A man who grew up in Daventry has posted an online video about his years as a victim of homophobic bullying as a teenager.

The video, part of the It Gets Better campaign, detail’s Daniel Smyth’s struggle as a victim of homophobic bullying.

Mr Smyth, 26, now lives in Liverpool working with Bare Escentuals.

He said: “I recently started my own YouTube channel, originally to do beauty tutorials but it has since become a place for me to also blog about my teenage years.

“I recently posted a video on my Facebook about some of my experiences in school and have been overwhelmed with the response.

“I went to Daventry William Parker School which is where I completed my GCSEs. During my time there I was bullied on a daily basis.

“I struggled throughout school. My time in school wasn’t about learning, it was about getting by without being seen or heard.

“I would regularly fake an illness so I would not have to go in because I despised it. This was a real shame, as I did actually enjoy learning but I hated the environment I was in.

“I became so good at hiding the bullying that it went undetected by teachers.

“For a long time, this has been playing on my mind, I’ve read story after story about teenagers committing suicide because they felt there was no way out, and they had no one to talk to, and that is a really bad place to be. I should know.”

Daniel Smyth’s mother Sara has spoken about how proud she is of her son.

Sara, who still lives in Daventry, said: “Daniel was brought up in a single parent family – it was just me and his brother and sister.

“I got into a difficult relationship and I was suffering from bipolar, and it was Daniel who took the role of man of the house.

“I didn’t know he was gay or being bullied while he was a teenager. I guess Daniel thought it was another stress for me and didn’t want to tell me. He didn’t tell me he was gay until he was at university.

“I remember once when he was a teenager he went out to go to a friend’s house and came home bloody. He said someone had jumped out from some garage and headbutted him.

“He’s since told me they headbutted him because he was gay.

“It is upsetting as a parent to think your child felt they couldn’t tell you what was happening.

“Daniel didn’t expect to get the grades he needed to go to university. But he put his head down and studied, and he got the grades.

“He excelled himself. He went off to university and from there he’s gone on to have a wonderful job and life.

“Daniel’s always put his heart into everything and worked hard to achieve things, I think that comes from not wanting to give into adversity as a young person. He’s now taken on two foster children.

“I’m extremely proud of him. He’s done absolutely fantastic. He’s gone out there and grabbed life with both hands.

“It shows that things really do get better – Daniel was the victim of homophobic bullying as a teenager, but he overcame that and has gone on to have a fantastic life.”

Glenn Dickson is desperate for Saints to secure a home semi-final in the LV= Cup.

Jim Mallinder’s men currently sit top of Pool 4 thanks to impressive wins against Gloucester and London Irish.

Dickson, who landed a total of 35 points in those two games, is now setting his sights on upcoming games against Newport Gwent Dragons and Saracens.

And he knows just how important they will be as Saints aim to qualify as one of the top two pool winners to set up a last-four showdown at Franklin’s Gardens at the beginning of March.

Dickson said: “We just need to try to carry on the form we’ve shown in the Premiership and replicate that in the LV= Cup.

“We managed to do that in the first two games and we need a couple more because we’d love to have a home semi-final at Franklin’s Gardens.

“The next two weeks are extremely important.”

The next two weeks are also vital for Dickson as he bids to stake his claim for a regular first-team starting spot.

He has his sights set on Stephen Myler’s No.10 shirt and is aiming to make a big impression with his Saints team-mate away on England duty.

“I probably see that (playing at fly-half) as my best opportunity to play,” said Dickson.

“I’ll play anywhere but it’s the position Saints have got in mind for me and if that’s the case I’ve got to make sure I deliver when I get my chances.”

As a football club Daventry Town has much in common with Southern League leaders Dunstable Town.

But the club bears little similarity to the structures in place at the other four main promotion challengers in Rugby Town, Barton Rovers, Kettering and Slough Town.

Daventry chairman Iain Humphrey and his Dunstable counterpart Roger Dance are both larger-than-life characters who share long-term goals of taking their respective clubs into the Conference League.

Both clubs have come a long way in a short time but share the handicap of playing on council-owned grounds. By contrast Rugby own their own 6,000 capacity stadium in Butlin Road. Unlike the other five, Barton-le-Clay is a Bedfordshire village with a growing population of only about 5,000 and a football club which resembles Woodford United in the glory years!

Barton’s facilities are hardly state-of-the-art and the Sharpenhoe Road club is arguably the least likely of the quintet to gain promotion this season.

Slough are not easy to stereotype either, despite a town population of 120,000 which dwarfs Rugby’s 70,000, Dunstable’s 40,000 and Daventry’s 25,000. The problem here is groundsharing with Beaconsfield SYCOB at a time when there is still no sign of a new stadium in Slough itself.

