Archive

  • No more cars in the cemetery

    CARS will never be allowed back into Marlow Town Cemetery after risk assessors carried a series of tests and decided motor vehicles posed too much of a threat to pedestrians. The news will anger the disabled and elderly, many of whom have been left unable

  • School helps war-torn country

    SPEEN School has been helping children in war-ravaged Sierra Leone alongside the RAF. Squadron Leader Nick Newman, whose son six-year-old son Alexander attends the school in Flowers Bottom Lane, is serving with British forces in Sierra Leone. Sq Ldr Newman

  • It's dry in Wycombe, but not elsewhere

    POLICE Superintendent John Donlon was slammed by a district councillor this week for refusing to back an open-air drinking clampdown in Princes Risborough and Marlow. The only area where he would back the ban was in the centre of High Wycombe. The proposal

  • Drunk mum on rampage at school

    A DRUNKEN mother went on the rampage in a secondary school, beating up a school nurse and breaking a door, a court heard. Cheryl Allen, 44, of Clifton Road, Chesham, was told yesterday by Amersham magistrates she could face jail after admitting assault

  • Children's miracle escape as tree falls

    SCHOOLCHILDREN were moments from being crushed after a giant sycamore tree from Mel B's estate came crashing down just after they passed under it. And the four to seven-year-olds believe God stepped in to save them as they left a lesson on baptism at

  • Widow hits out at hospital care

    THE family of a man who died in agony after catching the killer MRSA 'super bug' at Wycombe Hospital believe shocking shortfalls in hygiene, staff training and basic patient care contributed to his death, an inquest heard this week.o James Paton, 69,

  • ODEON SUPERPLEX CINEMA, AYLESBURY

    Cinema times for the week commencing February 15 Advance booking: 0870 50 50 007 Monsters Inc (U) Fri/Sat/Mon-Thu: 11.30am, Noon, 1.40pm, 2.20pm, 4.10pm, 4.40pm, 7pm, 9.20pm. Sun: Noon, 1.40pm, 2.20pm, 4.10pm, 4.40pm, 7pm, 9.20pm Vanilla Sky (15) Daily

  • THEATRE

    The Beauty Queen of Leenane by Martin McDonagh Progress Theatre Reading Until Sat Feb 23, 7.45pm (0118) 960 6060 The Best of Broadway The Elgiva Chesham Fri Feb 22, 7.30pm Blood Brothers Wycombe Swan Tue Feb 19 - Sat Feb 23 Captain Corelli's Mandolin

  • Sales including jumbles

    Bric-a-Brac Sale Temperance Hall Church Street Chesham Sat Feb 16, 10.30am Jumble Sale Lacey Green Village Hall Sat Feb 16, 12 noon Jumble Sale Liston Hall Marlow Sat Feb 16, 10am Jumble Sale The Guide Hut Malthouse Square Beaconsfield Sat Feb 16, 10am

  • Exhibitions

    Art Crazy Nation Show Milton Keynes Gallery 900 Midsummer Boulevard Central Milton Keynes Until Sun Mar 3 BCUC 3rd Year Work in Ceramics and Glass Finlandia Gallery A40, Gerrards Cross Until Mon Feb 18, 10am - 6pm Watercolours and Drawings by David Tilbury

  • ELGIVA THEATRE, CHESHAM

    Cinema times for the week commencing February 15 Box office: 01494 582900 A One and A Two (15) Wed, Feb 20 @ 8pm February 14, 2002 13:38

  • Former riders return

    FORTY riders took part in the third winter of High Wycombe Cycling Club's winter Reliability Trials. And they were joined on the 100-mile testing course by former multi National Champion Eddie Adkins, former professional rider Willis Godly and former

  • Teenage road death: police appeal for witnesses

    AMERSHAM traffic police are appealing for witnesses after the death of a 16-year-old girl on Thursday night. At approximately 10.30pm, a blue Ford Fiesta travelling towards Amersham on the A404 left the road and collided with a tree near Beaumond End.

  • Tube bosses admit service is in disarray

    TUBE bosses have admitted that Met line services from Chesham and Amersham are in disarray - and have offered little hope for the future. A team of managers from LUL met with tough questioning from residents in Chesham Town Hall on Monday as they tried

  • Thief woke up student

    A BURGLAR fled after waking up a female student who mistook him for a housemate, a court heard. The girl, who lived in a house with other students in London Road, High Wycombe, mistook William French, 28, for a fellow student because when she saw him

  • Teachers' records will be checked after court case

    BUCKINGHAMSHIRE County Council is taking urgent action to check on the credentials of teachers brought in from Canada in September via the recruitment agency, TimePlan. TimePlan was responsible for recruiting Amy Gehring, the Canadian teacher working

  • Discworld heroes were old masters

    THE latest blockbuster by top-selling author Terry Pratchett features a host of characters that will be familiar to John Hampden old boys. Former Free Press journalist Mr Pratchett started writing during his time at Wycombe Technical School now John Hampden

  • Meeting on Amersham's future

    AN urgent meeting to discuss the future of Amersham-on-the-Hill is set to be held on February 20. The private meeting will be held between Chiltern District Council and Buckinghamshire County Council. It will be looking at alternative projects to boost

  • Primaries picked out for their good work

    PUPILS and staff across the district were celebrating this week as their schools were named among the most successful in the country. Three Bucks primaries, all from the Chiltern district, were among 224 English junior schools singled out in Her Majesty's

  • Chalfonts in the 1930s

    THE search is still on for the owner of a rare brass commemorative medal found by a lady as she walked her dogs in a secluded park. Dog-lover Valerie Dickeson believes someone out there must be missing the precious medal awarded by the Royal Academy of

  • Primaries picked out for their good work

    PUPILS and staff across the district were celebrating this week as their schools were named among the most successful in the country. Three Bucks primaries, all from the Chiltern district, were among 224 English junior schools singled out in Her Majesty's

  • Woman finds medal while playing fetch

    THE search is still on for the owner of a rare brass commemorative medal found by a lady as she walked her dogs in a secluded park. Dog-lover Valerie Dickeson believes someone out there must be missing the precious medal awarded by the Royal Academy of

  • New book for trainspotters will be steamy

    TRAINSPOTTERS will be forgiven to think all their Christmas's have come at once when a new railway book hits the shelves. Branch lines to Henley, Windsor and Marlow chronicles the entire history of the railway through evocative photographs and informative

