9   year ▁old s ▁named ▁after ▁Thomas ▁Johnson , ▁a ▁Dick ▁Wh itt ington - type ▁character ▁who ▁was ▁Lord ▁Mayor ▁of ▁London ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 0 – 4 1 . ▁ ▁Bro g borough ▁Lake ▁( also ▁known ▁as ▁L id ling ton ▁Lake ) ▁at ▁the ▁edge ▁of ▁the ▁village ▁is ▁popular ▁for ▁bird watch ing ▁and ▁fish ing . ▁The ▁lake ▁is ▁also ▁used ▁for ▁wind sur f ing ▁and ▁stand ▁up ▁p addle ▁sur f ing . ▁The ▁nearby ▁land fill ▁site ▁( which ▁was ▁known ▁as ▁Bro g borough ▁Land fill ▁site ) ▁was ▁the ▁largest ▁land fill ▁in ▁Europe ▁before ▁closing ▁to ▁new ▁depos its ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁With ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁about ▁ 1 3 0 0 ▁vot ers ▁and ▁over ▁ 5 0 0 ▁homes , ▁L id ling ton ▁is ▁defined ▁as ▁a ▁small ▁village . ▁It ▁has ▁a ▁village ▁hall , ▁a ▁pub , ▁a ▁ha ird ress er ▁and ▁a ▁general ▁store , ▁plus ▁a ▁" f arm ▁store " ▁on ▁the ▁A 4 2 1 . ▁L id ling ton ▁has ▁retained ▁a ▁daily ▁door stop ▁milk ▁and ▁newspaper ▁delivery ▁service , ▁but ▁has ▁lost ▁its ▁village ▁post ▁office . ▁The ▁village ▁also ▁has ▁a ▁single ▁con greg ation ▁Ang lic an / B apt ist / Method ist ▁church , ▁members ▁of ▁which ▁worship ▁regularly ▁in ▁the ▁chap el . ▁ ▁The ▁village ▁lies ▁between ▁the ▁main ▁A 4 2 1 ▁Bed ford