Kettering of course have the biggest fan base of all, but came close to folding up this season after losing their Rockingham Road ground and having to share with UCL club Burton Park Wanderers at the unpretentious Latimer Park.

By contrast bricks and mortar are Rugby’s main assets. Chairman Brian Melvin stays in the background but presides over a Butlin Road facility which includes covered accommodation for 2,800 spectators and 740 seats.

Daventry and Dunstable have no such luxuries, although the Town chairman owns the £800.000 clubhouse in Browns Road. Conversely the Dunstable Council even owns the food and drink outlets at the revamped Creasey Park.

Chairman Dance is rumoured to pay some of his better players up to £700 a week, a figure that none of the other promotion hopefuls can come anywhere near to matching apart perhaps from the Poppies.

A decade ago Kettering were still lording it in the Conference while Daventry were languishing in the UCL Division One. For their part, Dunstable were unbeaten in winning the South Midlands League last season and have won 60 of their last 64 league matches.

Daventry will hope to repeat the fairytale success story of Northants’ No.2 club Brackley Town, which has gone from the UCL to the Conference with a help from low-key benefactor Alan Leighton.

On Tuesday, Daventry dropped points at home for the first time this season when they drew 1-1 with Marlow.

A social enterprise run by a Daventry businessman has teamed up with Northamptonshire County Council to help keep the elderly warm.

Businesses can help sponsor a state-of-the-art digital thermometer, called Tom, to be delivered to 1,000 people’s homes as part of the wider ‘Wrapped Up’ campaign, backed by Age UK and Northamptonshire County Council.

The gadget’s easy to read screen alerts the user when the temperature has dropped to harmful levels, reminding pensioners to turn up the heating or put on an extra layer of clothing.

Between 16C and 18C it will flash every six seconds with the word ‘COOL’ displayed. If the temperature drops below 16C, which can cause serious risk to health, Tom will flash blue every three seconds and display the word ‘COLD’.

Simon Parslow, director of Daventry-based Target Holdings which produces Tom, said: “With the cold snap approaching, all of us need to take greater responsibility for looking out for our loved ones, ensuring their homes are warm and they are protected against the winter chill.

“We have teamed up with the ‘Wrapped Up’ campaign to offer our digital thermometers as part of the package people receive. Businesses are already coming on board to be sponsors, helping protect the most vulnerable people in our community this winter.

Mr Parslow added: “We have been delighted with the tremendous support we have received so far, with a number of businesses already signing up. It’s a perfect way for firms to give something back to local people and make a real difference this winter.”

For more information about getting involved with the ‘Wrapped Up’ campaign call Simon Parslow on 01327 301950 or visit www.howstom.co.uk/corporate

A former Daventry woman, whose songs have been played by Jools Holland on his radio show, launches her new album at the end of the month.

Sara Spade will launch her 12- track album called Boy Next Door at Northampton Museum and Art Gallery on Friday, January 31.

Talking about her album, Sara said: “It is a mixture of original pieces which I have written and there are four tracks which you would say are from the vintage era of music.

“There is one from the ’20s, ’30s, ’40s and ’50s. All of the songs are played on the ukulele.”

Having released previous albums with the guitar, she decided on a more cheerful style of music for the new album.

Sara added: “I used to play the guitar exclusively and the songs were very deep and introspective, a little sombre.

“I was really at the stage of my career where I was looking to play music which was a little more feel good and then I discovered the ukulele, which was perfect for playing this style of music. It is such a great instrument, and very easy to pick up and play.

“I wanted to play songs which would get people up and dancing.

“We haven’t really got a category for this album but I am calling it retro-pop-swing which was coined by a radio presenter; I really like it.”

Sara’s album launch won praise after her work showcased on Jools Holland’s radio show.

She said: “He has been playing songs from the album on his show and we were invited to open his Viva La Diva festival. We have had some really nice comments from him.

“We have been pre-selling the album at gigs we have done and I have had a lot of emails and texts from people who’s babies were dancing along to the album. There was even one woman who went for a CAT scan and she asked if she could play the album in the background as she went into the machine because the album made her feel so joyful.”

The launch starts at 7.30pm. Tickets for the event are £6 in advance or £8 on the door. Booking is recommended. Visit www.northampton.gov.uk/museumperformingarts or call 01604 838111.

For further information about upcoming shows or to buy a copy of the album, visit www.saraspade.com.

Second-placed Long Buckby were narrowly beaten 3-2 by leaders Atherstone.

Buckby dominated in the opening play, but it was Atherstone that took a 2-0 lead with goals on the break.

