THAMES Valley Police have issued re-newed warnings and advice about car theft in the area. Great improvements by the manufacturers in car security has tended to divert the focus of would-be thieves to different tactics to achieve their aim.

Driving away modern cars is usually too challenging without the keys, simple hot-wiring is usually ineffective. A favoured method is to get into the house just to steal car keys. Opportunist thieves realise the hall table, a hook just inside the door, or in the pocket of a coat parked on the banister post are the most likely places. But the bed-side table or under your pillow are safer places; and don’t forget the spare, emergency set!

For further information www.thamesvalley.police.uk or to receive local crime alerts sign up to Thames Valley Alert www.thames valleyalert.co.uk today.

MIS-INFORMATION is not what I usually aim for, but last week I unintentionally mis-led you all.

The voting for the best chip shop in the Chippy Chips Award actually finished last week, confusingly, before the start of National Chips Week, which is this week.

The Fish Bar is participating at the moment with a decorated shop, buying spuds locally and offering recipes, cooking tips and taste tests at the chip shop in Brucewood Parade.

The good news is that the result of last week’s voting has been announced and Marlow Bottom Fish Bar was voted number one chippy in Bucks, so there is a smile on all their faces and Gav is distributing a flyer to thank his customers for their support. This sort of public acclaim is very important to the team.

VALLEY traffic used to be the constant hot topic of discussion a few years ago. There seems to have been a lull for a year or two in the intensity of the complaints. However, the matter has come to boiling point with some valley drivers. I hear discussions at the Barn Club that emphasise this.

An accompanying view is that there are motorists in the regular junction queue between 8 and 9 in the morning who could do much to relieve the problem.

It is claimed that much of the congestion probably arises from the school run and the resistance of many to transport children in car-sharing pools. It always used to happen, particularly after the fuel price crisis following the disruption of Middle East oil supplies in the seventies. Now, so many drivers seem to carry a single child, greatly adding to both the congestion near the school and the length of queues at the junction. I was shocked recently when I spent half an hour in that queue on my way to a doctor's appointment. I was later told that that was in no way extraordinary.

Would it not be possible to get parent groups of the pre-schools and Friends of Burford to discuss the possibility (and advantages) of car-pooling? My opinion is that the less formal the arrangements, the more likely it is to be successful, but these parent organisations have the ability to be powerful catalysts to get something happening.

RAJI has to have the completed opinion forms back by the end of next week. There is almost unanimity in the valley that we have the best possible community chemist, but it’s important to make sure the various organisational authorities are fully aware of this.

I say almost unanimous; perhaps the one respondent from last year who commented on the lack of a consulting room will take another look. There’s no harm in returning a 100% excellent response. We all benefit, or are destined to do, from the superior service on offer.

VALLEY Plus has an offer that looks interesting on Tuesday, February 25 when at 2pm Geoff Wing will be enlightening us on Ancient Turkey.

Geoff's understanding of the place and its ancient culture has been gleaned over many years of visits, aided of course by his Turkish speaking wife, Peri.

AMUSING habits of the valley bird life sometimes seem uncharacteristic; the normally timid partridges that scold householders from the safety of the roof ridge when they have been disturbed from padding around the drive; the pigeons that line up at the WDC salt bins, like some sort of queue at a street kebab stall or elephants at a jungle salt-lick.

The recent periods of hard rain have been perfect for another pigeon indulgence. They frequently stand in the heaviest pouring rain, quite obviously intentionally taking a shower, complete with actions that you may adopt in your own ablutions. They stand, slightly leaning to one side, raising the opposite wing as near vertical as possible to get a good under-wing soak. They then repeat the process for the other side.

ANOTHER email hoax to avoid informs you that you have been notified and scheduled to appear for a court hearing, and contains specific dates, times, locations and reference numbers.

It invites you to study the attached court notice. Just don’t – it contains a virus.

It’s another of the type provoking a panicked, impulse reaction which has become a very common scam technique for cyber criminals, according to local police.