AN annual parade through Beaconsfield was thwarted by red tape last week – after authorities said the event would require a road closure. The town’s churches normally come together for the ‘Walk of Witness’ event on Good Friday, but organisers were not aware that legislation surrounding public processions had changed. Police advised that a road closure would needed, but this was discovered too late for an application to be approved.

SOUTH Bucks District Council has dropped plans to extend the charging period for its car parks. Charges will still only apply for pay and display car parks up until 6pm, rather than 8pm, which had been planned. However, the 60p half-hour charge has been scrapped, with motorists now having to pay for a minimum one-hour stay. The one-hour charge has been reduced from £1.30 to £1.10 to help compensate for this. The changes came in this week.

HEDGERLEY-based charity School-Aid has received a £25,000 grant from the Dulverton Trust, which will help it send more shipments of books to Africa. The charity works with pupils at the Royal Grammar School in High Wycombe to collect educational materials to send to the continent. More than one million items have been sent to various parts of Africa by School-Aid since 1998. More volunteers are needed to pack, sort and collect donations in their friendly warehouse in Hedgerley. If you are interested call 01753 883853 or email: office@school-aid.org

HEDGERLEY Historical Society will hold its AGM on Wednesday, followed by a talk by John Chapman, titled ‘The Great Western Railway comes to the Thames Valley’. Meeting starts at 8pm at Hedgerley Memorial Hall in Kiln Lane. Further details from John Lovelock 01753-647187 or jdlovelock@btinternet.com

JORDANS Quaker Meeting House hosts a healing workshop on Sunday from 2 - 5pm. Dowser Susan Scott Powell will offer "an interactive workshop which will explore how to locate and clear geopathic stress lines and other damaging energy phenomenon". Places cost £40 - to book call Susan on 01494 813214. More information at: www.energeticsolutions.co.uk

SEER Green Gardening Committee's Spring Show is at the parish hall, Seer Green tomorrow at 2pm. There is a raffle, cream teas and a plant stall.

THE Royal Standard of England pub in Forty Green is set to feature on BBC 2 show ‘Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is’ next week. The pub bought a bronze George & Dragon from Eric Knowles and is set to feature at 5.15pm on Monday.

BEACONSFIELD Film Society stages its first film festival this weekend, with eleven movies set to be screened at the National Film and Television School. The programme includes British classics such as Lawrence of Arabia and modern American comedies such as Sideways. There will also be screenings of short films made by students graduating from the highly-acclaimed film school. For the full programme and tickets visit www.beaconsfieldfilmsociety.com or call 07531 258265.

AN Easter book sale at Beaconsfield Library ends tomorrow.

ST MARY’s Evening Group will play Beetle Drive at their meeting on Thursday, with bangers and mash served. The group meets at the Fitzwilliams Centre, Windsor End, at 8pm.

EIGHTY young performers produced a fast-paced music and dance show to raise funds for a trip to France with Beaconsfield Twinning Association. The show, featuring students from High Wycombe’s Jackie Palmer Stage School, attracted a packed audience at the Beacon Centre in Holtspur last month. It raised £900 towards the cost of sending a group of students from the school to Langres - Beaconsfield's twin town - in June.

BEACONSFIELD Twinning Association’s next fundraiser will be a wine tasting evening at the Fitzwilliams Centre tonight. Tickets are £15, call Susan Jones on (01494) 671457 or email: secretary@beaconsfieldtwinning.org

A CHEESE-makers market comes to Beaconsfield Old Town tomorrow from 9.30am to 5.30pm.

GERRARDS Cross Flower Club meets in the Colston Hall Memorial Centre at 2.15 on Wednesday, when speaker Cherie Mendi will talk about 'A Load of Old Tate'. Visitors welcome, entry fee is £5.

GERRARDS Cross is set to be brightened up for the Olympics this summer with flags, flowers and plants. The Traders Association is using £13,000 donated by Tesco to boost spirits and encourage shoppers to come to the village.

PLANS to double the size of a primary school in Beaconsfield have been formally approved by a Buckinghamshire County Council. The building project at St Mary and All Saints CofE School, in Maxwell Road, is aimed at tackling a shortage of primary places in the town. There was relief from parents at the news, as they feared their children may have to attend schools outside the town if the proposal was blocked. Work now is set to start on extra classrooms, toilets, staff facilities and an IT room, with a view to being completed in time for the new school year. The scheme includes a new access route on Garvin Avenue, which had prompted concerns from some residents and Beaconsfield Town Council.

HOLTSPUR youth footballers are holding a Race Night tomorrow to make sure they can all go on a summer tour to Somerset. The Holtspur FC Under 14s side are staging the fundraising event at Beaconsfield Football Club in Holloways Park, from 7pm. There will also be an XBox 360 FIFA 12 competition. All welcome, there is an entry fee of £5 per family or £3 per single adult, kids are free. The XBox competition has a £2 entry fee, with prizes for the winners. If any other team bring at least ten members, organiser Micky Jaffa promises to give them a free Race Night to help them raise money. Call Micky on 07821201895 for more details.

Send news and events for these areas to ldunhill@london.newsquest.co.uk