Want to stand for election as an MEP and have a spare £5,000 to put down? Get your application in by 4pm 24th April

Want to register for voting or register for a postal or proxy vote? Get your application in by 6/7/14/22nd May (depending)

Further details here and here

The Cople Players presented their first pantomime at the Cople Village Hall on the 28th/29th March 2014

Produced by Julia Moore and Fran Moore. Script and director was Miles Tetly.

It was a brilliant success and enjoyed by all.

Proceeds were divided between the Friends of Cople Church and BeCHar (homeless charity.)

Photographs

Publicity by Ian and Claire - January 2014

Dress rehearsal by Ian - 22nd March 2014

New Behind The Scenes by Fran - 28th March 2014

Live Show by Vaughan - 29th March 2014

STOP PRESS

The Cople Players were nominated for a number of prestigous awards and thanks to Miles you can read these and discover the winning actors in his transcription

Also Miles has kindly gathered the stunning reviews of the show here

Bedford Borough Council is now consulting with members of the public in an effort to better understand flooding and its impact in the Borough

Why are we consulting?

Bedford Borough Council is keen to make sure that we are doing all that we can to prevent flooding and the damage that it can cause.

What do we want from you?

Answer our short questionnaire on how you think issues related to flooding should be approached by the council. It is vitally important that local residents, particularly those who have experienced, or come close to experiencing flooding, get in touch.

Why is your response important and how will it be used?

Your response will help us to develop a better understanding of the local issues around flooding and help us to decide the best way to manage these. We can then incorporate this into the development of the Borough’s ‘Local Flood Risk Management Strategy’. This strategy aims to identify the specific short, medium and longer term measures which are needed to address flood risk now and in the future.

Full details, survey form and contact details from www.bedford.gov.uk/floodrisk

Not Cople, Bedfordshire, which is much older than that, but the Cople Parish, Westmoreland County, Virginia, USA. Cople Parish, USA is a small rural community on the lower Potomac River, a few miles from the Chesapeake Bay, in the Northern Neck of Virginia

Cople, USA which will be celebrating its 350th anniversary in May 2014 with the founding of a Church by Nicholas Spencer from Cople, UK.

I have been contacted by Nancy Joel, an expat Britisher, who now lives in Cople, USA and who is searching for more information regarding the links between our Cople and Nancy's Cople, especially more about Rev John Gwinn. This is an extract of Nancy's email...

I am presently a member of the Parish's organizing committee for the 350th Anniversary celebrations. We are one of the oldest Parishes in the USA, and one of our three churches is one of the oldest in Virginia dating back to the late 16th century, which for America is old!

I am trying to find a little more information about the Rev. John Gwinn who you mention on your website. We know that the naming of Cople Parish was in recognition of the work of Nicholas Spencer who came here, but I haven't established if Rev. John Gwinn was actually also our first vicar, though we know of his association with the Spencer family through your Cople Parish

I was wondering whether you have a local historian who might be interested in helping me in fill in some missing details of our historical past.

If anyone can help Nancy please do get in contact with me and I will pass your details on to her. You can contact me (Ian) by email address here or phone me on 01234 838347

As at November 2013 a limited number of water butts are available to Bedford Borough residents this winter. Bedford Borough Council, in partnership with Straight plc, is offering 190 litre Water Butt Kits for the special price of £30 plus £5.49 delivery charge. A saving of £9.98 on the usual price.

More details

In 1971 Cople had their own grand festival for no particual reason other than to celebrate Cople. Although they did also take the opportunity to raise funds for the new Village Hall and the Church.

Recently Bob Parrish found, amongst his late mother's possessions, the programme from this festival. He has kindly sent this to me for putting on to the Cople web site

You can read the 1971 Festival Programme through the same ISSU interface we use for the Cople News. Click this link http://issuu.com/cople/docs/cople_festival_1971

Trees are important. Trees are beautiful, soften the urban impact, provide shade, clean the air, benefit the environment, support diverse wildlife and can provide natural fuel and building material.

Bedford Tree Fund is an independent charity working from within Bedford Council to promote the planting and upkeep of trees in the parks, streets and open spaces across the Borough of Bedford.

BTF aim to plant 1,000 new trees by 2014 and are looking for individual or company sponsors.

More information on how you can help the BTF from www.bedfordtreefund.org

If you have a picture of your favourite tree please send it to me for adding to the Cople collection

I have been kindly sent two new pictures for the Cople photo gallery. These are of the late Ernie Rawlins and his Cottage (now demolished) in Water End. The pictures were supplied by Christopher and Bob Parrish

The pictures have been added to the main village image pool

If you have any old (or new and interesting) photos of Cople please do send them to me for adding to the collection. It is always nice if you know a few words about the image too, what it is, who took it, when, background story etc.

Anyone can report potholes and blocked drains online to Bedford BC Highways or by email highways.helpdesk@bedford.gov.uk or by telephone 01234 718003

If you believe the fault you are reporting is an emergency (e.g. likely to cause damage or injury or wires showing) then please telephone the 24 hour phone line (01234 718003) to report the fault

Ernest Storton, 1909 - 2003, was born nearby in Hatch and moved to Cople in 1914. In 1989 Ernest wrote his memories of his childhood in Cople which were then published and distributed in Cople.

In March 2013 Ged Peeke, the currect editor of Cople News, has kindly transcribed Ernest's orginal article for republication.

Download Childhood Memories, Ernest Storton 1989 PDF

This spring & summer children from Cople Lower School are taking part in a programme of tennis lessons.

LTA liaison coach, Dave Revell, inspired children at the taster session at Cople Village Hall on a recent visit.

For further information please contact the Cople Lower School.

Jane Harvey asks "Is there anyone in Cople who can help in my local history research?"

I live in Shortstown and run two websites one about the history of Shortstown www.shortstownheritage.co.uk and one recently set up about RAF Cardington www.rafcardingtoncamp.co.uk

If anyone has any memories or photographs of any time spent in Shortstown or RAF Cardington I would love to hear from them. I have also heard that during WW2 decoy buildings resembling the 2 sheds at Cardington were set up in some fields around Cople - can anyone comment on this please?

I can be contacted onjyh@shortstownheritage.co.uk or alternatively by phone 01234 740671. Thank you, Jane.

I have added some pictures from the Bedfordshire v Oxfordshire cricket match played at Cople May 13th 2012. If you know their names please email me and I will update the captions.

New albums have been added to the Cople Photo Albums with photographs from Julie Scherrer and Vaughan Southgate.

The sell-out Friend's dinner and talk by Charlie Porter, "Tales from Wood End", and the first Heritage Open Day for Cople Church. The latter is to be held usually on the last Saturday of each month for six months, this has been a great success.

The Cople Village Hall now has its own mini web site

See booking rates, facilities, contact details and photographs. Village Hall is available for hire, discounts offered to Cople residents and regular hires.

Paul Walsh and Charlie Porter recently came up with the brilliant idea of having a Charity Shoot on their respective farms to raise funds for St John’s Hospice and the Friends of Cople Church.

Click here to read more