Bucks didn’t let the double setback get them down, and they scored through Holly Harris to make it 2-1 at the break.

They started the second half strongly as well, and were level thanks to a strike from goal machine Zara Nichols.

Leaders Atherstone showed their quality though as they regained the lead, only for Buckby to think they had levelled again through Sharrron Evans - but her goal was disallowed.

Harrison strike proves the difference

Long Buckby IIs’ good run of form continued as they secured a 2-1 win over Olton Vs.

Buckby started strongly and took the lead when a great ball through from Kay Molloy set up Sophie Thompson to score.

Buckby continued to dominate but missed chances, including a penalty flick from Lucy Boston, before Kaye Harrison netted to make it 2-0 at half-time.

The second half was a different story as Olton battled to get back into the game. They did manage to pull one back, but Buckby’s defence held firm to secure the win.

Goalkeeper Sarah Fitzpatrick made several key saves while Buckby’s player of the match was Abbie Arnull.

Daventry under nines secured a double victory over Towcestrians.

The first game saw the Blacks overcome a slow start to string together phases in attack. Ewan, Joe, Max and Liam carried the ball with pace and power.

The footwork of Joe and Ewan in the mud was outstanding, constantly looking for space and then offloading they caused havoc all morning. In defence Jack was fantastic.

New player Andrew fitted in really well, and Daventry went on to win the first game.

After a brief break the All Blacks faced a completely new team, which was Towcester’s strongest side.

This game was the highlight of our season so far.

In defence Will and Isaac worked hard and in attack Lee and Charlie carried the ball with aggression. Andrew,Lee and Charlie all created tries for Ewan and Joe with strong running.

Max scored one of the tries of the morning, taking a lovely angle off Joe he sprinted down the touch line.

The boys celebrated their second win by diving into the mud

Daventry battle but Buzzard too strong

DAVENTRY Under-14s’ cup dream is over for another year after they lost 27-0 to Leighton Buzzard in the quarter-finals.

A well organised Buzzard team progressed to the last four.

Despite having several players missing, Daventry showed tremendous spirit across all positions.

The forwards showed great fighting spirit and came out on top. Unfortunately, Buzzard showed great organisational skills and running flare in their backs.

Daventry were 22-0 down at the break, and although they improved after the break, Buzzard adding a further try to seal their win.

Tries galore as Newbold are beaten

DAVENTRY Under-15s showed hom much improvement they have made this season with this 55-5 win over Newbold.

The teams fought out a very close contest at the start of the campaign, but Daventry were much stronger this time.

The first try was scored on five minutes by full-back Archie Darby, but it wasn’t converted, before Lewis Evans made it 10-0 shortly afterwards, Richard Andrews converting.

Dav scored their third try inside the opening 15 minutes through Fin Wilde, with Andrews again converting to make it 19-0.

Just before the break, Evans went over for his second try to make the half-time score 24-0.

Coach Paddy Green made a number of changes at half time, ensuring all players played at least half the match.

Joe Green made an immediate impact on the scoreboard coming on as full back as he scored a try, before Lachlan Freeman scored a quickfire double, with Green and Andrews converting one of them apiecee.

Newbold were rewarded for not giving up with a try midway through the half, but Daventry weren’t finished.

Wilde scored his second try before the scoring was rounded off by Hugo Rogers, whose try was converted by Andrews.

A CONSULTATION on an environmental statement for the controversial High Speed 2 (HS2) rail line should be extended, says a committee of the House of Lords.

The House of Lords Standing Orders Committee has ruled that the HS2 Phase 1 Environmental Statement Consultation should be extended to February 27. This comes less than a week after the equivalent House of Commons Committee ruled it should be extended to February 10, from the original date of January 24.

The extensions are due to 877 pages being left off some copies of the statement sent out for comments.

Stop HS2 campaign manager Joe Rukin said: “HS2 Ltd have had their parliamentary timetable blown out of the water due to nothing else but their own incompetence.

“They have always been fixated with doing things quickly instead of properly, and yet again it is a case of more haste, less speed.”

Figures have been released which show that the amount of violent crimes reported to police have fallen.

Last week, there were fewer violent crimes reported to the police, they said, than at any other time in recent history.

The weekly figure of 109 crimes compares with a typical weekly average of 142 and is the lowest figure, in a single week, since modern crime recording standards were introduced more than a decade ago.

Chief Constable Adrian Lee said: “I am delighted with the performance in this area, and am grateful for the hard work of officers and partner agencies in delivering these results.

“The Police and Crime Commissioner set me a challenging target of a 40 per cent reduction in violent crime by 2016. So far a 23 per cent reduction has been achieved.”

