“To love another person is to see the face of God.”

You’ve maybe seen the stage musical, you’ve almost certainly heard Susan Boyle’s version of I Dreamed A Dream, but are you ready for a big screen, all singing, all A-list sing-em-up action drama?

Set in 19th-century France, this is the tale of Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman), a good-hearted man hunted throughout his life by a ruthless policeman Javert (Russell Crowe) after he breaks parole.

Valjean’s original crime? He served 19 years hard labour for stealing a loaf of bread to feed a starving child, so he’s not the worst criminal on the block…

Fate sees him cross paths with an unfortunate woman named Fantine (Anne Hathaway) whose daughter, Cosette (played first by Isabelle Allen and then Amanda Syfried) he agrees to look after.

Will Valjean manage to stay free of the law to bring up Corsette? Will Corsette find love with revolutionary rich boy Marius (British actor Eddie Redmayne) and can such a tragic tale of love and loss become a feel good singalong classic?

Les Misérables – the longest ever running musical stage show, fact fans – lends itself to becoming a rich and visually impressive movie.

Buoyed by a strong cast of actors who can actually carry a tune and an impressive eye for detail from director Tom ‘The King’s Speech’ Hooper – be fair, he has come a long way from directing Brit kids TV show Byker Grove – there is much to enjoy here.

As well as the cat and mouse chase dynamic at the heart of the tale, there is also some welcome comic relief from Sacha Baron Cohen as Thénardier and Helena Bonham Carter as his wife – the two reunited after both being in 2007’s Sweeney Todd.

If you hate musicals then you will struggle and even if you don’t, there is never going to be a way to make sung dialogue acceptable in movies

But for fans of the original this version will send you home with a song in your heart and a desire to pick up the soundtrack album…

Epic in its own overblown way at almost three hours, for me the film would have been more satisfying if trimmed by 30 minutes to stop the plot flagging, especially near the end. , That’s right, less Misérables would have been more satisfying.

Motorists will have to find alternative routes in and out of Luton for the next three weekends as Hatters Way is set to close.

A woman was indecently assaulted as she walked in Dunstable in the early hours of Sunday morning (January 13.

The 22-year-old was in Capron Road heading towards Olma Road at about 3.45am, when a man got out of a silver vehicle and asked her for directions to the nearest shop as he said he needed cigarettes.

The victim carried on walking but the man grabbed her and indecently assaulted her before she managed to struggle and get away.

The offender is described as being a 6ft male aged between 30-35, of Asian, Albanian or Turkish appearance, with a tanned complexion.

He has slicked-back black hair, big brown eyes, a large wrinkly forehead, thick black eyebrows and spoke with a foreign accent.

Det Con Jo Merry, investigating, said: “The young lady concerned managed to struggle free from this man and raise the

alarm but residents may have heard the commotion.

“I would appeal to anyone who saw or heard anything unusual in the area during the early hours of Sunday morning to come forward and help

with this investigation.”

Anyone with information is urged to call police on 101, or CrimeStoppers on 0800 555111.

Nearly a year after closing its doors, a village pub could be about to come back onto the market.

The Bedford Arms in Toddington closed last February after it was sold to a developer by Bedford-based brewery Charles Wells.

Luton-based Kensworth Builders wanted to build four houses in the pub garden, convert the pub itself into two houses, and also convert the florist’s shop next door into a house.

But a number of people objected to the planning applications lodged with Central Bedfordshire Council, and they have now been withdrawn.

On Friday a ‘to let’ sign went up in the window of the florist’s

Councillor Richard Hagen, responsible for planning at Toddington Parish Council, said he had heard the pub was to be marketed for sale with a price of around £500,000.

“One person in the village made enquiries and was told the pub will soon be back on the market, but that they want to proceed with some building at the back.

“I’m personally reasonably confident that we can get the pub back, and there is a local businessman who is interested.”

The Luton News has not been able to reach Kensworth Builders for comment.

Dunstable town guide Paul Heley will focus on the children of Henry VIII at the next Tea Time Tales session.

His history talk runs from 2.30pm to 4pm on Thursday, January 24, in Priory House, Dunstable.

Tickets, £4.75, include a hot drink and a pastry.

They should be bought in advance from the High Street South centre, tel: 01582 891420, email prioryhouse@dunstable.gov.uk.

Manshead school celebrated student excellence at its annual achievement evening on Thursday (January 10).

Parents, students and staff were treated to an excerpt from Blood Brothers performed by Emma Carey, Eloise Catling, Bethany Lock and Charlotte Tubb.