  • Sights to see on site to see

    AS South Bucks starts to shed its winter chill in time for spring, we have a host of ideas for those desperate to get outdoors. Two new sections have been added to the Star's sister paper the Bucks Free Press website to tempt residents away from their

  • Airgun hazard to animals warning

    CAT owners in Buckinghamshire are being urged to beware of stray pot shots from airguns. Research shows that more than 10,000 cats are killed or maimed by gun injuries every year amounting to 30 feline casualties every day. Horses, dogs, swans and wildlife

  • Francis Young samples organic wine

    There is much confusion around the world as to what exactly constitutes organic wine. There are some basic principles - firstly the soil in which the vines grow. Organic winemakers only add manure and compost to the soil, rather than chemicals. They argue

  • Wine tasting with Michael Ford

    Wines of the month from a selection at Marks & Spencer Marques del Romeral Reserve Rioja 1994 , Medium bodied Spanish red, 75cl Alc vol 12.5% £7.99 This could be one of the best vintages for great Rioja wines, with an ideal summer, despite slow growth

  • S Club star's dad jailed for teenage sex assault

    The father of S Club 7 star Paul Cattermole was jailed at St Albans Crown Court on Friday, January 31, after pleading guilty to having unlawful sex with a 14-year-girl. Gerald Cattermole, 50, of Artisan Crescent, St Albans, was jailed for two years and

  • Kelly Joe Phelps at Wycombe Town Hall

    WASN'T it enough for Kelly Joe Phelps that he can play guitar better than any of us can dream of? So why did he then have to add insult to guitar wizardry by proving he could play whilst simultaneously torturing his body into strange shapes. One moment

  • Resist the powers of the EU

    DESPITE occasional differences, we have close relations with the USA. Nevertheless, there are recognised limits. For example, suppose the FBI identified somebody in Britain, who they believe was in terrorist attacks. They can only have that person arrested

  • Get ready for August

    AUGUST. A month for lovers of live music and communal living. It may seem like a long way from February but the organisers of UXfest the punk/metal underground charity festival are appealing for local bands to actually show their talents off on stage.

  • Pupils show real enterprise

    SCHOOLS across Bucks are breeding the business brains of the future thanks to the Young Enterprise Competition. And a team from the Royal Grammar School in High Wycombe has won this year's HSBC business plan award. The programme that helps young people

  • The Kennedy soundtrack is very loud

    COOL Cymru is about to hit High Wycombe on Friday 15th February in the shape and sound of The Kennedy Soundtrack band. The five piece band of 21 year olds first formed in '99 when they carefully honed their style of Rap, Rock and Hip Hop. They travelled

  • Are you totally addicted to bass?

    The man mysteriously known to most as Andy C. undoubtedly is one of the most important figures in drum'n'bass' evolution. He was there at the dawn of the '90s when drum'n'bass was still hardcore techno, honing his talents as a DJ. Then, in 1992, just

  • Fire and Rescue tackle chip problem

    'COOK chips with care' is Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue's message for this year's National Chip Week. Wycombe Fire Brigade has joined forces with the British Potato Council to encourage chip-loving cooks to enjoy their favourite dish safely. It is estimated

  • Tube service has serious problems

    TUBE bosses have admitted that Met line train services from Amersham and Chesham suffer serious problems and they have offered little hope for the immediate future. A team of managers from London Underground Limited told a public meeting at Chesham Town

  • The Tricks keep it live

    LIVE music. You can't beat it. The energy of the music, the dynamics of the band and the feeling you get when a song really touches you. These emotions are great, when you're there, but listening to a recording afterwards ... well, it's not the same.

  • Stir fried pork with Spinach and cashews

    Serves 2 Ingredients 250g/9oz lean pork 2 tbsp hoi sin sauce 1 tbsp Mitsukan Seasoned Rice Vinegar 1 tsp crush garlic 1 tsp fresh ginger puree 1 tbsp groundnut oil 25g/1oz cashew nuts 1/2 red pepper, deseeded and sliced 1/2 yellow pepper, deseeded and

  • Rugby Round-up

    WYCOMBE suffered Bucks Cup heartbreak as they lost their semi-final match by just one point away to Buckingham. After playing into the wind in the first half and coming out only seven points behind, Wycombe knew they could come on strong to win. But despite

  • Enchanting Extremandura

    Lilyane Weston explores the region of Extremadura and its wines EXTREMADURA, meaning the land beyond the Duero, is Spain's wild west. In the villages of Caceres and Trujillo, medieval quarters and Conquistadors' palaces stand perfectly preserved; in Merida

  • Ryman Round Up

    CHESHAM boss Bob Dowie blasted his players after they crashed 2-0 amid blustery conditions at home to lowly Hendon. Dowie said his side lacked the passion to play on Saturday and let the fans down. He said: "There was a lack of ideas, lack of inspiration

  • Having a ball with science

    JOHNNY Ball is singing a song about saving energy down the phone to me. It's such a surreal experience, I almost expect him to ask what shaped window I wanted to go through next. Johnny is a television legend. To anyone in their 20s and 30s he is a man

  • Our language ain't wot it use to be

    I'll admit that when it comes to the English language I am a conservative, in the non-political sense of the word. In the same way as when I go back to Rochdale, the town where I spent my childhood, I resent bitterly the fact that it has changed in some

  • Holiday Inn restaurant, Cressex, High Wycombe

    AS drivers manoeuvre their way round the notorious Handy Cross M40 roundabout, they hardly spare a glance for the hotel on its rim. If you do manage to take your eyes off the job of changing lanes in dense traffic, you may have noticed that The Posthouse

  • Chesterfield match reaction

    MANAGER Lawrie Sanchez says the heat is on for Saturday's Bournemouth match after Wycombe's midweek win over Chesterfield fuelled the club's play-off hopes. A Sean Devine goal his second in two matches was enough to give the Blues all three points at

  • Tough Tenors hit Marlow

    THE Tough Tenors finally play at Marlow's Jazz Club this Thursday 21st Feb at TJ O'Reilly's, Marlow Bottom. The Tough Tenors are the hugely popular sax partnership of Ray Gelato and Alex Garnett. The pair of tenor saxophonists first teamed up three years

  • Terriers and Totteridge

    ON Sunday at 10am St Francis Church will be commencing their annual Lent Project. This year the funds raised will go to the South Bucks Day Hospice and Avril Berry, who has just become the fundraising director at the hospice, will be addressing the congregation

