angeles/

"From bone china vases to Elton John’s gold-plated sink, vintage one-armed bandits to armoured military vehicles, ‘British Treasure, American Gold’ focuses on the unique and unexpected side of British history, shining an American spotlight on the country’s eclectic past," he said.

"Jesse will put $100k of his family’s hard-earned cash on the line as he hits the streets in search of the biggest and boldest bargains Britain has to offer before shipping them back to the US in an effort to turn a profit in the family’s LA antique store," he added.

Quest is available on Sky 144, Virgin 172, Freeview & YouView 37.