They also enjoyed a solo singing performance by Emma Carey at the ceremony last week.

Robert Hornby, who won gold at the National Physics Olympiad Challenge, was presented with a special award.

The Duncan Tweed Prize for outstanding contribution in science was awarded to Courtney Spoerer, while the Williams Award for outstanding A-level results went to Matthew Johnson.

Sports Persons of the Year were Luke Render, John Hawkins, Sophie Billington, Nicole Randolph and Rebecca Keens.

Josh Puddefoot, Rebecca Fitzgerald, Samantha Patel, Daniel Croxford and Gabriella Szpala were given their bronze Duke of Edinburgh award.

Awards for attainment were given to Molly Beswetherick, Steven Cotterill, Olivia Higgins, Jack Macdiarmid, Amy Bianchi, Rebecca Fitzgerald, Juliet Llewellyn-West and Stephanie Overington (all Campbell College); Niki Jiji and Haseenah Tunnicliffe (both Dylan College); Tyler Braddon, Shannon Elliot and Mischa McKevitt (all Grey-Thompson College); Domenico Avagnano, Olivia Copeland, Samantha Patel, Lizzie Bollada, Max Giddings and Daniel Wortlet (all King College);Jon Kragskow, Emily Powell, Mayur Patel and Imogen Weller (all McCartney College), Sunnyate Ali, Rachael Jones and Chloe Garwood (all Picasso College).

Awards for greatest progress were given to Rebecca Fitzgerald, Jack McDiarmid, Kayleigh Rafferty, Olivia Higgins and Stephanie Overington (all Campbell College); Hannah Adrees, Leia Cox and Haseenah Tunnicliffe (all Dylan College); Anthony Leslie, Freya Steele and Tyler Woodland (all Grey-Thompson College); Jake Allen, Stephen Chan, Sarah Lowther, Georgia McKenna, Rebecca Rodgers, Domenico Avagnano, Luke Firth, Zarina Mahammad, Wil Muskett and Daniel Wortley (all King College); Batheny Griffiths, Jon Kragskow and Eleni Stavrinides (all McCartney College), Niall Faux and Danielle Griffin (both Picasso College).

Expressive Arts awards were given to Caitlin Fiddaman, Charlotte Tubb, Ciara Dineen, Megan Perry, Samuel Rowland, Robert Deed, Emily Powell, Cienna Hewitt, Josh Puddefoot, Chloe Radford, Olivia Copeland, Madalena Ciccone and Eoin Dineen.

‘Attitude to learning’ awards were given to 30 Year 9 students – they were: Katie Atkins, Charlotte Ammirato, Charlotte Ayre-Larkin, Nadine Baxter, Megan Campbell, Brooke Cassidy, Cedony Chauhan, Emilia Dee, Ciara Dineen, Chloe Fensom, Ellie Fowler, Lewis Hayman, Izzy Ingham, Olivia Kettlety, Emma Laffoley, Eva Leer, Sam Lewis, Jack Longshaw, Shelbi Martin, Peggy McGroary, Melissa Newman, Molly Noblett, Zoe Plummer, Joshua Ramm, Oliver Stonelake, Freya Surman, Trilbi Surman, Emily Wadia, Wenjie Xu and Lewis Yesinkas.

Year 10’s ‘Attitude to leaning’ winners were Lewis Baxter, Charlie Bolton, Georgina Bowman, Lucy Cartwright, Eloise Catling, Charlotte Chase, Robert Deed, Holly Fairbairn, Callum Finlay, Caitlin Fiddaman, Hannah Gomm, Emma Hawkes, James Hayward, Jamaal Jackson, Janiece Jackson, Fredah Keter, Kalia Lai, Aimee Lau, Bethany Lock, Eloise Lomax, Georgina McVey, Eleanor Mew, Connor Michie, Ameera Mughal, Brendan Murphy, Daniel Nathan, Rachel Neale, Rebecca Ruffles, Natasha Soper, Sarah Taylor-Warner, Freya Vafadari, Alysha Wilson and James Yesinkas.

Year 11’s GCSE subject certificates were given to Lizzie Bollada for mathematics, Kirsten Lee for use of mathematics, Amy Bianchi and Domenico Avagnano for English language, Juliet Llewellyn-West for Science and Jon Kragskow for Georgaphy.

Jon also won a certificate for ethics and philosophy, and for Spanish with Emily Powell, Mischa McKevitt won it for history, Domenico Avagnano and Kirsty Steward for French, Mark Tallett for German, Freya Steele and Rachael Jones for art and design, Cienna Hewitt for drama and Amy Bianchi for music.