Most incidents reported were relatively minor, and did not involve any injury. The figures are for the entire county and include incidents of common assault without injury, domestic disputes and harassment, along with a couple of more serious assaults.

A summit was held on Tuesday to discuss ways to reduce violent crime further.

The police and crime commissioner for Northamptonshire, Adam Simmonds, said: “At today’s summit the commitment I saw from across the board to help reduce violent crime has been immensely encouraging.

“We still have a lot of hard work to do but I remain confident that we will achieve the 40 per cent reduction I set out to achieve when I took up office.”

Daventry Town Saxons Under 11s lost their first game for nine months as they went down 2-0 at Bilton Ajax.

Team: Decklyn Hartley, Charlie Trayford, Josh Adams, Dylan Overton, Luke Barker Poole, Joseph Pursey, Taylor Noel, Alex Smith, Jack Hancock, Nayan Bryce, James Currivan, Jonathon Fletcher

Report: League leaders Saxons surrendered their nine month unbeaten record in the most frustrating of circumstances at Bilton. Saxons showed their opponents too much respect and were taught a lesson in

finishing on the day. Saxons had the bulk of possession throughout the match but worryingly created few clear cut chances. However, Saxons remain in the driving seat in the league and have progressed to the latter stages of the cup and one performance aside have had an otherwise fantastic season so far. Man of the match went to Jonny Fletcher.

Jamie’s magic touch

Jamie Ridley scored twice as Daventry Town Danes Under-10s secured a narrow 3-2 win over Towcester Town Tigers

Scorers: Jamie Ridley 2, Harvey Walker

Team: Daniel Ramsden, Morgan Bradshaw, Corbin Mazzone, Jamie Ridley, Harvey Walker, Oliver Edginton, Ciaran Allibone

Report: Danes started the sharper but it was Tigers who took the lead on 10 minutes. Jamie Ridley levelled from a tight angle. A corner then found Harvey Walker unmarked and he made it 2-1 to Daventry. Danes continued to dominate the midfield with many chances to score. As the Danes pushed forward the Tigers countered and made it 2-2. Corbin and Morgan were solid at the back, with Corbin also setting up Ridley for the third Danes goaal. Danes then dug deep to seal the win. Inspiring work rate from Jamie earned him MOM .

Five-star Waldock

Cameron Waldock scored five times as Daventry Town Vikings Under-11s thrashed Towcester Tigers 9-1.

Scorers: Cameron Waldock 5, Reagan Gibson, Finn Hourigan, Ben Kaye, Max Adams

Team: Daniel Ward, Megan Critchley, Keenan French, Reagan Gibson, Lee Smith, Cameron Waldock, Finn Hourigan, Ben Kaye, Max Adams, Kian Humpage, Daniel Brown, Isaac Parkinson

Report: After a couple of half chances Daventry took the lead with a sublime chip over the keeper from just outside the area by Reagan. This was followed up when Max slid in Ben who coolly placed the ball past the keeper. Daventry were then shocked when the Ball was bundled over by Reagan into his own net. Finn then made it 3-1 after 22 mins and Camerons scored to make it 4-1.. Towecester worked hard in the second half but Daventry were too good. Finn crossed for Cameron who volleyed home and he scored another on 40 minutes with a solo effort. Cameron’s fourth came after a cross from Ben which made it 7-1, Max took it to eight before Cameron had the final say with another solo run and shot.

Saints’ power pack ensured there would be no slip up in the Rodney Parade mudbath as Newport Gwent Dragons were slayed 34-16 in the LV= Cup.

Jim Mallinder’s men recovered from a 16-15 half-time deficit to grab a bonus-point win that takes them closer to a home semi-final.

They were made to work hard in extreme conditions, which forced referee Andrew Small to haul the players off the pitch five minutes before the break as the rain and wind battered the pitch.

A huge scrum earned a penalty try to put Saints in the ascendancy before Fa’atoina Autagavaia grabbed the first score of his Northampton career.

But the Dragons responded through the boot of Jason Tovey, and a try from scrum-half Luke Jones just before half-time sent them in with a slender lead.

It wasn’t to be a happy ending for the home team, though, as Saints scored three tries after the interval, with forwards Mike Haywood, Gareth Denman and GJ van Velze using unstoppable driving mauls to get on the scoresheet.

Glenn Dickson added nine points with the boot in a steady display in slippery conditions, while Saints also dealt with the first-half sin-binning of Teimana Harrison to prevail.

It had always promised to be a day for the big men to shine as the weather took its toll on the game in the opening stages.