  • Stokenchurch

    CONGRATULATIONS to Stokenchurch 1st Brownies whose January show and concert raised £140 for the children's charity Whizz Kids. They put on a fantastic evening of singing, dancing and a performance of Snow White and the Seven Brownies, written for the

  • Princes Risborough

    DEBATES about Bucks County Council's proposal to build a new access route across Green Belt to Risborough Upper School has taken a fresh turn with the release of further details about a major sports complex that the school is planning to develop in the

  • Marlow

    LITTLE Marlow CE School is to lose its head teacher this summer. After 12 years at the school, Jeanette Hamer is moving to the Isle of Man where she will be taking up the headship of a larger primary school at the start of the next school year in September

  • Lane End

    THERE is certainly money in jumble these days. The Charity Group raised the magnificent sum of £638.66 after last week's sale. IF you have visited the new web page for the Sports Association you will know that there will be bingo at the clubhouse on Saturday

  • Hughenden Valley

    CONGRATULATIONS go to Courtney East, Sophie Parker and Samantha Bolt for organising a Blue Peter Sale at Great Kingshill School last week. They raised £343.05 for the Blue Peter appeal on behalf of Help the Aged. AT the latest meeting of the Hughenden

  • Holtspur

    BEACONSFIELD Carers Group meet at Kiln Court, off North Drive, on Monday at 7.30pm for 8pm, for a quiz and social evening organised by Ruth Ansell with the Penn Carers group. New carers are always welcome so call Gillian on 01494 674131. A MAJOR and popular

  • High Wycombe

    FANCY a flutter on the horses? There's a Race Night on Friday, March 1, at 7.30pm at The Irish Club in Station Road. Tickets are £5, with a ploughman's supper, and name a horse for £5. Tickets from Melanie, the Mayor's Secretary, on 01494 421134, or Janet

  • Hedgerley

    THE Four Seasons, an illustrated talk by Geoff Burnett, will be given to the Historical Society on Wednesday, when they meet at 8pm in the Memorial Hall. Visitors are welcome. THE following day at 2.30pm, the WI will have an historical talk on the History

  • Great Kingshill

    CRYERS Hill Methodist Church services for Sunday are 10.30am with Reverend T Siuhengalu and 3pm with Rev M Hughes. The singing group meet on Tuesday at 7.30pm. The Thursday Afternoon Fellowship is at 2.15pm. Don't forget the Watts & Wesley Hymn evening

  • Gerrards Cross

    JONATHAN Aitken, the disgraced former Tory MP jailed for perjury and perverting the course of justice, is to make a local appearance next week. With religion now more dominant in his life, the former MP for Thanet, once spoken of as a future Tory leader

  • Frieth

    LENTEN Lunch takes place in Hambleden Parish Room on Saturday at midday. All are welcome to come along. by Gillain Swift February 14, 2002 13:38

  • Flackwell Heath

    ILIAD is at The Centre Theatre in Bourne End on Saturday night. It offers a chance to see Andrew Potter in a role which was highly praised during its initial run at the Wycombe Swan. You don't need to be a classics scholar to understand this study on

  • Downley

    GOOD news for local residents is that Doreen Biggin came home from hospital early this week following a successful skin craft and treatment. Please make sure that she gets lots of information for this column which she looks forward to doing next week.

  • Chesham

    LADIES are invited to an Indulgence Evening at Waterside School on Friday, February 22 at 7.30pm. The event has been organised by the school PTA and funds raised will go to provide equipment for the children. Entry costs £3 to include wine and a goodie

  • Chalfont St Peter

    I note that County Council have started to re-surface the roads albeit right at the edge of the Parish from the boundary stone in Packhorse Road. They have already lifted the surface and although it is currently now very dangerous indeed, because there

  • Shoulder to shoulder with US but heads in Europe

    QUENTIN Peel, international affairs editor of the Financial Times discussed the fall-out from the events on September 11 and the implications for Britain and the European Union when he spoke at the annual dinner of the European Network of Buckinghamshire

  • Companies warned over data protection

    COMPANIES are being advised to be on their guard following approaches from businesses charging up to £95 plus VAT to register them under the Data Protection Act 1998. Now the Information Commissioner, Elizabeth France, responsible for the Data Protection

  • Beaconsfield

    I WOULD like to apologise for any inconvenience if you attended the proposed launch of the Friends of St Mary and All Saints Church. I was not notified of the cancellation of this meeting until Friday. Apologies are given for the cancellation. A JUMBLE

  • Pupils to have their own crossing

    GRAMMAR school pupils will have have their own crossing after council bosses won £350,000 in back payments from the Swan Theatre. More than 900 pupils at Sir William Borlase's Grammar School in Marlow are forced to walk into the town centre if they want

  • Hitting those moles for six

    MOLE hills have become mountains for Wooburn's Narkovian's Cricket Club and Wooburn Parish Council. The hills have started appearing on the cricket ground in Wooburn Park, just off Town Lane, where they play and the moles are now destroying parts of the

  • Farewell to young Vicky

    HUNDREDS of mourners are expected to turn out tomorrow to pay their final respects to 16-year-old Vicky Bishop, who died after a friend's car hit a tree at an accident blackspot. A horse-drawn hearse will take the former Holmer Green Upper School pupil

  • Lifting the covers on Stir Crazy

    IT takes a lot to excite Stegg musically, but Under The Covers by south Bucks band, Stir Crazy, really caught his ears. And for those who frequently visit Scorpion Records on the Oxford Road will back my assertion that Stegg, who has been selling records

  • HGSA host another music club sensation

    THE Ginny Brown Band will be performing on Dusty's nights at the Holmer Green Sports Association Music Club on Wednesday, February 20. Ginny Brown started her professional career at the tender age of 15 appearing on television many times, including her

  • Youth League: Red hot Curry hits Eagles for six

    SUPER striker Kieren Alan-Curry handed out six of the best as Holmer Green beat Golden Eagles 10-3 in the Youth League Cup. Alan-Curry scored half a dozen goals, including five in the second half, after the Division One side, who are unbeaten, were held

  • Wycombe in the swim

    THE twentieth Wycombe Mailsports Classic Long Course Open took place at Handy Cross this weekend with hundreds of swimmers packing out the sports centre. There were 78 clubs from England and Wales who took part, attracted by the 50-metre pool the leisure

  • I'm worried about leaving school

    I am only 15 years old. I am the youngest in my year - Year 11 - and I can't face leaving school. I keep having nightmares about it and not having any money. I know my family will support me but I can't even decide which college I wanna go to. I just

