Stories from The Luton News: Thursday, August 12th, 1915.

The heaviest downpour of rain that has been experienced in Luton for a long time took place during a thunderstorm on Tuesday afternoon. Following an exceptionally vivid flash of lightning and a terrific thunderclap, the rain came down in such volume that the atmosphere went as grey as though a mist had swept over the town, and it was impossible to see distinctly for even the length of a short street.

This heavy downpour only continued for ten minutes or a quarter of an hour, but it was quite ample to put part of the town under water. New Bedford Road was quickly inundated near the Great Northern Railway bridge (picture), the flood due to the fact that water came down Collingdon Street and adjacent streets quicker than the sewers of those streets could carry it away.

The River Lea reached a record height and over flowed onto the Moor, and a number of places along the stream had cellars and basements full of water. Flooding also took place at the corner of Old Bedford Road, Church Street and at the bottom of Hitchin Road.

The Davis Gas Stove Company Ltd were the worst sufferers , for nearly the whole of their moulding shop, which covers more than three acres of ground, was under water for a time.

• Yet another Luton lad has fallen in the fray. Sapper Edward Samuel Faunch, better known as Teddy, an orphan from infancy who lived with his uncle and aunt, Mr and Mrs Dawes, New Bedford Road Post Office, was killed in action instantaneously by a bullet.

• Lutonian Driver Percy Dumpleton, 1425, 2nd Battery, Lincoln RFA, British Expeditionary Force, has returned to the firing line after nearly four months in hospital (somewhere in France) suffering from rheumatism.

• Mr Arthur Brown, of Highfield, Luton, one of the Luton gentlemen driving Red Cross cars in France, recently came across some of the Luton lads with the 24th Londons. The battalion had just been relieved after a long spell in the trenches, and the men are said to have looked more like a successful round-up of tramps than members of a battalion which prides itself on its smartness. Their uniforms have gone the way of all uniforms when subjected to the hard usage of the trenches. Some of their faces had evidently not come into close contact with a razor for some time, and a bath and change of raiment was undoubtedly long overdue.

• In connection with the scheme organised by the YMCA to send to soldiers and sailors on active service snapshots of their wives, children and home scenes, the Mayor has called a meeting of amateur photographers in the Council Chamber at the Town Hall next Monday at 8 pm. The object of the meeting will be to organise a local branch of the Snapshots From Home League, and we understand that Mr W. C. Thorn, the General Secretary of the League, who lived in Luton at one time and did much honorary work when the YMCA opened a branch here, is expected to attend and explain the lines on which the work of a local branch of the League should be carried on.

• Tom Wing, MP for Houghton-le-Spring, was heckled during an open-air thrift meeting near the station at Leagrave on Monday evening. Appealing for help for the War Loan, he asked how else the money was to be found. One or two "turbulent individuals" in the crowd asked why the money wasn't taken out of the salaries of Members of Parliament. The interrupters were subjected to a good deal of chaff by the crowd, but the meeting broke up with everybody in the best of humour.

• Mr Wing faced a less boisterous reception when he addressed employees of Messrs W. W. Hart, Windmill Road, during their team interval on Monday in furtherance of the South Beds Thift Campaign. The country was spending three million pounds a day, he said, but workers' few shillings multiplied by millions of people became a vast sum. He also said the Army would be powerless unless the men at home were determined to stand by them with everything necessary for the fight.

• An interesting ceremony took place at King Street Congregational Church when a wedding was celebrated between Miss Lillie M. Sole, of Kilshall, and Sgt Sidney Jeeves, of the Eastern Mounted Brigade Field Ambulance. After spending a couple of days in Luton the couple entrained for Tadworth, Surrey, where the bridegroom is at present stationed.

• Ninety-eight ladies and gentlemen who volunteered their help in secuting the National register for Luton are busy at work as enumerators this week, and for the most part have been kindly and considerately received.

• An old Army man, Harry Odell, 48, carman of Slip End, was charged at Luton Divisional Sessions on Monday with attempting to commit suicide on Friday by throwing himself into a pond at Slip End. He admitted getting into the pond, from which he was rescued by Ernest Rolt and Harry How, and was committed for trial at the nest Quarter Sessions. He was granted bail.

• Salvation Army honours were on Saturday afternoon accorded the funeral at the General Cemetery of the late Mr Richard Cockerton Lennard, who had been a member of the No. 1 Luton Corps ever since he came to the town 20 years ago. All that time he had lived and carried on the business of a boot maker and repairer at Park Street.

• The Rev Thomas May preached his farewell sermon at Chapel Street Wesleyan Church on Sunday evening, after a ministry lasting three years.

• The Rev George Charter, too, bid farewell to his congregation on Sunday evening at Waller Street Wesleyan Church. Several building schemes had been accomplished during his five years ministry.