WANDERERS boss Lawrie Sanchez will tell his players 'Stop Steve Howard tomorrow and you stop Luton'. It is less than a month since the Hatters beat Wycombe 2-1 at Adams Park with a first half Howard double and the memory is still fresh in Sanchez's mind
MOST games planned for Tuesday night involving local Ryman League teams were postponed due to rain. Premier Division: Chesham v Grays - postponed Division One North: Hemel Hempstead v Thame - postponed Marlow v Uxbridge - postponed Associate Members Cup
MARLOW boss Derek Sweetman is out for revenge when his team travel to Wembley in Ryman Division One North tomorrow. Sweetman's side lost the corresponding fixture at Oak Tree Road despite dominating the game from start to finish. He said: "We hammered
THAME manager Andy Sinnott has promised United fans that there will be no repeat of Saturday's bore draw when his side take on Great Wakering Rovers this weekend. Thame failed to break the deadlock against bottom-placed Hertford Town in their Ryman Division
CHESHAM have been dealt a cash blow with the news that former defender Fitz Hall has signed a new contract which will keep him at Oldham until 2005. The Meadow Men were hoping that the 21-year-old defender would be transferred to a Premiership club in
MARLOW have been drawn at home to Newcastle in the fourth round of the National Vase after easing past Petersfield at the weekend. The Bucks side booked the clash against the Geordies with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Petersfield at Bisham on Sunday.
THE weather in South Buckinghamshire is not as predictable as you might think. The farmer who owned this barn woke up on a spring morning with a slight breeze. He was not expecting a tornado to rip apart his barn and damage other farm buildings. But in
THE Earl and Countess of Wessex officially opened the new multi-million pound swimming pool in Thame on Thursday. Prince Edward and the Countess unveiled a plaque at the £4.5 million pool at Thame Leisure Centre in Oxford Road. They met and spoke to a
SUPERMARKET giant Tesco could go back to the drawing board on one of Buckinghamshire's most controversial developments. The company, which was granted permission for a 35,000 sq metre store in Packhorse Road, Gerrards Cross, has until June to start significant
IF Wycombe's fire station is moved this would free up space in front of the Swan theatre. As it is possibly the best asset the town has, could this be an opportunity to enhance the site which is a focal point for visitors and locals? Name and address
I WAS interested to read that you have some £12,000 to spend on tree planting in the town. I noted also that you are keen to replace missing trees and you have already allocated funds to that end for Cherry Tree Road. Some few years ago those of us who
JUST over two years ago I sent a letter to BFP Letters concerning the Wycombe Local Plan. High Wycombe and Marlow Green Party had made 92 submissions and the responses up until then had been, "not within our remit" or "we're not changing the policy."
I HAVE read many articles in the Bucks Free Press on "fake and replica guns" which you have highlighted. Can I tell you my experience, back in 1997 on visiting a local toy shop. I was appalled to see on back shelves of the shop these replica toy guns,
I FEEL it necessary to challenge the alarmist article by Dr Raj Thakkar in last week's Bucks Free Press. According to him most of the ills afflicting mankind are caused by airguns. He has to go to America to find three cases to illustrate this. Surely
I ATTENDED the Chesham Town Council meeting at the Town Hall on January 13 and felt appalled with the handling of situations. The main problem with the council is that their political barriers get in the way making decisions for the best. The skate park
TONY Blair obviously wants this country to be the world's policeman in Iraq. That's a bit ironic when we can't even manage to police places such as rural Bucks. I was flabbergasted to read the Free Press last week and learn just how deep the crisis in
THE computer and all its progeny are not providing the relief that we deluded ourselves would follow technology's arrival in every office, shop and home. I'd love to know how many hours are consumed pushing multiple choice buttons on automated "help"
VILLAGERS are celebrating after the announcement yesterday that Great Missenden's bridge is to be strengthened to take vehicles weighing no more than 17 tonnes meaning Chiltern's picturesque country lanes will not be used by monster juggernauts. Residents
A LIFE-SIZED T Rex was a roaring success at a interactive dinosaur education day at Burford School, in Marlow Bottom. The gigantic model was one of several predatory props used to breathe life into the prehistoric studies of pupils aged between four and
ON February 11 the first patient will walk through the doors of Wycombe Hospital's new cancer unit 11 months after Scannappeal launched its campaign to raise £425,000. Raising the money, which is not yet all in, was a big job with a short time scale for
LOUDWATER has lost its heart and villagers want it back. A group of them have arranged a meeting on February 10 to thrash out ideas and get as many people as possible involved in getting things going. The steering group members say that putting the heart