  • Inquest jury delivers verdict

    THE inquest into the death of James Paton who died in agony after catching the killer MRSA 'super bug' at Wycombe Hospital found he died from natural causes. But jurors at the High Wycombe inquest did include "hospital acquired" MRSA in Mr Paton's official

  • When Princess Margaret caught my eye

    I WAS sad to hear of the death of Princess Margaret because it is yet another link broken with our glorious past. I fear the monarchy and its traditions will be lost to us when the present generation passes on. Interest in royalty is waning and the younger

  • I fancy my friend but don't know if I should tell her

    I have just started university and am in a flat with two other boys and three girls. At the beginning there was no problem and I hadn't thought about this, but recently I have started to have feelings for my flatmate. She is just so wonderful - her smile

  • Pride of music

    THE novels of Jane Austen are familiar to millions, but it is less remembered that she was also a keen amateur musician. It is this side of the author's life that the music quartet Concert Royal explore when they bring Jane Austen's Musical England to

  • Princess regularly visited county

    THE death of Princess Margaret who was a regular visitor to Bucks has saddened some of the leading names in the county. The Princess had visited the county several times over the years including a visit to Bourne End in 1986 to open the Alpha Numeric

  • Pupils to have their own crossing

    GRAMMAR school pupils will have have their own crossing after council bosses won £350,000 in back payments from the Swan Theatre. More than 900 pupils at Sir William Borlase's Grammar School in Marlow are forced to walk into the town centre if they want

  • Light musical lunch

    SOLO pianist Ayako Kondo will be giving a rare lunchtime performance at Wycombe Swan in the coming weeks. The graduate of the Royal College of Music spends most of her time in her native country Japan, but has returned to England to take part in the free

  • Follow the path of the tax revolt

    THIS is a most enjoyable short walk. Apart from one short climb, it is entirely level and almost all in woodland. There is much of interest to see along the way and it visits one of the Chilterns' best known pubs. Its unusual and intriguing name, its

  • Going through the childish motions in council time

    CHILTERN District Council's Liberal Democrats have been described as "childish" after proposing and then withdrawing a tit-for-tat motion on the rights and wrongs of gay marriages. The motion was even described as "stupid" by its proposer, Cllr Jane Bramwell

  • Need drove addict back to jail

    A DRUG addict's need for heroin drove him back to crime just two weeks after he was released on parole from a three-year prison term, a court heard. David Peploe, 26, of Foxes Piece, Little Marlow Road, Marlow, took two cars from the Dovecot multi-storey

  • Beautiful views and a pint at the end

    This walk has so much to enjoy. There are some lovely views of typical Chiltern scenery and, on a smaller scale, the banks of the quiet lanes are studded with all sorts of wild flowers. Fawley Church is interesting and worth a look and close to the end

  • Paul Ryan's Straight Talking

    Beauty before age THERE'S nothing like the death of a royal to bring out the hypocrisy and humbug in people, particularly royal reporters. There has been a wholly unattractive and gloating note in the coverage of Princess Margaret's death. I heard a BBC

  • Pheonix set to rise with new look

    THE Phoenix Project is set to rise from the ashes of High Wycombe's doomed Western Sector development, but it may have a substantially different look to the original proposals. The 1980s-style shopping mall which the Western Sector was, is out, according

  • Special skin condition camp unveiled

    A SPECIAL camp for children and adults with a life-threatening skin condition has been unveiled, with youngsters arriving from as far afield as Germany and Cuba for the event. The Owl Patrol Camp, which is the first of its kind in England, was held at

  • Rugby: RGS through to School Cup semis

    RUGBY: The Royal Grammar School are through to the Daily Mail Schools Cup semi-final. The school, which produced England's most capped, scrum half Matt Dawson and England's youngest scrum half in 20-year-old new cap Nick Duncombe came from behind to demolish

  • Football: wounded Flackwell go hunting for revenge

    FLACKWELL Heath are out for revenge on Saturday in a Division Three local derby against Chalfont. The Heathens beat the Saints in December 3-2 to record their first victory of the season but then saw the points disappear when a Ryman League panel deducted

  • Cross country: Yelling bids for world class races

    HAYLEY Yelling bids for a place in the IAAF World Cross Country Championships on Saturday when she runs in front of the British selectors at the Reebok National Inter Counties Championship in Nottingham. The Sir William Borlase's teacher arrives at the

  • Reading scheme is fully booked

    A READING scheme has proved such a success that places have been completely booked up. The booksmart scheme at Bourne End Library in Wakeman Road ran its first session on Tuesday and it was fully booked. About 20 children aged between eight and 12 crowded

  • The long line of disasters

    THE Frogmoor fountain is just the latest of a long line of disasters perpetrated by both Wycombe District Council and Bucks County Council. Over the last 23 years I have watched helplessly as my council tax was squandered on failed projects such as the

  • Wasps move to Adams Park - deal is nearly done

    RUGBY giants Wasps have formally asked the sport's authorities for permission to play at Wycombe next season. The BFP has learned that they have applied to Rugby England Limited for permisison to play their home matches at Adams Park next season and that

  • The divisions in Marlow

    A RECENT piece in a national newspaper indicated concern at the increase of "gated communities" in our society which indicate, essentially, exclusivity and social isolation by high walls and gates often double gates and in some cases CCTV cameras and

  • Surely, Bucks children first

    THIS is a copy of a letter I have sent to Cllr Marion Clayton, Bucks County Council membeer for schools, and county council education officials and the heads of St Paul's C of E and Meadows schools in Wooburn Green, and Claytons School, Bourne End, about

  • Superb care on Ward 5B

    MAY I pay a tribute and say thanks to our much maligned health service. I have recently spent some time in Ward 5B and the standard of service from nurses and doctors and all involved was superb. Thanks so much. A Lord Northern Heights Bourne End February

  • Why not have a proper fountain?