Emily Powell and Kate Lennon won the certificates for PE, Kirsty Steward for media studies, Maria Kayani for information technology, Rachael Jones, Niki Jiji and Steven Cotterill for business studies and Leo Featherstone and Jordan Shilladay for the Paris art visit.

Albert Harvey, Mark Tallett and Milan Vara won the certificates for product design, Rebecca Rogers and Kate Lennon for textiles, Michael Henderson and Chloe Stewart for food, Max Giddings, Priyank Anovadya and Jay Modi for graphics.

Year 11’s BTEC subject certificates were given to Rebecca Fitzgerald for art and design,

Upper sixth form A-level certificates were awarded to Matthew Aherne, Kerresha Allen, Emma Allsopp, Loren Arch, Clare Atkins, Lucy Breeden, Rebecca Brett, Christopher Brewer, Jason Broadstock, Sinead Brooks-Lampard, Jason Calder, Laura Caller, Matthew Cantellow, James Chapman, Krishan Chavda, Rhiannon Chillmaid, Hanna Church, Madalena Ciccone, Peter Clark, Sanches Clarke, Daniel Collins, Eilish Conroy, Joshua Corkhill, Alexander Crossland, Matthew Custance, Jake Daniels, Christopher Davis, Shamara De Silva, Patrick Dempsey, Louise Doggett, Christopher Downes, Charlotte Dyke, Jordan Emmett, Roseanna Farr, Kirstie Faulkner, Kim Fisher, Sarah Fisher, Danielle Fitzgerald, Robert Foster, Rebecca Fowler, James Frith, Elliott Gambier, Amy Geraghty, Olivia Goodaker, Kelly Gore, Mitchell Hall, Josh Hamblin, Lewis Hassall, Kenya Hill, Joely Hodges, Jack Holah, Robert Hornby, Adam Hussain, Adam Ilsley, Matthew Indge, Waqar Iqbal, Lauren Jackson, Matthew Johnson, Georgina Johnstone, Gamil Karachiwala, Emily Keens, Rebecca Keens, Aaron Keers, Luke Kenney, James Kesterton, Zoe-Louise Keyte, Nathan Killen, Katie Knox, Sarah Knox, Rebecca Langford, Anna Lawrence, Rachel Lewzey, Christopher Lowther, Hannah Lunn-Courtnell, Wendy Ly, Stephanie Lyons, Zenita Mack, Hannah Marsh, Nicholas Mayhew, Chloe McDonald, Bhavika Mistry, Edward Mortimer, Zoe Moyler, Natasha Murray, Olivia Niblock, Charli Nicholson, Rebekah Norman, Adam Osborn, Lloyd Palmer, Jack Parker, Laura Pethybridge, Louise Powell, Lorna Pratt, Sebastian Prothero, Amy Rabjohn, Brett Roberts, Katie Roberts, Jasmine Robson, Emilie Sanders, Mercedes Smart, Ieuan Smith, Conah Snuggs, Courtney Spoerer, Conrad Steele, David Steele, Kieran Stevens, Charlotte Stewart-Bean, Tipak Sudaharan, Beth Taylor, Andrew Thorne, Rebecca Underwood, Emma Ward, Oliver Warne, Seth Willis and Lisa-Marie Wynne.

Dunstable’s Watling Lower School will join more than 900 schools in the “sign2sing” charity world record attempt.

Organisers SignHealth aim to break their own record for the most young people signing and singing a song simultaneously.

Schools must register by January 23 to take part in the event, on February 6.

Find out more at www.sign2sing.org.uk, or call SignHealth on 01494 687600.

Firefighters were called out to a flat in Dunstable at lunchtime on Monday, January 14.

Two Dunstable fire engines went to the Lincoln Close flat, just after 1.15pm.

The alarm had been raised over a cooker fire, which was out when the firefighters arrived.

Don’t forget to keep an eye on the Central Beds Council website to check for school closures in your area during the current wintry weather.

The information is updated by head teachers in the event of a forced school closure due to emergency.

The website can also be used to check for highway reports, gritting and traffic updates, and transport provider status updates.

To check if your child’s school is closed or open, or any of the other services available, visit www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/webapps/sos.

Daredevils in Beds are invited to join in a tandem skydive event for a children’s charity.

Money raised will go to The Children’s Trust. The skydive is in Cambridge on March 10 and a £60 deposit and sponsorship pledge is required.