Saints, and Rob Verbakel in particular, struggled to get to grips with proceedings early on, with the lock fumbling a couple of times in the first few minutes.

Dragons put the pressure on at the scrum, but after winning a penalty through their forwards failed to make the most of a spell of possession close to the Saints line.

And after relieving the pressure with a penalty, the away side responded in the set piece, getting a huge shove on to earn a kick which Dickson slotted to make it 3-0.

The Dragons responded through Tovey’s penalty, and the fly-half was at it again soon after, belting a kick from halfway through the posts.

But Saints were enjoying a sizeable advantage up front and another huge scrum five metres from the Dragons line pushed Small into awarding a penalty try.

Dickson added the extras to make it 10-6 before Tovey missed his first kick of the afternoon, a tough attempt from out wide.

The Dragons were able to cut the gap in the 26th minute as van Velze was caught in an offside position and Tovey made no mistake with the penalty from in front of the posts.

But Saints didn’t waste much time in heading down the other end and scoring again as a nice break from Kahn Fotuali’i ended in wing Autagavaia dotting down.

Dickson missed the conversion before the weather took over, forcing the officials to send the players back to the dressing rooms while the conditions eased.

When the teams returned to the pitch after the short interlude, Harrison was soon sent to the bin, paying the price for his team’s failure to heed warnings from Small.

The Dragons made the most of their man advantage, driving through the mud to crash over the line.

After calling on the TMO, Small awarded the try to scrum-half Jones, with Tovey adding the extras to send his side in one point up at the break.

But Saints soon battled back after the break, with Haywood’s score starting their recovery.

The hooker made the most of an irresistable surge towards the home line and Dickson kept his feet amid the mudbath to put his side six points up.

And Saints were soon further ahead thanks to another forward, Denman.

A big scrum against the head won possession and the tighthead prop pounced on a neat Dickson pass to go over in the corner.

Having been ahead at half-time, the Dragons found themselves 11 points down inside 13 second-half minutes, and they needed a response.

Powerhouse No.8 Netani Talei did his best to provide one with some big carries dragging his team on by the scruff of the neck.

Saints were pushed into conceding penalties and they survived a scare as the Dragons were denied a try by the TMO.

And, to add salt to the wounds, the home side soon shipped another try as van Velze latched on to the back of another huge driving maul to score in the corner.

Dickson added the extras to take his team 18 points clear and Dragons were denied another try by the TMO before the end as Saints closed the game out.

Newport Gwent Dragons: Evans; Pewtner (Wardle 11), Leach, Smith, Harries; Tovey (Burton 47), L Jones (Rees 47); Price (Evans 51), Dee (Thomas 47), Buck (Mills 57), Hill, A Jones (Screech 35), L Evans (c), Benjamin (Groves 57), Talei.

Saints: Wilson; K Pisi, Stephenson, Waldouck, Autagavaia; G Dickson (Olver 70), Fotuali’i (A Day 70); E Waller (Hobbs-Awoyemi 65), Haywood (McMillan 65), Denman (Parkins 65), Verbakel, C Day, Harrison (Nutley 65), Dowson (c) (Williams 66), van Velze.

Replacements not used: G Pisi.

Referee: Andrew Small

Attendance: 6,011

Jim Mallinder admitted he had never previously been involved in the kind of conditions Saints sampled during their 34-16 LV- Cup win at Newport.

A barrage of wind, rain and hail took its toll at Rodney Parade, with referee Andrew Small forced to take the players off the pitch five minutes before the break.

They returned after a short interlude and Saints went on to secure a five-try success that takes them a step closer to earning a home semi-final.

But the extreme weather was the main talking point after the game, with Mallinder amazed by what he had witnessed.

“I’ve played and been involved in some snow storms, some hail storms but never as severe as that,” said the former Sale full-back.

“To see players in open play turning round and not looking at the ball was incredible. The referee did the right thing to get off for a few minutes and then continue.

“It was difficult. We’d said before the game that it wasn’t a bad day. We’d talked about it being bad conditions but when we first came out it was just a little bit of wind, a bit wet under foot but generally fine.

“It wasn’t until the hail and the rain came down and the lads were actually in the changing rooms shivering.

“It all makes me even more proud of the players and the way they played.”

A long list of pot holes and crumbling roads has been highlighted as in need of repair by Daventry Express readers.

We asked people to identify those roads in Daventry and the surrounding areas which had the worst problems.

A host of responses came back, including Low March, the railway bridge on Ashby Road, High Street, at the junction of Long March and London Road, Keats Road, Dryden Road, the A361 north of Middlemore, Vicar Lane near the Abbey Junior School, Warwick Street, all the lanes into Barby, St James Street on one of the speed humps, Crick Road in Yelvertoft, Lake Crescent on Drayton, as well as the Grange estate in general.