    AS an 80-year-old, born and raised in HIgh Wycombe, I am shocked and disappointed at what has been done to our town. I did not laugh at the water feature on Frogmoor. How sad to see what it has become by those who probably knew little about Wycombe. If

  • It's what Her Majesty

    IN response to Jennifer Grover's letter last Friday concerning Wycombe District Council's financial contribution to Golden Jubilee celebrations, I can only repeat Her Majesty the Queen's own request that taxpayers' money should not be spent on celebration

  • Masked gunmen burst into shop

    A SHOP keeper says he is lucky to be alive after masked gunmen burst into his shop and fired a shot into the ceiling. Terrified Dhirajlal Soni was hit in the face and knocked to the floor as the men attempted to rob the Chalfont Common post office in

  • Lord gets the right to destroy ancient trees

    GOVERNMENT big-wig Lord Sainsbury has upset neighbours after gaining permission to take a chainsaw to 16 rare and ancient trees. Science Minister Lord Sainsbury, who owns Turville Park Estate in Turville Heath, has been granted permission by Wycombe District

  • UCI 8 CINEMAS MAIDENHEAD

    Cinema times for the week commencing February 15 Advance booking: 08700 102030 Ocean's Eleven (12) Fri/Sat/Sun: Noon, 12.30pm. Daily: 2.45pm, 3pm, 7pm, 9.30pm Monsters Inc (U) Fri/Sat/Sun: 11.30am. Daily: 1pm, 2pm, 3.30pm, 4.30pm, 6pm, 6.45pm, 8.45pm,

  • Arsonists blamed for school blaze

    ARSONISTS who started a blaze in a school bin caused more than £150,000 damage. Three fire crews were called to Princes Risborough Upper School in Merton Road on Sunday at 10pm after the fire started in a paper recycling bin and spread to a nearby room

  • Talks

    'Bulbs, Corms and Rhizomes' by Brian Fisher Red Cross Hall Chiltern Avenue Amersham-on-the-Hill Fri Feb 22, 8pm Faith the Eye of Love A Talk for Lent Prestwood Methodist Church Fri Feb 22, 10.30am 'Flowers, Butterflies and Wild Life' by Nigel Phillips

  • Shows and events

    Bingo Lane End Sports Club The Row Sat Feb 16, 8.15pm Coffee Shop Village Hall Lane End Sat Feb 16, 10am Ladies Indulgence Evening Waterside School Chesham Fri Feb 22, 7.30pm Lenten Lunch Hambleden Parish Room Sat Feb 16, 12 noon Mind, Body and Spirit

  • REGAL, HENLEY

    Cinema times for the week commencing February 15 Bookings and times: 01491 414150 (1-9.00pm to book) Monsters Inc. (U) Fri/Sat/Sun/Wed: 1.30pm, 3.45pm, 6.30pm, 8.45pm. Mon/Tue/Thu: 4.15pm, 6.30pm, 8.45pm Oceans Eleven (15) Fri/Sat/Sun/Wed: 3.45pm. Fri

  • Comedy

    Jethro's Beyond the Edge Tour Apollo Oxford Mon Feb 18, 7.30 Jo Brand Plus support Andy Robinson Wycombe Swan Fri Feb 15, 8pm An Evening with Lee Evans Civic Centre Aylesbury Wed Feb 20 & Wed Feb 27, 8pm February 14, 2002 21:00

  • RAFA rake off again

    RAFA Club got back to winning ways as they beat Barbara Bradleys Flackwell Heath FC team, winning 9-6 in the Wycombe and Amersham Darts League. Meanwhile Darren Sharp got a hat-trick of 180s as Cressex beat Beaconsfield Legion 9o-6. February 14, 2002

  • Reserves Cup replay postponed to Monday

    THE reserves' Berks and Bucks Cup quarter-final replay, which was postoned on Tuesday night due to a water-logged pitch, will now take place on Monday, February 18. The away game against Burnham will kick-off at 7.30pm. The replay was forced when Burnham

  • Drive-thru protesters win the battle for housing on pub site

    AN ACTION group fighting McDonald's plans for a drive-thru on an old pub site can breathe a sigh of relief this week after developers announced plans to put up apartments there. The revelation comes from developers King's Oak Homes just weeks after Loudwater's

  • CLUBS

    Amersham English Folk Dancing, Wed,01494 762983. Gentle Swimming Group, Tues & Thur 01494 714333. Ladies Harmony Singers, Tues, 01494 727328. Beaconsfield Silver Study Group, twice a month 01494 674170 Bourne End Amico's Club Night, Wed, 01494

  • Teacher's records will be checked after court case

    BUCKINGHAMSHIRE County Council is taking urgent action to check on the credentials of teachers brought in from Canada in September via the recruitment agency, TimePlan. TimePlan was responsible for recruiting Amy Gehring, the Canadian teacher working

  • Fascinating snaps put on show

    MORE than half a century of captivating and fascinating photographs snapped by Ron Goodearl have gone on display at an exhibition at Wycombe Museum. Entitled Roving Lens, the exhibition includes pictures of famous sights in the county and tells the story

  • 70 nursery places for needy kids

    SEVENTY new nursery places are to be created for children in the Booker and Castlefield area of High Wycombe via a government grant. But a bid by the county council's Early Years Partnership for a similar neighbourhood nursery in Marsh and Micklefield

  • Football club celebrates 120 years

    FOOTBALL games will be replayed when the oldest junior club in Bucks, Lane End Football Club, celebrates its 120th birthday with a reunion and special presentation. Former footballers of Lane End Football Club will journey from as far afield as Canada

  • Confession time: I'm the ultimate sad bag lady

    YOU don't need loadsa money to eat well. Every time I leap into my small hatchback and head off for the supermarket, I am a hunter gatherer. Yes, I admit it, I am the ultimate sad bag lady. Completely off my trolley. Where others scrabble through Oxfam

  • Is the Met headed down the Tube?

    London Underground bosses faced angry commuters at a public meeting in Chesham last Thursday night to answer their questions on the service. Commuters told them they were angry at the unreliability of the Met which they say has only been made worse by

  • Editor's Chair with Steve Cohen

    Who can end car misery? I KNOW Star readers enjoy puzzles, so I have a nice conundrum today. Name the identity of the following person: "I love school half term, yet I'm not a teacher or a pupil. "I do not have school-age children, nor do I work in the

  • Lithuanian pop idol uncovered

    The current debate over the flood of foreign talent into the pop charts has become as topical as the annual outcry over the number of over-paid and under-skilled footballers in the premiership. But deep in the heart of Eltham, one band has proved you

  • O'Neals wedded bliss

    With a new record company deal, an album due for release and a UK tour underway, Alexander O'Neal shows absolutely no sign of slowing down. Alex first came to prominence in the mid-1980s with hits both here and in America. It was 1985 when he first made

  • We saw the good side of NHS

    AT approximately 1.15pm on Sunday, February 3, our Nan, Doris Brown, aged 85, developed a serious pain in her left leg. The emergency services were informed and in a most efficient manner the 999 ambulance controller talked me through procedures until

