JANE SMITH (Angelina Jolie) has pretty good grounds for a divorce from her husband, John (Brad Pitt). It's not just that he's cold, spends very little with her and doesn't share her taste in home furnishing. Just the other day he fired a rocket launcher
MOST people may have seen Disney's version of the Rudyard Kipling classic but now the Birmingham Stage Company bring their own interpretation of The Jungle Book to the stage. Set in an Indian Jungle, Stuart Peterson's stage adaptation of the 19th century
THE Tring Festival Kids' Show this year will be hosting a sinister classic with a comical twist in The Sweeney Todd Shock n' Roll Show. Starring in the lead role of the evil role of the demon barber is 11-year-old James Peniston. This play follows on
Rachel Sixsmith discovers a fresh dining option behind the formal facade of The Market in Marlow. WITH its quaint-looking streets and picturesque riverside views, Marlow was one of the first places I visited when I moved to Buckinghamshire. After
Few of us can recall the days when south Bucks was full of cherry trees. But there are still some around. Cherry pies will be one of the attractions at Seer Green Cherry Pie Fair, which begins at 2.30pm on June 18 with stalls, games and a wartime singalong
The dragonfly has been declining in numbers over the years. Sophie Lewis media & events officer for the BBOWT explains how you can create the right environment for them. Dragonflies are one of our most colourful insects and are generally seen flitting
Artists open their doors to the public next week for Bucks Open Studios. Ushma Mistry chats to some of the artists taking part and finds out what they will be doing this year. THOUSANDS of art-lovers are expected to attend Bucks Open Studios which
THE biggest free festival takes place on Saturday, June 18, as part of the Thame Carnival Festival. The music takes place in the South Road Rec in Thame, from 3 pm until 9.30 pm. The bands confirmed so far include Hedroom, Simple Reason, Ignoble, Tonight
It's not from the tough streets of Manchester the Gallagher brothers find inspiration for their songs but in a leafy Bucks studio as Ushma Mistry discovered. OASIS fans may want to boast of a little claim to fame when they hear that some tracks from
THIS is the small creature that won a photographer a top award from the Scottish Tourist board. Richard Sowersby of Wiltshire Road, Marlow, took the picture of the ground-nesting wheatear while on a photo competition in Scotland, and it was picked out
MANY years ago a friend of mine momentarily fell asleep while driving down the M4, while I sat gob-smacked in the passenger seat. We were returning from Wales, exhausted after two days of canoeing and two disturbed nights on a noisy campsite. And even
If you are in Year 11, you may feel like your're growing up. The time has come to say goodbye to school and go to college or continue into sixth form. Whichever path you take, you may feel like your're losing friends. It is a difficult process with a
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE'S most treasured historic buildings are under threat from a shortage of skilled craftsmen in the heritage sector. A survey published by the National Heritage Training Group last week stated that more than 700 people need to be recruited
EDUCATION chiefs at County Hall, Aylesbury, are preparing reports on how the allocation of secondary school places worked this year. But with a new school admissions system coming into force, new catchment areas, a different 11-plus system and a new
GOVERNORS at the Royal Grammar School in High Wycombe are going head to head with Buckinghamshire Education Authority in a second battle about school admissions. On Wednesday, the schools adjudicator Elizabeth Parsons will visit the school to hear both
WHAT is it with governments, that they increasingly want to control every aspect of our lives? I thought we lived in a democracy. I am miffed at present about two things which I think impact on people's freedom: ID cards, and the suggestion that we shall
PETS will win prizes at the Downley Day village fete as the search begins to find the top dog in the village. The dog show will be one of the main attractions at Downley Day on Saturday, June 18 when pet owners will be parading their dogs for the award
FLATMATES Ana Dart, 24, and Carol Fitch, 26, have taken up the fight against breast cancer by organising a charity dinner dance. The two women, from Queensmead Road, High Wycombe, decided to raise money for Breakthrough Breast Cancer by taking up the
A RUTHLESS thief almost mowed down a grandfather after stealing his van and pocketing the keys to another of his vehicles which was stolen an hour later. Tony Featherstone, 59, says he is traumatised after being dragged along his drive when he tried
WAR veterans crowded in the pews to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day and Victory in Japan Day. Pensioners from across the county took part in a moving commemorative service on Sunday, June 5, attended by the Lord Lieutenant for
Criminals might seem the least likely option for people to turn to in their hour of need but inmates could be among the army of anonymous lifesavers whose impartial listening skills have made the Samaritans renowned throughout the world. More than
A friend was recently part of a Rotary group that was a given a tour of the CCTV control room in Wycombe. He told me that they had all been impressed and surprised by the scope and efficiency of the operation. Although they had all been aware that CCTV
THIS year Volunteers Week, June 1 to 7, celebrated its 21st anniversary. Once again there were events throughout the country to acknowledge and thank volunteers for the huge contribution they make to their community. The week also provided an opportunity
REGARDING Ralph Ingham-Johnson's letter (May 13) about how the police go about law-enforcement is essentially a technical matter for them. They are entitled to go about in plain clothes, or in non-specific cars. Sadly, road dangers are not a myth
AS a warden of the Laburnum Road/Maple Close sheltered housing scheme we are putting together show boxes for Romania. We have a couple completed at present and hope to have between 10 and 20 boxes ready to go in August. If anyone would like to
WITH reference to recent reports in the Bucks Free Press I have grave concerns over the regionalisation of fire control rooms. The estimated cost to the taxpayer is £754million and, taking the Government's past history into account, this could escalate
If, like me, you've always wanted to take part in a charity run, but found the thought too daunting, why not take the opportunity to really make a difference and run the London Breakfast 5k Run for women in aid of the British Red Cross? Starting
THROUGH your columns I would like to make contact with any readers who have unwanted books by WE Johns. As a keen collector of WE Johns' titles and other authors who wrote boys adventure stories related to aerial combat (such as Biggles) and marine
I AM currently trying to discover locations used in the Inspector Morse series especially outside Oxford City centre. This is in aid of research I am doing for a book I am writing and I would be grateful for any help or advice with this project.
