Our local MP, Stuart Andrew, has sent this message to the East Farndon Parish Council regarding his second Agricultural Forum on Friday, 17th October at 6:00 pm. The forum will now be held at Lamport Hall.
Thank you to those who have already expressed interest in attending. A registration form is now available, which also allows attendees to submit questions in advance: www.stuartandrew.org.uk/events/agricultural-forum. If any additional members would like to attend, they can also complete the registration form with their names so that catering and seating can be planned.
Forum Details: Date: Friday, 17th October 2025 Time: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Venue: Lamport Hall, Lamport, Northamptonshire, NN6 9HD, (NN6 9EZ for satnav)
I look forward to welcoming representatives from across our parishes, along with our farmers, and discussing key issues affecting our farming and rural communities.
With best wishes,
Stuart
The Rt. Hon. Stuart Andrew MP Member of Parliament for the Daventry Constituency
East Farndon Church held a Flower Festival over the weekend of 13th & 14th September 2025. It was great to see the church open for two days with many visitors from the village and beyond. The event raised a fantastic total of just over £2,000 and the organising team, lead by Julia Prew, would like to say thank you to everyone who attended and helped us to make this event so successful.
As always with such events, there were many people involved in the organising team, and a huge thank you to them for giving up their time and working so hard! Special thanks to Jo Shaw and Philippa Mo who played so beautifully on Saturday, Philomena of Daisy and Fox florist and all the floral workshop attendees, whose floral arrangements decorated the church so wonderfully, and Judy Hodgetts for her brilliant work writing the updated information leaflet about the church. Please click this link to see photos from this event.
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Oct 3rd 2025– Free Motorway Driving Experience – Sunday 19th Oct 2025
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Do you tend to avoid motorways, feel less confident driving on them than you would like, don’t like joining them, or have a general issue, then this free event is for you. Each session (of around 2 hours) starts with a short classroom session about motorway driving delivered by Northamptonshire Police’s Driver Training Unit. Following that you will go out in a marked police car, from Police HQ to the M1, where an officer from the Roads Policing Unit will demonstrate how to join and leave the motorway safely, how to change lane and judge speed.
Once you have returned, you can practice what you have just learnt by having a free motorway taster drive in your own vehicle with a qualified Observer from Northampton Advanced Motorists. The event is free and will take place at Police Headquarters, Wootton Hall, Northampton NN4 0JQ. There are a number of sessions throughout the day. Booking is essential https://orlo.uk/MiUne
A partnership event between Northampton Advanced Motorists and Northamptonshire Police’s Roads Policing Unit, Safer Roads Team and Driver Training Unit.
Oct 3rd 2025– Advice on how to stay safe for Halloween and Bonfire Night
Halloween is creeping up on us and Northamptonshire Police would like to remind its communities that its officers will be working to discourage anti-social behaviour and ensure a safe Halloween and Bonfire Night for everyone.
10 top tips to keeping safe at Halloween:
Keep clear of all flames such as candles and lit pumpkins, which could cause costumes to catch fire or cause burns.
Be careful how you dress on Halloween. Homemade costumes and some costumes bought in shops can be flammable. Decorations should also be kept away from naked flames.
Plan your trick or treat route beforehand. Only go to houses where you or your friends know the residents. Always go in groups. Don’t go without an adult.
Be cautious about eating what people give you when out trick or treating. Check with an adult when you get home.
Be visible, stay in areas that are well lit with streetlights. Take a torch just in case.
Remember ‘STOP, DROP and ROLL’ if clothing catches fire. STOP where you are. Do not run. DROP to the ground. Lie down flat. ROLL over and over on the ground until flames are out.
Don’t wear masks that restrict your vision. You need to see when crossing roads.
Don’t enter any house when trick or treating, stay on the doorstep.
Don’t knock on doors where you see a ‘No trick or treat callers’ sign.
Avoid using real candles in lanterns and pumpkins. Battery operated lights are safer.
Sept 22nd 2025– Commissioner and Chief to chat at online public meeting – Tuesday 21st Oct 2025 at 6.30pm
Commissioner and Chief ready to chat at online public meeting
Northamptonshire residents are being invited to put their questions on crime and policing to Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone and Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet at an online public meeting next month. The event will take place between 6.30pm and 8pm on Tuesday 21 October, and will be live streamed on both the Commissioner’s and the Northamptonshire Police Facebook pages www.facebook.com/NorthantsOPFCCwww.facebook.com/northantspolice
Questions about any policing or community safety issue are welcomed – potentially covering subjects such as neighbourhood policing, violence against women and girls, retail crime and town centre safety, road safety or funding. Questions can be sent now on email to: chiefschat@northants.police.uk
Names won’t be read out during the broadcast or shared online. Questions can also be sent anonymously using an email link that will go live 14 days before the broadcast. And questions can also be asked live during the broadcast through the Facebook chat.
Sept 8th 2025 – Protect Your Pension From Fraud
Warning to #Protect Your Pension from fraud.
Savers and those reaching retirement age are being warned to protect their pensions and look out for criminals trying to catch people out of their life savings, with Action Fraud revealing a total annual loss of £17,567,249. This equates to roughly £48,129 lost to this type of fraud per day in 2024.
Data reveals there were 519 reports of pension fraud in total and £17,567,249 lost in 2024, with an average loss of £33,848 per person.Action Fraud, with support from the Pension Scams Action Group (PSAG), launched a pension fraud awareness campaign, warning people to take extra measures to protect their pension scheme accounts and to be cautious of investment opportunity offers from criminals that could be targeting them
How can you protect yourself against Pension fraud?
