NUMBER plate theft is still a problem in the area, including Marlow outskirts, with several incidents recorded in the last couple of weeks. You can ask for police advice to make your plates tamper proof. In any case, always check daily that yours are intact. Missing ones, for whatever reason, like war-time butter, cost points.

SUMMER, I suppose, is over, but, by and large, it has been a good one compared with recent ones. It may have started off both late and unpromising, but May onwards has been warm and mainly dry. At times, it was uncomfortably hot and rather too dry. In the valley, nature has had a good period of convalescence after so many wet and cold seasons.

For once the magnolias weren’t frosted and the population of butterflies has been truly quite remarkable. The usual attractants, lavender and buddleia in particular, were constantly moving with many varieties throughout foraging hours.

I have to say to younger readers that the numbers this year were still a small fraction of what I used to see as a young boy growing up on a farm. Throughout the summer of 1947 it was quite literally impossible to look in any direction and not be able to see at least a hundred butterflies and it was easily possible to spot a score or more varieties in a single day. While such sights will never return, perhaps the experience of this summer will be sufficient to motivate us to do our best to retain what’s left.

LOSING a namesake in tragic circumstances in China with a potential £10m legacy was the remarkable coincidence for a couple of residents last year. The news came from a Hong Kong banker.

Well, the other bereaved resident (I was another recipient who received the bitter/sweet news) has had another oriental letter. Amazingly, the same relative has died again! These would-be fraudsters must have got hold of a copy of a Dallas script.

As always with all such missives, the council provides us with a suitable receptacle. While it is tempting to write back with some well honed sarcasm, resist the temptation, it would merely confirm to the crooks that they have found an active address.

Makes you wonder how naive they think we must be.

POLICE reports to Neighbourhood Watch are full of spectacular successes they have been having over the last few months. Recently, they have been concentrating on the farms in the area, as they are being targeted, partly because modern farms are the homes of very expensive, and mainly mobile, equipment, partly because life for the average crook in residential areas is becoming more challenging.

Scores of farms and stables in the area have been visited with security advice, a substantial number have signed up to have tack and tools marked (there are some specialist products specifically suited to agricultural needs), or to join cooperative groups to protect against animal theft.

On September 19, a massive night-time operation was conducted, with public involvement, to monitor the country areas. Much useful intelligence was gathered, scores of vehicles were investigated (including the odd tractor) and some positive breath tests recorded.

The police plans to repeat such an operation to protect farming communities, their land and their equipment.

OCTOBER 14 is National Personal Safety Day. There’s a lot of very useful information on a website www.ourwatch.org.uk/safety_advice/personal_safety. Material covers a wide scope of advice to help you to be less vulnerable to a number of physical and electronic risks.

WHERE do your chips come from? Some weeks ago I wrote about Rebellion using barley from Bencombe Farm to brew its beer from. Another village trader who is always eager to support the local community is Gav Singh. The chip shop now gets potatoes from the farm at Handy Cross. I tried some last weekend and they did taste good.

LAST week’s Valley Plus meeting was typically very well attended. The committee deserves to be commended for the way they acquire such appealing speakers that the organisation seems to go from strength to strength.

Last week, Warrant Officer Chris Wren, from the RAF Bunker site at Uxbridge, gave an absorbing talk on aspects of the Battle of Britain that are not usually clearly presented. Although we are often made aware of individual elements of the war at that time, Chris set these into a fascinating scenario of how the war was affected by the whole field of activities, explaining how and why small events were related in the great scheme of the conduct of the war.

Other organisations sometimes get Chris to give this talk. If you missed last week, watch out for other events where he is speaking.

AERIAL activity, of a completely different sort from directing Spitfires, is becoming established as a tradition in the valley.

Marlow Bottom Pre-school Playgroup is running its Grand Balloon Race for the fourth consecutive year.

It’s part of their family fun afternoon on the Playing Field, from 2 until 4, tomorrow, October 5.

Balloons in the past have ended up in France and other foreign parts. There are prizes for those that travel furthest. There are refreshments and lots of family fun to enjoy too.