Rik Mayall tells Alice Eaton about his love of treading the boards and why he thinks TV is dead MY phone rings. "Hello darling, it's Rik," and straight away the famous Rik Mayall charm has begun to work its magic. Giggling unashamedly, I attempt to pull
THE debate into the future of Buckinghamshire's selective education system is reignited today as the Free Press challenges its readers to say whether they think grammar schools should be scrapped or retained. We have opened our phone lines and our website
PUPILS at Dr Challoner's Grammar School are celebrating after they were named among the best in the country for GCSE results. The results countrywide, published yesterday by the Department for Education and Skills, also show Buckinghamshire to be the
THE above news comes at the same time as a campaign by Cookham residents who want to change their Slough postcode to reduce car insurance premiums. Sam Sethi, 36, of Cookham Dean, has set up an internet survey to gauge support for changing the postcode
MORE police officers will be walking the beat in High Wycombe thanks to an innovative new scheme. Students from the Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College have joined Thames Valley Police as special constables. Six students on the three-year policing
RGS U18s advanced into the quarter-finals of the Daily Mail Cup with a commanding performance on Wednesday. The RGS, coached by Colin Tattersall, beat Downside 22-0, the second time they have dumped Downside out of the cup in successive seasons. Tattersall
LAWRENCE Dallaglio, Simon Shaw and Joe Worsley have been chosen for England's 27-man training squad for the Six Nations, which begins in two weeks. Gatland said: "I'm very pleased for them. Simon Shaw probably has played his best performances this season
OUTGOING sponsors Integrity Software have called on Wanderers to mend the broken bridges with the fans and mobilise the Blue Army. Paul Nagle, managing director of the Bucks-based computer software company, has identified a gulf between the club and its
THE debate into the future of Buckinghamshire's selective education system is reignited today as the Free Press challenges its readers to say whether they think grammar schools should be scrapped or retained. We have opened our phone lines and our website
ANTI-GRAMMAR school campaigners took their fight to Westminster on Monday in an effort to get the government to take action. The campaign launch was chaired by Buckinghamshire Labour county councillor Clare Martens from High Wycombe. She said: "We feel
THE Royal Grammar School in High Wycombe and Dr Challoner's Grammar School in Amersham are today named among the top schools in the country for GCSE results. The countrywide results, published today by the Department for Education and Skills, also showed
ANTI-grammar school campaigners in Buckinghamshire say it is time the Government got off its backside and backed the abolition of the 11 plus.o They are starting a new campaign at a time when the county's selective school system is delivering some of
THE AGM of the village hall committee took place last Monday. Chairman for the past two years, Eric Powell, was presented with two gifts on his retirement from serving on the committee for the past 20 years, much of that time as secretary. Eric now wishes
VILLAGE FETE plans will be discussed at a meeting at the Community Centre on Tuesday starting at 8pm. Anyone who would like to be involved should come along and find out how things went last year and what plans there are for this year. SALE of ex-library
SIXTY people took part in the annual Agape meal (love feast) and renewal of the Churches Together in Haddenham covenant which was held in St Mary's Centre on Sunday evening. The vicar of St Mary's the Reverend Chris Denham led the service and gave apologies
HYDE Heath Drama Group are having a great time presenting Ronald Parr's version of Cinderella. Enjoy the fun and romance of this much loved story at Hyde Heath Village Hall tonight at 8pm or at the matinee tomorrow at 2.30pm. The final performance of
CRYERS Hill Methodist Church warmly invite to you their Sunday services at 10.30am with Peter Stevens from Tylers Green and 3pm with Reverend Lunda Hughes who is a Circuit Minister. On Tuesday at 7.30pm the Music Group meets and on Wednesday at 7.30pm
CALLING local thespians. Do you want to act in a play by William Shakespeare? Budding actors and actresses are being sought by the Chiltern Shakespeare Company for their new production of As You Like It, which is their summer offering at Hall Barn, Beaconsfield
DOWNLEY'S Beat Bobby, Police Constable Learie Bacchus, will be holding a surgery on a one to one basis for any residents with any relevant points or problems they would like to clarify regarding policing of the village. The meeting will be held at the
HEAVY rain has seen the river rise two feet on Monday and there is still water in pools at Widbrook Common and on Cookham Moor. But spring has to be on its way as the first snowdrops can be seen in the churchyard of Holy Trinity Church. There will be
