Stories from the Luton News: Thursday, December 2, 1915.

With great pleasure Luton Town Council learned at its meeting on Tuesday evening that the Agent-General for Queensland, on behalf of the Government of the Australian state, had sent to Luton a gift of foodstuffs for use in the relief of distress.

The gift was part of a big consignment sent to England by the Queensland Government for use in this way, and the gift was made with the best wishes of our kinsfolk in that part of the Empire. There were two cases of corned mutton, four cases of boiled mutton , two cases of roast mutton and 12 cases of beef, all packed in tins so they will keep.

The Deputy Mayor (Councillor Walter Primett), in moving that the gift should be handed to the Relief Sub-Committee of the Prince of Wales' Fund for distribution, said that last July he received an offer of some beef and some carcases of mutton, but this was only offered for those in distress through the war. At that time there was very little such distress, and it would have been necessary to place the gift in cold storage.

He was told, however, that meat packed in tins might be available, and that he accepted on behalf of the Corporation. He was told by a member of the Council who was in the trade that the gift was worth about £50.

• Luton Council's Parks Committee unanimously recommended the Council to make application to the War Office for one of the captured German guns to be placed in the [Wardown] Park. Local MP Cecil Harmsworth advised the Council to pass the resolution and he would be happy to press Luton's claim vigorously.

• Lieut R. M. Plummer, son of Mr F. W. Plummer, of Rookwood, New Bedford Road, Luton, who went out to Gallipoli with a draft of officers after the heavy fighting in August, is now on the sick list and in hospital at Alexandria.

• The Parks Committee inspected the pathway across Bell Close from Clarendon Road to Kingston Road, which is in bad condition and gradually being widened by pedestrians walking on the adjoining grass. The Borough Engineer is now to construct a good clinker path and to replace the Kingston Road boundary fence that had been practically demolished with an unclimbable iron fence.

• Christmas boxes have been sent out by the men employed by Vauxhall Motors Ltd to their former fellow workers who are now at the Dardanelles. Similar gifts will be despatched from the Vauxhall Works to those who are serving on the Western Front.

• Grand Theatre audiences are to be given an opportunity every Saturday morning of subscribing to the Territorial Comforts Fund. A commencement was made on Saturday last, when Mr F. W. Plummer, treasurer for the Luton district, addressed the audience at the first house and explained what was being attempted by the Fund and what had already been done.

• Among the plans passed by the Town Council on Tuesday were new offices, gate-keeper's lodge and other extensions at Biscot Road, George Kent Ltd; additions at Hitchin Road and Taylor Street, Thermo-Electric Ore Reduction Corporation; and new workshops in Kimpton Road, Vauxhall Motors Ltd.

• In addition to giving the local branch of the Red Cross Society the use of the mansion at Wardown for a hospital for wounded soldiers, Luton Town Council are also going to defray all the cost of adapting the place for this purpose with the exception of the provision of blinds.

• On Tuesday evening the War-time Cookery lecture series was inaugurated in Luton under the auspices of the Luton Technical Institution. Demonstration are being given each week until February at the three Luton cookery centres. Tuesday's demonstration involved food with little meat; homely measures; Cornish pasties; and batter with meat.