EXCELLENT all the way this week, and as we consider various elements of excellence in our community, at this point just before Christmas, two particularly deserve mention.

Firstly, the Hill Farm Road lights are looking brilliant as always. Don't just drive by; stop and hear the music, mostly on the hour from about 7 till 9; also make sure you give to the Shepherds' charity collection.

Secondly, in keeping with TV practice, here's a repeat from a previous year. Remember - if you get anything at all wrong this Christmas, just don't forget to collect all the used stamps from the cards you receive. Leave a small border of paper all round and put them in the Post Office collecting box to the left of the new PO counter. Julie Hibbs collects them and makes quite a bit of money for the Air Ambulance that could even be called to your personal assistance one day. Keep doing it throughout the year too.

Excellent campaigns these.

MARLOW JAZZ CLUB’S only December gig (next Tuesday, December 16) promises some real excitement as the award winning Nigel Price Organ Trio are in town. The band are holders of the Parliamentary Award as “Best Jazz Ensemble” and the date at the Royal British Legion Hall is part of an extensive nationwide tour. Brilliant guitarist Nigel is joined by Ross Stanley on organ, Matt Home at the drums, and, special guest on the tour and a great Marlow favourite, the young Greek saxophonist Vasilis Xenopoulos. Music starts 8.30 pm with pay at the door admission £8. Excellent evening of music.

LET'S CONTINUE with some Christmas cheer, and there's a lot to cheer about.

First of all, there's the Santa Bear project; the WI is promoting the sale of knitted mini Santa Bears; Lis Neighbour is a major driving force behind the sale of these small toys/decorations that members knit. Originally prompted by Anne Shave's grand-daughter, Laura, and her major involvement in organising the British Airways charity flights for severely impaired children, proceeds of sales (always some available at Raji's) go to help support these much revered 'Dream Flights'. Amazingly, the Santas have now amassed well over £400 and as Lis puts it "still counting ....and knitting". Excellent campaign.

SATURDAY last saw the Barn Club putting on a full scale three course Christmas meal followed by coffee, mince pies and mints, complete with wine and all drinks for 120 older members, and all for free.

It was an excellent afternoon, impeccably organised by a veritable army of volunteer waiters and waitresses (and no doubt washers up) and I heard many comments about how truly heart-warming it is that such an event gets such unstinting support from the Club. Special thanks and commendations must go to Shelley and Phil who must have worked beyond reason to get it all set up so flawlessly - Phil carved ten turkeys in around six hours, and had not a green plaster on any finger. Wow, that smoked salmon was something to write home about.

A weekly raffle throughout the year supports this and a children's party; the modest personal membership subscription must surely be easily recouped. Excellent club.

DA LUCA opened officially last Friday and has been consistently very busy throughout its opening days, and no wonder. Even on Sunday evening there was a constant flow of diners, twenty, thirty or more I noticed. This is a welcoming restaurant, tastefully laid out, excellently managed, with a comfortable ambiance, and my meal was excellent. Not particularly cheap - but excellence seldom is - this restaurant should please a large part of the valley population for the sheer quality of the food; quite a few wonderfully well-behaved children were there.

Its menu covers as broad a scope of Italian food as could be reasonably expected in such limited space - but it can still offer 26 covers. The furniture cleverly offers great flexibility to cope with parties of two probably up to twelve should you need it.

Nearly all the food is made, not just prepared, on the premises, including pasta and the house tiramisu. Careful with the tiramisu - you'll probably never face a product of a similar name in the supermarkets.

This establishment is more than worth a visit, it promises to be a village asset. Excellent eating place.

FINALLY, you know I have a special regard for Marlow Music Makers as a truly excellent amateur gathering of songsters (they would welcome alto recruits - by the way). Their three concerts last week were sell-outs, in support of Helen and Douglas House.

They improve each time I hear them. Classy and stylish in both performance and turn-out, they are precise and disciplined in pitch and rhythm, and you would be forgiven for thinking they may even be at least part professional. Their repertoire is, I suppose, 'easy listening' (a term I routinely detest for its condescending overtones), but easy to perform convincingly, the music certainly is not. Considerable effort and dedication must go into extensive rehearsal time, but the ensemble evidently enjoy it.

Barbara Whitehead is clearly an effective disciplinarian as their musical director and, as a result, produces outstanding performances. Watch out for their summer concerts at the beginning of July. I confidently predict they will continue the reign of musical excellence.