Stories from the Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph: January 8th, 1916.

Last night a meeting of the committee which has the management of the Wardown V.A.D. Hospital held a meeting for the purpose of completing the arrangements for the reception of wounded soldiers from Aylesbury.

The local branch of the V.A.D. have been given the use of the building rent free by the Corporation, who have also spent a considerable sum in adapting the building for its new use. At present there are 21 patients in the hospital, these being men from the Artillery School and the various units in the district. When wounded soldiers are received, which will be at an early date, a certain n umber of beds will be kept for the use of the troops in the district.

A deputation is to visit Aylesbury to ascertain what demand is likely to be made on the accommodation of the hospital. It is the first provision being made locally for the reception of wounded soldiers, and will call for a great amount of voluntary labour and also considerable expenditure.

The workers have already volunteered their services, and at the present time there are two trained nurses, six morning and six afternoon V.A.D. helpers, three morning cooks and two afternoon cooks doing duty daily. Other helpers include the medical practitioners of the town.

On the financial side there is a small contribution per patient from official sources, and is the effort is to be successful the V.A.D. must meet with a ready response in raising the balance locally.

• Official intimation has just been received by Mr Joseph Smith, of 17 Chobham Street, Luton, of the death of his son Joseph Smith, who went down with HMS Natal, which sank in harbour as the result of an internal explosion on December 30th.

• Yesterday a boy of 11 years was handed over to the Luton police on the ground that he was "wandering". He was found at the Midland Station and said he had come from Ashby-de-la-Zouche, Leicestershire, where he had been living with an uncle. The boy said he had read in a newspaper advertisement that boys were wanted in Luton and thought he would come down and get employment. He was handed over to the workhouse authorities to be cared for pending arrangements being made for his return to relatives.

• Driver Percy R. Dumpleton, 1423, 2nd Battery, Lincoln R.F.A., is home on leave at 27 Waldeck Road, Luton, having been in hospital in France suffering from rheumatism.

• Matters concerned with the proposed new Modern School at Luton came before the Bedfordshire Education Committee again at their meeting at Bedford yesterday. The designs of Messrs J. R. Brown and Sons for the new school were the subject of a communication from the Board of Education, embodying certain suggestions, and it was decided that these should be referred to the special committee which has this scheme in hand for consideration and report.

• Capt Tabor, son-in-law of Mr and Mrs J. W. Green, is taking charge of the Luton Recruiting Office during Major Orde's absence on a month's holiday. Capt Tabor was wounded two or three months ago serving with the 1st Bedfordshire Regiment.

• Householders and businesses in Luton were in for a pleasant surprise with reduced gas bills. Without any official announcement, Luton Gas Company was charging 2 shillings per 1,000 cubic feet for gas instead of the previous 2s 2d. The reduction was hailed as proof of the splendidly progressive policy of the management of the Gas Company.

• Never before has the straw boater trade of Luton and St Albans passed through such a serious time, wrote the local correspondent of the Hatters Gazette. The loss of potential wearers who had joined the Army and Navy. Lord Derby's scheme would from time to time cause still further withdrawals from the civilian ranks, creating an even darker outlook. Every effort was now being made by local manufacturers to capture overseas trade for boaters hitherto done by Germany.

• With the the 3/2nd Field Company E.A.R.E. unable to play following their transfer to Maidstone, new arrivals from Kettering, the 2nd London Royal Field Artillery, were Luton Town FC's opponents in today's friendly. Despite starting brightly, the soldiers faded, allowing Butcher and Simms (4) to make the half-time score 5-0. A further goal from Simms and two from Roe made the final score 8-0, with goalkeeper Oates the star for the visitors, despite the scoreline. The Blues ended the game with nine men after Butcher had to leave the field with eye trouble and Dyke sustaining an ankle injury.