Contact Donna Lee on 07568 108794, dlee@thechildrenstrust.org.uk, or visit www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk/skydive.

A Gypsy and Traveller plan protects us from inappropriate developments.

Speaking on Wednesday (January 16), Central Beds Councillor Nigel Young emphasised the need for the forthcoming Gypsy and Traveller Local plan.

The executive member for sustainable communities – strategic planning and economic development said: “One of the things that having a local plan does for us is prevent unauthorised encampments. If we don’t have a local plan and a Gypsy and Traveller family turns up in a field that they own or simply encamp on we would have very limited powers. From March this year they would almost certainly be granted temporary permission until we have a plan.

“Unless we have a plan we have no control over where they might settle.”

Once the plan is in place Central Beds Council will be able to direct Gypsy and Traveller families to the specific sites.

The council has a statutory duty to provide Gypsy and Traveller pitches. Over the next 20 years, the period which this plan will cover, the council will need to provide an extra 135 pitches.

A pitch consists of a fairly permanent mobile home, a touring caravan, an amenities block and often a shed. There is also room to park and room for visitors to park.

Mr Young said: “We will try to create family pitches, not one large field full of Gypsies and Travellers – we understand that that would not lead to integration between the settled community and the Gypsy and Traveller community.

“We are looking to have five to 10 pitches on a site and to leave room on that site so that, towards the end of the process in 2026, we have room for any further family extension.

“The key is we are seeking to place families together. One of the enviable things about Gypsy and Traveller communities is their family’s around them.”

Sites were deemed suitable for the long list for such reasons as available medical care, transport and education plus the land not flooding. They also need to be available in the near future.

Although a large field may be listed the site would only fill part of the field and communities would not be dwarfed by a site.

Many of the possible sites are in the north of Bedfordshire as the south is covered by green belt land. However, despite this, special circumstances may apply for sites in the south. Central Beds Council also owns more land in the north.

Mr Young added: “There are an awful lot of negative perceptions about Gypsies and Travellers and like any group in society the majority are perfectly normal, likeable people. I’ve met many of them who are just trying to get through the day. They suffer an awful lot of negativity from the settled population.

“Our task as a society is to learn to integrate with the different ethnic minorities that now form a part of multicultural Britain.”

Sites will be inhabited as and when the need arises. The Gypsy and Traveller Local Plan will be refreshed every five years.

The plan will be discussed at the sustainable communities overview and scrutiny committee tomorrow (Thursday, January 17) in the council’s Chicksands headquarters. The meeting is open to the public.

A shortlist will be made at the following meeting in February and this will be followed by a public consultation. The plan will not come into affect until summer next year.

A report on progress on the Luton and Dunstable Busway has been put back to the end of February.

Luton Borough Council’s overview and scrutiny board had been due to receive the report tomorrow night.

But a council spokesman said it had been put back to the next meeting, on February 26, “due to officers’ competing priorities and a very short time span to prepare the report”.

The busway is due for completion in late spring.

One of the stalwart members of Dunstable Rep has died, aged 86.

George Sandifer, of Meadway, Dunstable, began acting with the Rep over 50 years ago and had been a part of its productions at the old town hall, the civic hall and, of course, the theatre company’s present home in the Little Theatre, High Street South.

One of his finest roles had been opposite Mona Norris in The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, but he had shone many years earlier as a gold-digging rogue in Murder Mistaken. His character in the play was called Teddy, and that became George’s family nickname.

He was unassuming and dependable, and described by his friends as “a true gentleman”.

He was a past chairman, past president and honorary life member of the Rep, where he was on the management committee and had been a leader of the Junior Rep. Behind the scenes he was an expert on stage lighting.

Born and bred in Dunstable, he went to primary school at Houghton Regis and then won a Chew’s Foundation Scholarship to Dunstable Grammar School where he formed friendships which lasted all his life.

He was immensely proud of the school and until his death was very active as membership secretary of its Old Boys Association.

It was at the school that he learned to love rugby and he was a founder member of the Old Dunstablians Rugby Club which started on fields at Sewell in 1947 and then moved to the Waterlow’s sports ground.

When the club decided to create a pitch on part of Dunstable Cricket Club’s ground in Bull Pond Lane he was a trustee of its lease there until the Dunstablians moved to their present base at Bidwell.

Bowls was another passion and he was still playing this summer at Dunstable Town Bowls Club in Hawthorn Close.

He was also a member of the Dunstable Probus Club and had been a member of U3A.