IF you missed it, it was a fabulous day out. On Monday we took a coach up to Downing Street to present a petition to the Prime Minister. He wasn't there but we handed the petition in at the door and we did have the BBC and the Mail on Sunday, so look
SCOUTS as well as Cubs are now meeting on Thursday evenings at St Birinus Church Hall. The Cubs, who meet from 6.30pm to 8pm, have a varied programme to take them up to the summer holidays, including sports, cooking, e-mail, a quiz, a night hike and camping
HAVE you made your New Year's resolution, and are you keeping to it? Why not try one where you can help other people? The Children's Society is organising a sponsored walk along the Pilgrim's Way in summer, from Rochester to Canterbury. Participants should
WOODROW High House looks set to have a busy few weeks with lots going on. If the 60s was your era then be prepared for a treat on Sunday, February 9. Do songs such as Walk Tall, Elusive Butterfly and What would I be, remind you of anyone? Yes, for one
HERE are the fixtures involving local Ryman League teams for this Saturday. Premier Division Chesham UnitedvBishop's Stortford Division One North Great Wakering RoversvThame United Wembley v Marlow Division Two Flackwell Heath v Dorking CheshuntvChalfont
IN Division Two, Flackwell Heath play Dorking at home tomorrow as they look to get back on the winning trail to boost their promotion hopes. The Heathens drew 0-0 last weekend against Witham Town and then saw their midweek Associate Members Cup game against
MANY constituents are writing to me about problems with their pension funds, such as Equitable Life. The news that a penny could be put on to the cost of a postage stamp, to finance the shortfall in the Royal Mail pension fund, is another reminder of
WE are very lucky here in South Bucks having access to the "Carers" Service and in which carers are called upon to help so readily, on any occasion. The home visits to the various sick and aid given make them unsung heroines. They are highly intelligent
Individuals and organisations from all over south Buckinghamshire have pulled out all the stops to raise money for Wycombe Hospital's cancer unit appeal. And next month all their efforts will be rewarded when the new centre opens. Here, political editor
HAVING received Bucks County Council's budget consultation document, "Your Choice," we have no faith in the comments of David Shakespeare, leader of the council, when he states "we are also improving the way in which we take your views into account in
ANIMAL Aid is appealing to thousands of businesses around Britain to show their compassion for animals by pledging not to organise an office sweepstake/syndicate for the next Grand National horse race. Horse racing is a brutal business that costs lives
THE photograph in your Memories section last week of the locomotive King George V was taken at Wycombe Station and the date is around October 7, 1971. The loco was on its first trip to London since its withdrawal in 1962. The train left Birmingham Moor
AFTER reading the proposal to put up a phone aerial opposite the Downley Donkey, I feel it would be a terrible eyesore, a health risk and of no benefit to the community. We have a phone aerial in Downley already are they taking over the whole country?
A GREAT Missenden mother's persistence has led to fines and costs of £22,000 being slapped on a plumbing firm and its heating engineer. Father-of-two Stephen Hammick, an engineer contracted by Uxbridge-based Pro-fix Plumbing and Electrical Ltd, was convicted
THE parents of a 16-year-old girl killed in a car accident have spoken of their grief over the death of a talented girl who lived life for the moment. Louise Lewis, from Stokenchurch, was a passenger in an L-reg Ford Fiesta when it left the notorious
GARY Mavers is perhaps best known for his role as the charming Dr Andrew Attwood who sent housewives into palpitations up and down the country during the six years and eight series he was in the ITV medical drama Peak Practice. In real life, or telephonically
A DIALYSIS patient is fuming at parking attendants after they ignored a nurse's plea and gave her a ticket at Wycombe Hospital. Caroline Grey, 42, of Woodcock Avenue, Walters Ash, travels to Wycombe Hospital three times a week for dialysis after she suffered
PUPILS at Dr Challoner's Grammar School are celebrating after they were named among the best in the country for GCSE results. The results countrywide, published yesterday by the Department for Education and Skills, also show Buckinghamshire to be the
A GREAT Missenden mother's persistence has led to fines and costs of £22,000 being slapped on a plumbing firm and its heating engineer. Father-of-two Stephen Hammick, an engineer contracted by Uxbridge-based Pro-fix Plumbing and Electrical Ltd, was convicted
A MURDER investigation has been launched after the body of a man was found in Stokenchurch on Thursday morning. The dead man, 32-year-old Clive John Petty, from Chalfont St Peter, was found in a flat in Bartholomew Tipping Way at 11.35am yesterday. Two
