by Staff Writer, July 1, 2008
Lana Leeson, who lives with her family on New Street in Oundle, was diagnosed with rare blood disease similar to the cancer called Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, a condition which can cause fever, enlargement of the liver and a fall in the number of normal blood cells. The disease is so rare that it only affects one in a million, and her parents were desperate to find a suitable bone marrow match.
Miraculously a suitable match was found from an anonymous donor and Lana was able to have her life-saving operation in Great Ormond Street Hospital late last year. She recovered well and was even allowed to return home for Christmas. In January she was even able to be at home to celebrate her first birthday with her friends and family.
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by Staff Writer,
The purpose of a country park is to provide a place that has a natural, rural atmosphere for visitors who do not necessarily want to go out into the wider countryside. Visitors can enjoy an open public space with an informal atmosphere, as opposed to a formal park as might be found in an urban area. And Barnwell Country Park is Oundle’s very own country park.
Barnwell Country Park is made up mostly of 15 hectares of lakes, riverbank and meadows to explore. The park has 4 lakes in its compound, the north lake, the middle lake , the little lake and the mill lake. There are picnic areas, fishing points and pathways all around the park.
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by Emily Booth,
Very few things make me nervous, but one thing that does is horses. Especially big horses. Especially Arabian horses. I have had this absurd fear ever since I visited a horse show as a child and saw the huge stallions prancing about in the ring. It was only when I received an e-mail from Anne Brown of Gadebrook Stud asking me to visit her stud farm that these misgiving reappeared. However, ever conscious of my journalist duties, I tugged on my wellies and set off to visit Anne, in Elmington, just outside Oundle.
It was a bright, fresh (i.e. freezing) Wednesday afternoon and armed with my tentative questions (knowing very little on the subject of horses) I knocked on the farmhouse door. I was greeted by Anne and was ushered into her cosy kitchen where I tried to seem confident and ‘in the know’ of what I was talking about. I found that my questions were fairly useless so I decided to just listen. Continued…
by Staff Writer,
July 2008 will mark the end of a remarkable career at Laxton Junior School for Headmistress Sue Thomas. Sue has been working at the independent co-educational day school for 19 years and will finally step down after a tremendous innings to Deputy Head, Mr. Potter.
After speaking to Sue, her emotions seemed mixed as she told the Chronicle:” I am excited to be starting a new phase of my life but I shall be very sad and extremely nostalgic about having worked for 19 years at Laxton Junior School and to be leaving this behind.” As an ex-pupil of Laxton Junior myself, Sue was well known for her humour and kindness to the children and staff, as well as being a passionate motivator for the children’s education, giving out key guidance.
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