  • Middle Eastern Jazz

    ISRAELI-born saxophonist Gilad Atzmon is a rising star in the jazz world. On tenor or alto sax he displays garrulous wit and dancing around the full range of the instrument he barely needs accompaniment. Gilad will be performing at Windsor Arts Centre

  • Jemma scoops title a second time

    BUDDING author Jemma Leslie has a way with words which has scooped her a prize for the second time in a story competition. Nine-year-old Jemma, from Pipers Corner School, won the Rotary Club's Christmas Story Competition for the second year running. The

  • Don't forget to remember this date

    MEN may be forgiven for forgetting anniversaries, birthdays or even Christmas, but God help them if they forget the most romantic day in the year Valentine's Day.= Although chocolates may be munched in seconds and flowers may wither and die in days, most

  • Pensioner blasts council over heating

    CHILLY pensioner Anne Ching has blasted Wycombe District Council for failing to fix her heating since she complained early in the new year. Mrs Ching, 72, said she manages to keep her body warm, but is suffering from continued bouts of sneezing. She added

  • School helps war-torn country

    SPEEN School has been helping children in war-ravaged Sierra Leone alongside the RAF. Squadron Leader Nick Newman, whose son six-year-old son Alexander attends the school in Flowers Bottom Lane, is serving with British forces in Sierra Leone. Sq Ldr Newman

  • London style cabs in Wycombe

    DISABLED people can expect new wheelchair-accessible cabs on roads across the Wycombe district after the council restated its commitment to a changeover to London-style taxis. New EU regulations will mean licensed cab drivers across the UK will have to

  • Having a ball this May

    SUPPORTERS of a school for the severely disabled are to hold a charity ball to raise money for a hydrotherapy pool. Maplewood School, in Cressex Road, High Wycombe, cares for children with sensory, physical and learning disabilities. The £500,000 pool

  • Arsonists blamed for school blaze

    ARSONISTS who started a blaze in a school bin caused more than £150,000 damage. Three fire crews were called to Princes Risborough Upper School in Merton Road on Sunday at 10pm after the fire started in a paper recycling bin and spread to a nearby room

  • Royal Standard, Forty Green

    THE Royal Standard of England in Forty Green has a bit of an identity problem. The owner, a charming American, is fiercely proud of the pub's heritage. This is, it is claimed, one of the oldest pubs in England and was a refuge for the exiled King Charles

  • Sixth place for Wycombe hockey

    HIGH Wycombe moved into the top six of the South Hockey League for the first time this season with a 4-3 win over bottom club Lions. Royal Grammar School A level student Duncan Parnis hit a hat-trick as the Cressex-based club climbed to their highest

  • Ulrika is on a shooting star, again

    ULRIKA Jonsson is busy juggling motherhood with her TV career at the moment. This week she returns as team captain on the new series of the off the wall quiz show Shooting Stars. Joining her in the madcap mayhem is Vic Reeves, Bob Mortimer, Will Self,

  • Marinated tomato wedges with avocado & mozzarella

    (serves 2) 2 ripe tomatoes, medium 1/2 avocado 100g (31/2oz) mozzarella cheese fresh basil lemon juice 15ml (1 tbspn) olive oil 10ml (2 tspn) balsamic vinegar 1 Skin and quarter the tomatoes, remove the seeds. 2 Cube the mozzarella and slice the avocado

  • You eat, Loretta rides

    THERE'S the chance to take your fill of Indian and European cuisine on Thursday 21st February, and all in a good cause. Loretta Kyete, of Haddenham, badly needs a new wheelchair. And diners at Ivory on Thursday will be able to help that dream come true

  • Chris Carr at the Toad at the Emporium in Frogmoor

    Student Chris Carr, 18, enjoys a pint or four at his local pub, Toad at the Emporium in Frogmoor, High Wycombe How often do you drink here? I suppose I must come in a couple of days a week. In fact I spend the majority of my life in here as I work here

  • Restaurant tips for perfect Valentine

    LANDLORD Alfie Molinaro is offering top tips for lovers on Valentine's Day so that the food of love does not end up all down your front. Mr Molinaro, landlord of the White Hart, in Aylesbury End, Beaconsfield, serves up some Dos and Don'ts to help the

  • The love nests

    AS well as February 14 being Valentine's Day for people, it was also regarded traditionally as the date when birds pair up for the season. This is National Nest Box Week and now's the time to get bird boxes installed to encourage them to set up home.

  • Flats planned for old church site

    AN abandoned church could be set to become a community facility after developers applied to build flats and a day-care nursery on the site. St Mark's Church in Totteridge Road, High Wycombe, could be pulled down to make way for 25 two-bedroomed flats

  • Flackwell get points back in return match

    FLACKWELL boss Neil Catlin was delighted with his side's performance after they beat Chalfont 3-2 in the local Division Three derby. The match had been labelled a grudge game as Flackwell had three points deducted for fielding an ineligible player following

  • War graves service for all

    RELATIVES visiting war graves on the Continent can get advice from the War Research Society. The battlefield pilgrimage tour organisation, which covers both world wars, was originally formed by a group of retired and serving police officers. Researchers

  • We'll meet again for 60th birthday

    EX-PUPILS of Mill End Road School should get in touch with old pal Julie Adby who has big plans for a 60th birthday reunion. Mrs Adby, known as Julie Stevens to her childhood friends, wants all her old classmates in this photograph taken in 1954, to come

  • Chasing Amy for more clues

    A HERO who died after a failed attempt to rescue Britain's most famous airwoman Amy Johnson has stirred the imagination of freelance journalist Midge Gillies as she embarks on a biography of the famous pilot. Ms Gillies, of Ely, Cambridgeshire, is fascinated

  • Bournemouth match preview: Simpson escapes two-match ban

    MIDFIELD master Michael Simpson is free to face Bournemouth on Saturday after an amazing cock-up from Premiership referee Jeff Winter. The bungling whistler forgot to report Simmo's booking at Cambridge United to the FA, thereby letting the Wycombe player

  • Seer Green

    THE Imperial Cancer Research Fund and Cancer Research amalgamated on February 4, and are now Cancer Research UK, ring Adrienne Britton on 01494 677783 for details. February 14, 2002 13:38

  • Prestwood

    DO you want to close your Prestwood street for a Golden Jubilee party but have found it costs too much so cancelled the party idea? Chiltern District Council plan to produce one massive road closure order listing all the applicants, therefore reducing