On Facebook, Kelly Jones said: “Instead of wasting money patching it up so it goes again soon, try repairing it properly.”

Kerrie Dorgan addded: “There’s too many to choose from.”

Northamptonshire County Council, which is responsible for highways, said the combination of the recent wet weather and now freezing temperatures, could cause problems with road surfaces.

It also highlighted its new repair method which, although it takes longer to carry out than traditional patching with loose tarmac, means repairs should bond with the old road surface and last longer.

Deanna Eddon, a district councillor for Abbey South in Daventry, highlighted a number of problem areas.

She said: “Warwick Street looks bad to me. It looks like the road has been top dressed at least three times, and then the water has got into the seams and caused them to break away.

“In one place there’s a pothole about one and a half inches deep,” Councillor Eddon added. “Road maintenance is the responsibility of Northamptonshire County Council. People need to report problems to them, or their councillor, as how else will they know there’s a problem to fix.”

Pot holes and other road problems should be reported to Streetdoctor via www.northamptonshire.gov.uk.

A DAVENTRY musician has released his debut EP consisting of six songs.

Jacob Bush, 18, has produced Playground which was available from Monday.

Speaking to the Daventry Express, Jacob said: “I wanted to call it Playground because when you are a child and you are on a playground, you don’t have a care in the world and there’s a real joy in that.

“When you are an adult, you have to deal with issues of relationships or jobs, and I wanted to use this as a way of getting back to those good times.

“I am really pleased with the EP. There’s a song called Save Me which we recorded after we selected the tracks to go on the EP. But we all liked it so much that we decided to swap it for something else.”

The new EP, which he has been working on for the past year, is a mixture of six songs with a wide range of styles which Jacob says is key to his identity as an artist.

He added: “There’s some pop, R ‘n’ B and a bit of hip-hop and reggae in the EP.

There are a lot of different styles that I play but I hope what I have done is used those styles to develop my own unique sound and style as a musician.

He also relies on his friends and the people around him to influence his music rather than more established artists.

Jacob said: “When you see musicians interviewed, they are often influenced by famous musicians and I am no different.

“But I have people around me that I am very influenced by. My manager is always motivating me and there’s a friend of mine called Jakeyboi, who is a big influence.

“After the EP is released, I’ll be looking to play some music festivals during the summer.”

For further information about the artist, visit www.facebook.com/jscriptartist or go to www.youtube.com/jscriptofficial.

The album can be bought by visiting j-script.bandcamp.com, www.datpiff.com or mixtapefactory.com

FREE tours of the Yelvertoft Wind Farm will start in April it has been announced.

Run by Northamptonshire Waste and Energy Education Team and AES Wind Generation, the tours will be offered to schools across the county.

The organisations are now asking children who attend either Crick or Yelvertoft schools to enter a competition to design a logo for the tours.

The winning design will be used to advertise the tours on websites, information boards and signs, and the winner will get a small prize too. All entries must be handed into the respective school office by the end of the day on January 31.

Construction of Yelvertoft Wind Farm started on site, which lies between the M1 and Yelvertoft village, in late 2012. The eight turbines were erected last year, with their construction ending in April. By July they had all started providing electricity to the national grid.

Since then AES Wind Generation has held an open day on the site, and run the first round of grants for its community benefit fund, which it pays some of its profits into.

Long Buckby enjoyed a victory over Workers in the Daventry Winter Darts League.

Mick Feasey (100 x 2 139) and Ian Bow (100) got the ball rolling with a 2-0 win over Willie (100) and Connor Taylor.

Paul Scott (100,140) and Ray Feasey (100, 180) kept the momentum up with another 2-0 victory over Gavin Taylor (100) and Darren Haines.

Going into the first of the singles games and Paul Scott (140, 100, 125) continued to pile on the misery for the for the away side by defeating James Taylor (100) 2-1. Dave Keating (100 x 4, 100) got Workers on the bopard with a 2 -1 over Ray Feasey (100, 121). This though was to prove to be a futile gesture as Ian Bow (100 x 2) restored order for the home side by taking his game 2-0 against Allan Taylor (100 x 2). Mick Feasey (100 x 2, 140 x 2, 121, 134) and Pete Shirley (100,106f) both dropped a leg apiece in their games, running out 2-1 winners against Willie (100) and Gavin Taylor (140) respectively to make it 6-1.

Slim Jims stormed to a 7-0 winover Con Club B.

