Google: Very large car park for Brethren meeting place, Bedford Rd, Houghton Regis

I made some insubstantial comments about the blog of Tory Cllr Richard Stay, in April 2013. Richard regularly wrote about the Exclusive Brethren, who have premises in Houghton Regis.

I then attracted the attention of disaffected sect followers who sent me their tales of woe, and seemingly fantastical lists of things that its members are, or were, forbidden to indulge in. Like, for example, not listening to Elton John because he's gay, and not to read fiction.

One nugget goes "one member had a garage at the bottom of his garden which was joined onto the neighbours, it was built of concrete construction, he had to cut it in half with a disc cutter".

Amidst all the silliness, a true picture of mind control over young innocents emerges, where members are forbidden to speak to ex-members, even if they are family, to the extent that family members might not even be told that a family member is ill or has died.

They have a meeting hall in Bedford Rd, Houghton Regis.

The Times has also published an article exposing them, too.

UPDATE 21 Nov 2013

A couple more comments added last night. If you don't have time to read all this, try this 4 minute youtube video

Please Sign This Petition!

== To save time, skip over this 8th April blog to read the Comments =======

ORIGINAL POSTING ON 8th APRIL 2013
Despite claiming a basic allowance for being a member of Central Bedfordshire Council, and another for being the "Executive Member for External Affairs", a post no one seems able to explain, Tory Councillor Richard Stay still finds time to post many blog posts almost exclusively about the The Exclusive Brethren. [ This blog is now open to invited readers only]

To look through Cllr Stay's blog you could easily surmise that he is a man obsessed by the Exclusive Brethren. [ This blog is now open to invited readers only]

"Executive Member for External Affairs" is a role that does seem to have been created after he lost his position as leader of the council. "its so obvious that Cllr Richard Stay is a man of talent otherwise Central Bedfordshire Council wouldn’t have created a "job" at public expense when he failed for the second time to get the top job as Council Leader." wrote the Caddington Village News last year.

Exclusive Brethren, for all my passing interest, can gleam from Richard's blabberings, is that it's a sinister religious sect with devious ways of defrauding the taxpayer, with a bunch of people painted as crooks looking to line their own pockets through wealth creation. That, and the fact that members of the Brethren are trolling Richard's blog regularly. (Oh, I do love trolls!)

Have you been affected by the Exclusive Brethren? Should the Charity Commission be looking into whether the EB should retain their charity status and the tax concessions this brings them?

Does the EB destroy families? Tell me what you think.

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UPDATE 20th SEPTEMBER, 2013

Since starting to read Richard Stay's Blogs, it's been quite a learning curve for me. I have received a steady stream of anecdotes, so many, and so varied that their authenticity could not possibly be questioned. Read them below. And keep them coming.

Comments

There were a whole raft of comments under this link for your scrutiny.

Click Here for More Houghton Regis Notes

Houghton Regis Chalk Pit in Spring, 2015

Part of Houghton Regis Chalk Pit, Houghton Regis Marl Lakes, is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). (Citation)

Locate on Google Maps.

Access is via Lake View, Houghton Road, LU5 5AZ. A footpath runs from the west of Lake View between the fishing lake and the pit. About 200mtrs along the footpath is the pedestrian kissing gate entrance to the Chalk Pit. Wear boots, as it can be muddy. There are no facilities for toilets and access for disabled is very difficult.

The site is managed by Wildlife Trusts on behalf of Bovis Homes. A five year Management Plan expiring in 2016 was part of the agreement for Tilia Park development.

Find out more about Wildlife Trust here: http://www.wildlifebcn.org/

On today's spring walk, the first thing of interest I saw was this frog. (Yellow primroses were out too, but to me, they're just common garden plants!)

It doesn't matter how many times I walk around the Chalk Pit, it never seizes to make me think what a beautiful and amazing place it is, and it's right here on the edge of my town, just waiting for the moment when you need to unwind and take it all in in its great majesty.