  • Penn & Tylers Green

    LOCAL residents are eligible to join the Hazlemere Gardening Association, which is based at Cedar Barn in Hazlemere which is open every Sunday morning. THE local branch of the Royal British Legion are holding an indoor boot sale at the Hazlemere Community

  • Naphill

    BLOOD Donors - the next session at the Village Hall will be on Friday, March 1, with two periods from 2 to 4pm and 5 to 6.45pm. For more information phone 08457 711711. FOOTBALL and Naphill was knocked out of the Berks and Bucks Cup at the quarter final

  • Marlow Bottom

    ENTHUSIASM to get off on holiday at a time that I had confidently expected to be about the worst weeks of the year (and was I right) led me to being a little careless with my facts last week. Sorry, I said that the government had decided to reject local

  • Lacey Green and Loosley Row

    BLOOD Donors should note that the next session at Naphill Village Hall on Friday, March 1, with two periods, from 2pm to 4pm and 5pm to 6.45pm. For more information phone 08457 711711. PANCAKE tossing again and the event took place in the Millennium Hall

  • Holmer Green

    HOLMER Players are presenting Piece de Resistance, at the village hall, Friday and Saturday night at 8pm. Tickets £9, include chicken and chips, from Jose on 01494 713204. SATURDAY morning, from 10.30am to midday, your Chiltern District Councillors Margaret

  • Hazlemere

    CEDARS School Site was discussed at a recent meeting of parish councillors with the English Church Housing Group, a Bucks County Council representative and Architect Mark Simmons, which resulted in a number of options to be considered. The parish council

  • Haddenham

    HADDENHAM Bellringers (some rang for the Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1977) marked the Day of Accession on Tuesday but were unable to complete the quarter peal of Oxford Bob Triples a good attempt according to leader John Keates. They will have plenty

  • Great Missenden

    SATURDAY could be a day of totally new experiences for you in Great Missenden. It's Mind, Body and Spirit Day at the Memorial Hall from 10am until 4.30pm and this means you can sample some intriguing practices such as Hopi ear candles, Indian head massage

  • Cookham

    PLANS for the Cookham festivities for the Queen's Golden Jubilee continue but there is not the same enthusiasm for local junketing as there was for the Silver Jubilee. Those who saw the giant children's party all down Cookham High Street will never forget

  • Chalfont St Giles

    TENTATIVE plans are being drawn up by the Chalfont St Giles Parish Council for celebrations in the village to mark the Queen's Golden Jubilee in June. Village organisations and groups who are thinking of staging any kind of event for the occasion are

  • Vision needed for topsy turvy world economy

    A PROGRAMME to help small businesses ride the ups and downs of the demands of a global economy, organised by Business Link, will take place in High Wycombe next month. The 20/20 Vision programme is aimed at providing companies with a set of practical

  • Bourne End and Wooburn Green

    ILIAD at The Centre on Saturday night offers a chance to see Andrew Potter in a role which has been highly praised during its initial run at the Wycombe Swan. You don't need to be a classics scholar to understand this study on why we make war. Anyone

  • Booker

    TICKETS are now on sale for the quiz night at Our Lady of Grace Church in Squirrel Lane on Friday, March 8. A £6.50 ticket buys you entry to the quiz and a fish and chip supper. There will be a bar and a raffle. All proceeds go to Bega Kwa Bega (Shoulder

  • Amersham

    AMERSHAM & District Friends of Cancer Research UK are running a quiz on Friday evening (15/2) at Amersham Free Church Hall, in Woodside Road, at 7.30pm. Tickets are £7 each including supper. Please bring your own drinks, and if you would like a ticket

  • Is the Met headed down the Tube?

    LONDON Underground bosses faced angry commuters at a public meeting in Chesham last Thursday night to answer their questions on the service. Commuters told them they were angry at the unreliability of the Met which they say has only been made worse by

  • School to stay shut after fire

    A SCHOOL will stay closed for more than a week after arsonists torched a recycling bin causing almost £200,000 damage. Pupils are due to return to Princes Risborough Upper School from the half-term break on Monday but the fire damage is so bad the school

  • Pensioner Len sacrifices health

    PENSIONER Len Cummings is foregoing treatment for high-blood pressure because he claims it takes him hours to get to his 'local' surgery. The 70-year-old said he was not prepared to embark on the trip to the Calcot Medical Centre, Hampden Road, Chalfont

  • MMR voteline set up

    AS fear spreads among parents over the controversial MMR vaccine, the BFP has set up a voteline to find out what South Bucks residents think about the issue. The Government continues to assure parents that it is safe to administer the vaccination against

  • A hike in an area that offers everything for the walker

    THIS route must come close to the perfect walk. It wends its way on well-maintained paths through superb woodland between two Chiltern villages. There is very little road walking except in the villages and there are many fine views of outstanding Chiltern

  • Jamiroquai tour tickets on sale now

    JAMIROQUAI releases his third single from his platinum selling album A Funk Odyssey. Princes Risborough's resident star is releasing the track entitled Love Foolosophy, and judging by the other singles Little L and You Give Me Something this could prove

  • Going loopy for Louise

    POP icon Louise will be performing at The Hexagon, Reading, on Thursday, February 21. Britain's sexiest woman in pop music has just released her Greatest Hits album on the eve of her 10th anniversary in the charts. Famed as one quarter of the ground-breaking

  • The Wilde man of rock returns

    DON'T miss the King of British Rock 'n' Roll Marty Wilde and the Wildcats at Rickmansworth's Watersmeet Theatre on Saturday, February 23. Marty will present an evening of rock memories from his music and will also pay homage to other artists who have

  • Jazz - the swinging kind

    WEST Wycombe Jazz will be hosting a new band to the village hall on Saturday, February 23. Known as Bev Pegg and his Good Time Jazz Gang, the band will be performing 20s and 30s style music. Bev leads the band on guitar, vocals and an appalling sense

  • I can't decide which boy should be my boyfriend

    I'm stuck between two boys. I'll explain about both of them then I need you to help me decide! Boy 1. I know for a fact this boy likes me (he asked me out) and I sort of fancy him... Boy 2. I really like this boy and I think he likes me because he puts

  • Penn finds its place in American history

    This attractive walk is centred round the straggling village of Penn, which has a place in American history through the family of that name. Sybil Penn was governess to the future Elizabeth I and Henry VIII gave her Penn House as a wedding present. Charles

