Longstanding Leighton-Linslade Rotary Club member and quizmaster receives Honorary Burgess

John Halstead, 75, was recognised for his work with the Leighton-Linslade Rotary Club, for his time spent as a governor at Oak Bank School and for his dedication to the committees of the Town Twinning Forum and the Townlands Trust.

Speaking about his reaction to the news, John said: “I think modest is the best way to describe it. There are a lot of people around Leighton Buzzard who do good and I’m just one of them; I think I got lucky in getting the gong.

“I’ve been quite involved with the May Day Fayre, mainly in organising the high street entertainment programme.

“There’s thousands of people who come to the town to raise money for charity.”

As part of the Rotary Club, John has also run the Brains of Leighton-Linslade quiz for the past 17 years, and the event has raised around £35,000 in total for different causes.

However, during his time as member of the Town Twinning Forum, John’s volunteering has taken him further afield, forging relations with Coulommier, France, and with Titisee-Neustadt, Germany.

Recalling ‘Fasnet’ in Titisee-Neustadt, John said: “The idea is that the week before Lent you have a bit of a blow out and celebrate. The Mayor hands over the keys of the town to the ‘fools’ and there’s parades with guilds of pirates, badgers, witches and snails!”

On the quieter side of life, John has been involved with the Townlands Trust, who help to preserve the Market Cross. He is also proud of his work as a governor during the 2000s, establishing a code of conduct for Oak Bank, which at the time of his appointment was in special measures.

But by far one of his proudest moments was as part of the Leighton Buzzard Society, when around 40 years ago he campaigned to stop an airport being built at Cublington and Wing. John said: “There were a lot of people doing a walk around its 16.5-mile perimeter, protesting against it.

“There I was with my five-year-old daughter holding my hand, and my one-year-old son on my back, trying to keep the Leighton Buzzard area a nice place.”