The first game saw Troy Miller (100, 121) and Rachel Harris (92, 121, 100 x 3, 81) pitted against JP Pickering (100 x 2) and Donna Taylor (85) with the home team coming away 2-1 winners. This was quickly followed up with a 2-0 win for Anthony Mason (100, 140, 118f) and Shaun Hicken (100) over Bruce Andrews and Mick Mynard, giving the home side a 2-0 lead in the match.

Rachel (83, 95 x 2, 100 x 2, 85) returned to the oche with another heavy scoring game to see off JP (100) 2-0.

This score was matched in the next two games as the home side took the match with Anthony Mason (100 x 2) defeating Donna (80, 85, 100) and Troy Miller (100) defeating Packy Andrews.

Paul Butler (100 x 4, 137) had a scare against Mick Mynard (100 x 2, 140) with Mick having doubles to win the game but finally losing out 2-1.

Dave Harris (121, 100) then finished the evening off with his own win for the home team 2-0 over Bruce Andrews (121).

The Con Club A entertained Casey’s, and were beaten 5-2.

Hemps (100) & Ivan Lester (100) took the first game of the evening against Ray Jones (125, 100) & Chris Gay (100) 2-0.

This result was immediately reversed as Brocky (135) and Dave Summerfield (180) hit straight back against Steve Cale (140, 123) and Bert Green (100 x 2, 140). Going into the singles games and Ray Jones (100 x 2, 140 x 2) returned to show he was not happy with his doubles result, taking his revenge against Ray Hobrow by winning 2-0.

Stu Coe Snr (100 x 4, 135, 140) put in a show against Dave Summerfield (100 x 2) but it was not enough as Dave took the game 2-1. Paul Hemphill (123, 100) was next up for the home side and he did not disappoint as he saw off Gary Birch 2-0.

This was not going to be enough though as Casey’s took the match with Brocky (140, 100) beating an unlucky Ivan (161f, 100) 2-1. Nigel Turland (100 x 2, 140) then stepped up to give the scoreline a comfortable look for the away side dealing out a 2-1 defeat to Bert Green (117, 100 x 2).

Elsewhere, Daventry Town FC were 4-3 winners over The Wheatsheaf Weedon.

Newport boss Lyn Jones admits his players were taught a ‘harsh lesson’ by Saints on Saturday.

Northampton claimed a 34-16 LV= Cup pool stage victory at Rodney Parade, scoring five tries in the process.

Jim Mallinder’s men were totally dominant in the tight, with four of their scores coming from the power of the forwards.

And Jones could do nothing but give credit to Saints, who, he confessed, were too hot to handle in torrid conditions.

“Our front five had a tough time, and that’s a nice way of putting it,” said the former London Welsh boss.

“The challenge for me here is to ensure that the expertise comes into the region to advance our ability to scrum and maul.

“We talked about Northampton coming up and we know they are a top-four side in their league and a genuine power side, bred in England.

“That’s what you’re going to be up against so you need be ready for it or don’t turn up.

“It’s a harsh lesson for us, it’s not nice to take and we need to improve in that department.

“They’re very effective. There were some glimpses that we’d made some improvements, but in tight play it only needs one forward to fall down and you all fall down.

“We need to learn from it, but this is where we are.”

Towards the end of Saturday’s game at Rodney Parade conditions were more akin to a swimming gala than a rugby match.

But, once again, Saints showcased their effective all-weather game as they scrapped to a 34-16 win against a struggling Newport side.

The hosts, who shipped 19 unanswered points in the second half, were less fire-breathing Dragons, more unicorns as they failed to match Northampton’s power game.

Lyn Jones’ men were drowned by a Saints pack who were totally dominant, upping the intensity levels after the break to secure a third win from as many games in this season’s LV= Cup.

The statistics are startling, with Saints having scored a whopping 106 points in three Anglo-Welsh outings, despite missing the majority of their first 15.

What is evident is that the winning ethos and strong style of play runs right throughout the club.

There are almost three sets of players capable of stepping up and producing big performances when it matters.

And there are senior players, such as the ever-impressive Christian Day and Phil Dowson, who help the youngsters understand what it means to be a Saint.

It is a luxurious position for director of rugby Jim Mallinder to be in as he blends youth with experience and continues to get results.

Mallinder has steered his side to 17 wins and a draw from their 21 games in all competitions this season, with only three teams - Castres, Gloucester and Leinster - earning victories.

It is a sensational record that illustrates the strength in depth that Saints now possess, and their ability to survive in the most extreme of circumstances.

That adaptability was on show to the maximum at Rodney Parade on a day when the wind, rain and hail was so severe referee Andrew Small had to pull the players off the pitch.