  • English language is going to the dogs

    I'll admit that when it comes to the English language I am a conservative, in the non-political sense of the word. In the same way as when I go back to Rochdale, the town where I spent my childhood, I resent bitterly the fact that it has changed in some

  • Littleworth Common and Burnham Beeches

    Much of the route on this easy stroll is on quiet lanes through Burnham Beeches. While not completely level, there are no steep climbs and there are some attractive views on the return leg. Though he knew many of the world's most notable forests, E. H

  • Broadway comes to Chesham

    ST MARY'S Way in Chesham will be turned into Broadway next week when all the hit musical songs are brought to The Elgiva. New London Entertainment presents The Best of Broadway which will be an evening of songs from both sides of the Atlantic, featuring

  • Go back to the roots of the hampden family

    This lovely walk combes quiet lanes and woodland paths. It is not very long and mainly level so get out of that armchair and enjoy our superb countryside you really have no excuse. Fact file Distance: 3 miles Map: OS Explorer 181 Chiltern Hills North.

  • Stop off at the watering holes

    Three villages mark the points of this route through one of the most beautiful parts of the Chilterns. Each has an ancient and interesting church as well as a pub known for excellent food. This route will therefore provide both physical and spiritual

  • School to stay shut after fire

    A SCHOOL will stay closed for more than a week after arsonists torched a recycling bin causing almost £200,000 damage. Pupils are due to return to Princes Risborough Upper School from the half-term break on Monday but the fire damage is so bad the school

  • Sanchez praises his team for reigniting play-off hopes

    WYCOMBE boss Lawrie Sanchez has praised his team's character for keeping the season's play-off hopes alive with two goals in three minutes on Saturday. Wanderers came from behind to beat promotion rivals Bristol City 2-1 at Adams Park, thanks to goals

  • Sunday Combination: Captain Rose to the occasion

    SKIPPER Warren Rose scored his first hat-trick in 15 years in the game as his Priority insurance Dynamos side beat Micklefield Inn. Adrian Prior grabbed the other goal as Dynamos won 4-2 in the Division One match. It was a game of missed penalties as

  • Hockey round-up

    MARLOW look to be heading straight back to Division One after a comprehensive victory over local rivals Harlow Ladies. With three games still to go, Marlow need just one victory to gain promotion back into the Trysports Three Counties Division One after

  • Bristol City match preview

    MANAGER Lawrie Sanchez sends his team out to face Bristol City on Saturday telling season ticket holders: "If anyone hasn't had value for money this season I'll give them their money back." But he doesn't expect any takers because Wanderers have lost

  • Marlow Regatta: new events planned

    ROWING: The Marlow Regatta Committee has added a number of new events to the programme for this years regatta at Dorney Lake. The new events will be a Men's Senior 2 coxed fours event, Womens Junior 16 quad sculls, Mens Senior 1 single sculls and Mens

  • Crystal Palace keen on Chesham defender Hall

    CRYSTAL Palace are interested in Chesham United defender Fitz Hall. The Nationwide League first division side have had the 21-year-old talented defender watched and United boss Bob Dowie says he won't stand in Hall's way if the London club decide to take

  • Yorkshire lass celebrates her hundredth birthday

    A TELEGRAM from The Queen, a visit from MP John Bercow and the company of many friends were all enjoyed by Yorkshire lass Lillian Needham when she turned 100 on Monday. Well-wishers of the Friends of St Mary's Church, St Mary's Fellowship and the Women's

  • New chief executive has no plans to change the constitution

    HULL CITY fan Simon Monkman was unveiled as the club's first ever chief executive on Wednesday and immediately told worried fans "I'm not here to change the constitution." The 36-year-old father of four is confident that he can bring in enough new revenue

  • EU policy and the dead fridges

    YOUR photo and report on the last resting place for dead fridges (BFP, January 25) was a graphic illustration of the so called benefits of our membership of the EU and another example of the total ineptitude of Tony Blair's administration. Regulations

  • How the Tories run our councils

    I REFER to Cllr Smith's letter in BFP (February 1) and want to clarify and refute a few of his comments. Yes, the Beaconsfield Independent Electors' Association has registered as a political party. However, let me explain the background. Recent changes

  • Write to minister about Central

    THE tidal wave of cross-Channel freight that Alastair Dyer thinks will need the Central Railway to carry it northwards (Letter, February 1) is as imaginary as the party-political plot for which he blames the opposition to that destructive scheme (January

  • Reading up on bloodsports

    WILLIAM Thom goes too far in his letter about bloodsports, particularly hunting with hounds. (Letters, January 25) His library, ("a quick look around my shelves") he tells us, reveals that literature is on the side of hunting. If your shelves contain

  • Dithering far too long

    I WAS interested to read about prescription of beta interferon to multiple sclerosis (MS) sufferers in last week's BFP. I have suffered quite severely from MS since1988 but I am very fortunate in that my condition has not deteriorated and I remain convinced

  • Having a ball this May

    SUPPORTERS of a school for the severely disabled are to hold a charity ball to raise money for a hydrotherapy pool. Maplewood School, in Cressex Road, High Wycombe, cares for children with sensory, physical and learning disabilities. The £500,000 pool

  • Not treated second class

    PARTLY in view of the newspaper coverage and partly because of my outrage regarding the hammering NHS hospitals are getting, I am writing to put the other side of the picture concerning hospitals. I have recently been a patient at the Wycombe Hospital

  • NEW ODEON UXBRIDGE

    Cinema times for the week commencing February 15 Ocean's Eleven (12) Daily: 11am, Noon, 1.30pm, 2.30pm, 4.30pm, 5.30pm, 7pm, 8.30pm, 9.30pm Monsters Inc (U) Daily: 11am, 11.30am, 12.15pm, 1pm, 2pm, 2.30pm, 3.15pm, 4.15pm, 4.45pm, 5.30pm. 6.30pm, 7pm,

  • Discworld heroes were old masters

    THE latest blockbuster by top-selling author Terry Pratchett features a host of characters that will be familiar to John Hampden old boys. Former Free Press journalist Mr Pratchett started writing during his time at Wycombe Technical School now John Hampden

  • Council taxpayers to face large rise in bills

    HOUSEHOLDERS in Chiltern district will have to shoulder a council tax hike four times the rate of inflation, even though the council has £11 million in the bank. Tory-led Chiltern District Council which has refused to delve into its piggy bank to soften