I SUPPOSE if I was given a blank sheet of paper and absolute power and told to go away into a very quiet place and design a completely new secondary school system for Buckinghamshire, I might very well come up with a range of comprehensive schools and
WASPS have employed a Commonwealth Games wrestler as they try and get to grips with their opposition. Paul Stridgeon has been taking the team through their paces as director of rugby Warren Gatland looks to leave no stone unturned in his attempt to make
A NOTICE warning dog walkers they could find "s**t on their doorstep" if they failed to clean up after their pets has been removed following complaints. Bourne End Marina site manager Peter Osborne said he was spurred into putting up the notice following
FOUR members of Bucks CCC's recent tour of South Africa came home as world record-holders but not for their feats on the cricket field! Russell Lane and Andy Ward, from Slough, and the Tring Park duo of Matt Bowyer and Stuart Brandom all performed the
THIS year's GCSE league tables show, unsurprisingly, that the county's grammar schools have once again fared best. The top TEN schools in terms of the percentage of pupils passing at least five GCSEs with A* to C grades, are all grammars, while the ten
THE debate into the future of Buckinghamshire's selective education system is reignited today as the Free Press challenges its readers to say whether they think grammar schools should be scrapped or retained. We have opened our phone lines and our website
HURRY for tickets to Beahive's next jazz evening at the Youth Annexe in the Community Centre, Bartholomew Tipping Way, on Saturday, February 8 from 8pm to 11pm. Tickets at £5 can be reserved by phoning Bea on 07958 371857. ALL local residents who are
ONLY three Prestwood performances are left of the classic story Rumpel Stiltzkin. The Theatre Club invite you to enjoy their remarkable interpretation of this version written by Louise Green tonight at 8pm, tomorrow at 4pm and again at 8pm. The venue
FRIENDS of Penn School are busy arranging events to raise money for improvements, the next will be a Pampering Evening on Friday, February 7 from 6.30pm. Go along and experience a range of therapies including massage, reflexology, Reiki, aromatherapy,
CURTAILING of concessions for sports and fitness classes and the increase in the amount of paper work have forced Abigail Borrows to resign from the Bucks Adult Learning scheme. Abigail, who teaches gentle exercises classes for the over 60s at Liston
CLEANING up the some of Munces Wood a couple of weeks ago was quite an enjoyable way to spend a Saturday morning, even though it meant our party was entirely lost for an hour or so. However, the members of the group were amazed at the variety of dumped
TOMORROW evening at 8pm there's a great evening of smooth jazz and gospel songs at the Baptist Church. Enjoy Mike Roberts and the Still Time Band playing Gershwin jazz classics interspersed with unique gospel songs. Tickets are £4 including refreshments
TOMORROW evening at 8pm there's a great evening of smooth jazz and gospel songs at the Baptist Church. Enjoy Mike Roberts and the Still Time Band playing Gershwin jazz classics interspersed with unique gospel songs. Tickets are £4 including refreshments
ON Tuesday, January 14 there was another meeting for Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinators in the Totteridge area, About 40 members attended at the Godstowe School in Amersham Road. The meeting included an extensive presentation by PC John Taylor on drugs
A CHANCE to help fundraise for the village hall re-development, for which an extra £10,000 will be needed, comes on Sunday between 11am and 3pm. Take along anything saleable except jumble, to the hall from 9am. Details of who to phone with different items
TABLE-TOP sale tomorrow from 10am to 1pm in the Carrington Junior School Hall. There will be a mixture of new and used items and also a refreshment area. Tables cost £7 and admission is 20p. BRING and buy sale tomorrow Saturday from midday to 1pm in the
5.23am was the first train from Chesham and it marked the start of Geoff Marsham's attempt to break the world record for the fastest time to travel the entire length of the network and visit all 275 tube stations. Jack Welsby hold the record for visiting
READING last week's headline I'll agree that the district element of the council tax will undoubtedly show an increase this year but the proportion to the whole of the council charge overall is quite small. Chiltern District collects the tax on behalf
FRIENDS of the Parish Church are holding a wine tasting this evening at 7.30pm in the Reading Room. Tony Augustin, an Austrian who is living in England, will be guiding visitors through a range of German and French wines. After giving a short talk on
FORUM Players are just coming to the end of their panto run and now looking forward to productions during 2003. They have lots of plans and would like to invite anyone interested in amateur dramatics to come and join them on a Monday or Wednesday evening
HOMEOWNERS face massive increases in insurance in the wake of the New Year flooding which washed out houses in low-lying areas of the Thames Valley. The Environment Agency this week refused to accept responsibility for the damage, which leaves compensation
