VALLEY Plus offered yet another well attended meeting, with interesting and useful information, last Tuesday.
Jamie Barrett runs his legal practice from his home in Marlow Bottom, and he explained the differences between various types of powers of attorney and advised on the desirability of registering land ownership and drawing up a will.
He succeeded in making a potentially unexciting, but important, subject interesting.
Even those who thought they were well informed may have realised that their knowledge was out of date.
Jamie finished his talk by answering questions, initially from the floor but then over coffee.
The generous giving of his time was much appreciated and his approachability must have encouraged many to seek his help should they require legal advice.
The meeting opened with a short briefing from John Barlow on the latest news of our local health services.
The next meeting will be on July 31, when the mysteries of Hughenden’s clandestine activities during the Second World War will be revealed; well, in part.
Just keep in touch through easily interpreted messages in this column.
PHANTOM road works; you know, now you see them, now you don’t.
Well, there has been no further changes to the schedule as far as I have been able to ascertain.
So, next Wednesday expect to observe a road repair team in the valley. I’m still a little sceptical about what and how much is going to be done; for instance, resurfacing of Ragman’s Lane doesn’t seem plausible to me without first receiving significant repairs to potholes (some of which will soon be eligible as heritage sites) and to the greatly ‘frayed’ edges.
It seems quite unacceptable, particularly to the traders in the valley, that more detailed information has not been made available, given the layout of the village as a single entry/exit community for practical purposes.
Delivery and tradesmen’s lorries can’t use the lane, for instance.
Those businesses who see themselves as ‘destination’ premises, where customers come specifically, not just as casual passers-by, find a big red sign simply saying ‘Road closed’ is potentially very damaging to their trade. Deliveries of goods are also inhibited. I know that proprietors of several shops have become very angry at the previous three or four planned, and abandoned, start dates.
RETURNING to broadband issues, Bucks CC are aware that the county is not always as adequately served as many of the county’s businesses require. For readers who have no need or, indeed, interest in the internet, you should be aware that it is now common-place for home-based enterprises to rely on it, and fast access via broadband is required for viable trading transactions. Rural areas often miss out on the prerequisite technology.
If your current broadband speed doesn’t meet your needs you can do something about it today by visiting www.superfastforbucks.org and backing the county council’s campaign to bring superfast broadband to Buckinghamshire. For historical reasons, most of Marlow Bottom will not be so implicated, but much of Marlow and surrounding villages may well be suffering poor speeds.
Unfortunately from town to town and even street to street, internet connection speeds vary significantly across Buckinghamshire. Buckinghamshire County Council and Buckinghamshire Business First have secured government funding to improve access in areas which currently have no broadband access or suffer very slow speeds.
Registering your demand for superfast broadband will only take a couple of minutes and won’t cost a penny. You’re simply helping Buckinghamshire County Council and Buckinghamshire Business First demonstrate to broadband providers that there is a strong demand for superfast connectivity here in the county. If you are unable to register online please call 0845 3708090 / 01296 395000.
Register by September 1, 2012, and you will be entered into a free prize draw for a chance to win an iPad donated by Buckinghamshire Business First.
ORNITHOLOGISTS have long been aware that many birds have adopted visual clues from our road network to help guide them to their destination.
A reader recently posed the question as to where a pair of storks were heading as they flew northwards along the A404 dual-carriageway, just East of the valley. As newcomers, had they been alerted to the navigational problems they might encounter at Handy Cross?
LEARNING to drive with Mike Collo, you may not have been aware that he was also once a scout leader. He’s decided to retire his woggle permanently, but finds he has a quantity of superfluous camping gear. But he’s lost contact with his former colleagues.
Can any current leader please contact Mike who is keen to donate such to the scouts.
Cynical old me, and I thought he was simply clearing out the loft! Interested parties, please ring Mike on 487349 or 07830 222872.
NOTICEBOARD facilities for the whole community are now available. The board can be used by any valley organisation or society in the valley, but it is not normally intended for purely personal notices. It is kept locked to preserve the contents and protect them from vandalism.
If you need to display something, please send an email to Rachel Robinson, robinson.rachell@ gmail.com