He had left school to train as a telecommunications engineer; a career which lasted until his retirement from BT in 1986.

Because of his job he was not called up for service during the war, but instead became a fire watcher at the Priory Church, sharing these duties with the Rector.

George was a member of the Priory choir for many years and had a great love of classical music and opera.

He took a major part in the great Dunstable Pageant on Priory Meadow, producing the episode featuring tournaments and jousting. He was taken ill suddenly on December 28 and died on the way to hospital. He leaves his wife, Joan, and two children, Rebecca and Paul, from his previous marriage to May Corbett.

The funeral service will be in the Priory Church at 2pm tomorrow, Thursday, January 17.

A young pedestrian was injured in a road accident involving a vehicle in Houghton Regis town centre yesterday afternoon, Tuesday, January 15.

The boy, believed to be about 11 years old, suffered minor leg injuries in the High Street accident, which happened at about 4.15pm.

Ambulance personnel went to the scene. It is understood that the boy was conscious and able to talk.

Police said that the road was blocked for a time after the accident.

A number of members of the public called the emergency services to alert them.

An RSPCA inspector has appealed for information after the “savage and brutal” killing of a dog in Toddington.

Yesterday we reported that the animal had been found near The Glebe recreation ground by dog walkers on Monday afternoon.

The animal charity said it was likely the brindle and white dog had been killed that day or the night before.

RSPCA inspector Mel Fisher who is investigating, said: “This young bitch, who was probably only one or two, appeared to have been in good health and there were no signs of other trauma which leads us to believe she died as a direct result of her injuries.

“No weapon was found at the scene but there was a lot of blood so it is highly possible whoever did this took her out for a walk in the area specifically so they could kill her and leave her body – but we cannot rule out her being killed elsewhere and then her body being dumped.”

Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the RSPCA on 0300 123 8018 and leave a message for Inspector Fisher.

Note to readers: The charity has released a photograph of the animal, however we have decided not to publish it due to the distressing nature of the image.

The first part of the new leisure strategy for Dunstable, Houghton Regis, and elsewhere in Central Beds, has been adopted.

Central Beds Council’s executive committee has adopted the first “chapter”, which guides the future of leisure facilities.

Strategic priorities include refurbishing Dunstable Leisure Centre and providing a replacement for Houghton Regis Leisure Centre, close to the current centre site. They are considered priorities for the medium-term, over the next two to seven years.

The council is also looking at whether Houghton’s swimming pool could be reopened in the short-term.

It says it was found that although there is a relatively low supply of leisure facilities in Central Beds, they are well-located to meet demand. However, they are at capacity and need to be expanded to account for new homes and population growth.

Find out more about the strategy at www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/leisure/sports-clubs-andcentres/leisure-strategy.aspx.

Dunstable Roller Disco opens later this month at Houghton Regis Leisure Centre.

Don’t worry if you have outgrown your skates as they have skates for hire from children’s size 10 to adults size 12.

Starting Sunday, January 27, it will run every Sunday from 4pm-5.30pm.

Entry is £4 and skate hire is only £1.

www.facebook.com/DunstableRollerDisco.

As the cold and wintry weather sets in, the NHS in Bedfordshire is reminding residents to keep warm and keep well.

There are around 190 avoidable excess deaths in Bedfordshire every winter due to the cold conditions.

It has been estimated that for every degree change in the average weather temperature there is a rise or fall in the number of deaths by approximately 8,000.

To find out if you are eligible for financial support with your heating, contact the Warm Front scheme free on 0800 316 2805 or Age UK on 0800 169 6565 for help and advice.

For more information about winter health, see www.nhs.uk.

Carers in Central Beds are invited to attend special Carers’ Forums tp discuss their experiences.

Carers’ Forums give an opportunity for carers to have their say on issues and to help develop services for carers.

Councillor Carole Hegley said: “We recognise that carers are the best placed people to know how their health and social care needs can be met in order to improve the quality of life for themselves and the person they care for.”

For information about Carers’ Forums in your area, visit www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/carers.

Police in Lincoln are looking for a man they believe to be a Luton Town fan, as he is the final suspect in a football-related violent disorder investigation.

A total of 20 men ranging from 17 to 53 have been arrested for violent disorder before the Lincoln City v Luton Town Blue Square Premier League fixture on October 6 last year, and are currently on police bail. The man (pictured right) is the only suspect yet to be identified.

If you know this man or have any information regarding the incident in question, contact PC Andy Pearson, investigating, on the non-emergency number 101, or call CrimeStoppers on 0800 555111.