Secure your online pension account: the account you use to manage your pension should have a different password to all of your other accounts. Use three random words to create a strong and memorable password, and enable 2-step verification (2SV).
Ignore unsolicited calls about your pension: cold calling about pensions is illegal and likely a sign of a scam. If you’re thinking about changing your pension arrangements, you should get financial guidance or advice beforehand.
Investment opportunities: don’t be rushed into making an investment. Remember, legitimate organisations will never pressure you into investing on the spot. You should treat investment opportunities with extreme caution if there’s: Pressure to invest (for example: time-limited offers), Downplayed risk of losing your money, Promised returns that sound too good to be true, Remember to Stop! Think Fraud and find more information on how to protect yourself from fraud here: Stop! Think Fraud – How to stay safe from scams
What can you do if you have been a victim of pension fraud?
Report pension scams: if you’re worried about a potential pension scam or you think you may have been contacted by a criminal, report it to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.
If you have made a payment: inform your bank or pension provider as soon as possible, they can help you prevent any further losses. Monitor your bank and pension statements regularly for any unusual activity.
Please see attached the poster for the West Northants Wellbeing Stoptober Competition, which runs until 28th October 2025. The QR code on the poster links directly to the competition page, where participants can find all the terms and conditions. During Stoptober, anyone who signs up to the Stop Smoking Service will become part of the ‘Quitters Club’. Members will receive social media templates and stickers to help share their quitting journey with friends, family, and the wider community
Greta died on 21st August 2025. Those who knew her and worked alongside her at village events must wonder if we shall ever see anyone as devoted to the village again.
Greta was born in Cottingham and on leaving school worked as a tailor in Kettering and later at Symington’s in Market Harborough. She married Keith Hill in 1953, the Hills being a numerous village family. Greta and Keith were able to move straight into their house on Harborough Road and Greta still lived there till she died 71 years later. She had three sons, who survive her, Adrian, Clive and Graham. Keith died in 2014.
It is hard to do justice to Greta’s many services to the village. She was a member of the Parochial Church Council for many years and then did sterling work for the Age Concern group, which arranged meals in the village hall for elderly residents and coach trips to places of interest, as well as visiting older residents living alone. She was a key member of many fund-raising groups – for church repairs, for the restoration of the church bells and to set up the bus shelter on the Harborough Road. The church fund-raising at one time involved Greta and Daisy Haynes going round the village in a van collecting old papers and cardboard to sell at a scrapyard. She helped organise jumble sales and discos in the village hall. She was on the church cleaning rota and embroidered kneelers in the church and the two boards of signatures of people who donated to the funds (one is now in the church and one in the village hall). She visited newcomers to the village and helped to make them feel welcome. She helped to raise money for new crockery and a cooker in the village hall.
In later years, after retiring from work at BT and then at Ward’s Electrical, she played bowls with Keith for Market Harborough Bowls Club.
Greta symbolised the spirit of community in the village, working tirelessly to improve people’s lives here and keep village institutions going. Her passing marks the end of an era in village life.
Tribute written by Alan Langley with Adrian, Clive and Graham Hill, September 2025
East Farndon is very fortunate to have various rights-of-way in the parish, which create footpaths across the surrounding countryside. Many of these footpaths run through private land, where the landowner must keep the route visible and not obstruct or endanger users.
Following some recent complaints regarding footpaths, the Parish Council has spoken to various landowners in the Parish and they would prefer that complaints are raised with them first rather than via Street Doctor, to enable them to take appropriate action as soon as possible.
Therefore, the Parish Council kindly asks that if you have any problems with a footpath, in the first instance, can you please raise any concerns with the Parish Council (either email the Clerk at clerk@eastfarndon-pc.gov.uk or contact a Parish Councillor) or, if you feel comfortable doing so, contact the landowner directly. If the landowner does not take appropriate action, the issue will then be reported on Street Doctor by the Parish Council.
If anyone is interested in knowing more about the role of a Parish Councillor, please speak to any of the existing Parish Councillors or contact the Parish Clerk at clerk@eastfarndon-pc.gov.uk.
Confirm their eligibility for the position of Councillor by signing a copy of the eligibility criteria on the application form (Appendix A – section 2 of the Co-option Procedure).
The closing date for applications is Midday on Wednesday, 10 September 2025. Applications will then be considered at the Parish Council meeting to be held on Wednesday, 17 September 2025.
Despite repeated requests and warnings, the issue of parking on pavements in East Farndon continues to be a problem. Our local Police are now going to keep a close watch and everyone should be aware that they will ticket vehices if they are found to be parking in a manner that obstructs pavements. The Police will follow a 2 step process,
Step 1 – a leaflet / letter will be left on the offending vehicle(s) warning drivers not to obstruct / park on pavement.
Step 2 – if no improvement – Fixed Penalty Notice by post AND removal of the vehicle (not one or the other).
The Parish Council has previously contacted the Police to resolve this issue which obstructs pedestrians, in particular buggies and mobility scooters. The Police advised that streets in East Farndon have no parking restrictions so vehicles can park on the road, but in any event, a space 1 METRE WIDE on the pavement should be left so people can get past safely. In addition, if a vehicle is parked on the road, especially on Main Street / Harborough Road, drivers must ensure that it is not parked on a blind bend so that traffic has good visibility in both directions. Thank you everyone!