Saints, after a quick warm-up excercise at the interval, made their way through the monsoon to drive home their quality in the second 40 minutes.

Their maul was irresistable, their scrum unstoppable and their half-backs intelligent on a day when the Dragons crumbled under the strain.

Home head coach Jones admitted his side had been taught a harsh lesson, but they weren’t the first to see the Saints machine roll into town and proceed to flatten the opposition.

The green, black and gold now have a home-semi-final in their sights, with a victory against Saracens at Franklin’s Gardens next weekend crucial to making that hope a reality.

And you would certainly have to be of a brave disposition to bet against Saints achieving it.

Just ask Jones and his Dragons.

How they rated...

JAMES WILSON

Not the easiest day to be a back as puddles on the pitch caused havoc when the ball was kicked through, but the Kiwi enjoyed a steady return to action after injury... 6

KEN PISI

Showed off his swimming skills with a great covering slide late in the game to deny Newport a try, and was generally sound... 7

TOM STEPHENSON

Stood up well defensively and did what he could in attack, though it wasn’t a day when backs play was able to stand out... 6

DOM WALDOUCK

Like Stephenson, shut the door in the midfield, stopping Newport getting any attacking impetus, especially in the second half... 6

FA’ATOINA AUTAGAVAIA

Grabbed his first Saints try on a day when the other four five-pointers were earned by forwards... 6

GLENN DICKSON

Controlled the game well and kicked superbly in horrible conditions as his reputation continued to enhance. Set up Denman’s try with a tidy pass... 7

KAHN FOTUALI’I

Was vital to Saints as he cajolled the pack and made some extremely astute decisions to ensure the team played in the right areas... 8

ETHAN WALLER

Was part of a huge front row effort, systematically dismantling the Dragons front five as Saints dominated in the tight... 8

MIKE HAYWOOD

Grabbed his first try of the season on the back of a trademark maul from Saints and was sound in all departments... 8

GARETH DENMAN

Was a huge presence in the scrum, taking his opposite number to task and rounded off his first start with a sliding score in the corner... 8

ROB VERBAKEL

Struggled with his handling in the opening few minutes, but recovered well to produce a decent performance... 6

CHRISTIAN DAY - CHRON STAR MAN

Marshalled the team superbly and dominated in the lineout. Grabbed 11 lineouts and made eight tackles on a day when his experience was vital... 8

TEIMANA HARRISON

First-half sin-binning was a blot on his copybook as Saints conceded a try while he was off, but the flanker did a lot of other things well... 6

PHIL DOWSON

The skipper helped the younger members of the team through with a wise showing. Is such an important member of the squad... 7

GJ VAN VELZE

Got his name on the scoresheet and relished the chance to start a game. Was strong at the back of a big pack performance... 7

Daventry District Council is encouraging groups to take part in The Big Poppy Plant to mark the centenary of World War One.

The project will see poppies planted along with additional native species to also improve biodiversity. The project will run in conjunction with other commemorative activities and community groups can get involved by planting poppy seeds during March and April. They can find out more at a meeting at the Abbey Centre, in Daventry, on Wednesday, January 29 from 6.30-7.30pm. Anyone wishing to attend should complete the ‘community project information form’ available online at {http://www.daventrydc.gov.uk/wildflowers|DDC’s website|DDC} .

Christian Day feels Saturday’s success at Newport was a great experience for Saints’ young guns.

A Northampton team that encompassed a blend of youth and experience claimed a battling 34-16 LV= Cup victory in difficult conditions at Rodney Parade.

Saints’ starting front row, which had an average age of just 22, bullied their Dragons counterparts, with hooker Mike Haywood and tighthead prop Gareth Denman going on to grab tries.

It was a powerful performance from Jim Mallinder’s talented group, which also included debutant props Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi and Adam Parkins.

And senior star Day, who earned the man of the match prize, said: “The coaches set their stall out that we weren’t just going to send a team of youngsters out.

“We sent out a mix of experience and youth and even more youth came on in the second half.

“It was a good victory and a good experience for all the lads involved.”

Saints survived torrid conditions, which, at one point, forced referee Andrew Small to remove the players from the pitch.

Day was amazed by what he and his team-mates witnessed, but was delighted they powered through to claim a 14th victory in 15 games.

“The hail and the wind before half-time was like something you see on TV when they’re doing a documentary about the Arctic,” said Day. “It was pretty unusual.

“The forwards set a good platform all game. We were close to 100 per cent in the lineout, which, in those conditions, was something to be proud of.

“Mikey Haywood did well, all four props did well and it was a great result.

“We always like to win. We’ve had a really good away record in the past two seasons, our home record is getting there and there’s more big games to come.”