I READ with interest the article on parking in High Wycombe on page 2 of the Bucks Free Press last Friday. Some months ago I witnessed a car parked on a single yellow line and noticed a warden taking a photograph and issuing a ticket. He issued another
I WONDER if I may appeal through your newspaper for anyone who may have known my father Alfred Theze or his friend Ivy Stantiall both of whom worked for the electronic firm Cossors in High Wycombe during the war. My father's address at that time
Murder shock THURSDAY morning is shopping time for my wife and I in High Wycombe. We tend to follow a similar routine each week, but regretfully one part of the pattern has come to an end. We would very often run into someone whom I worked with for
CHESHAM'S former mayor, Cllr Bhatti says that Tory policy ruined his chances in last month's county council elections (Free Press, May 27), although he was soundly defeated by nearly 400 votes. In the same paper he wants to change the voting system for
THERE is a pub garden near where I live and on a long warm afternoon last week I saw people downing quite a lot of drinks and then drive off at screeching speeds. I fear that drink intake in this sort of weather can be the same as many have at Christmas
OUR small town, Marlow, has comparatively good local amenities. Importantly, we have two strategically-sited public toilet blocks in concentrated pedestrian and motorist locations, at either end of the High Street. With the proposed over-expansion
I DISAGREE with Cindy-Lee Hyde's letter in last Friday's Free Press which I understood to mean that Marlovians want a super, super Waitrose in their town. I fully support Mike Post who says that a modest enlargement would be quite adequate. The reason
WASTE domestic and commercial is an increasing problem in our affluent society. We British throw away enough rubbish every two hours to fill the Albert Hall ie 430 million tons a year from industry, quarrying, construction, household bins and litter
POOR old Mrs Mann suffered a funny turn at the weekend when she found out the price of a first class stamp could be rising to 42p. She was drawing her pension when she heard a couple discussing it at length in the post office. I must say I was most alarmed
WYCOMBE Wanderers have rejoined the reserve league 12 months after pulling out. Blues revealed the U-turn last week and the turnaround has been welcomed by the club's assistant manager Steve Brown Previous boss Tony Adams took the club out of the Pontins
RONNIE Moore has taken a swipe at Wanderers' latest signing Kevin Betsy after the midfielder rejected his club Oldham to sign for Wycombe. The snubbed Oldham boss has accused the player of lacking ambition after Betsy took a pay-cut and stepped down
LAWRENCE Dallaglio handed out the British Lions shirts to the players on Saturday the first current player to carry out the tradition. The Wasps captain was invited to carry out the ceremony normally reserved for former Lions greats in recognition
Cricket: WYCOMBE Warriors' National Knockout Cup dreams are still alive after they beat Ealing with the last ball of the game. The London Road club are through to the last 32 of the competition and halfway to a showpiece final at Lord's. Wycombe appeared
BIG BROTHER star Makosi Masumbasi could face more than household eviction if immigration officers decide she is ineligible to stay in the UK after quitting her nursing job to join the reality TV show. The 24-year-old Zimbab-wean from High Wycombe quit
BOOKMAKERS Ladbrokes have slashed the odds of High Wycombe's Big Brother star Makosi Musambasi. Odds have been slashed from 8/1 to 6/1 for the 24-year-old Zimbabwean born nurse to see out the 12 weeks and claim the £100,000 prize. Warren Lush, of Ladbrokes
A PEEPING Tom caught filming a group of young girls in the changing rooms at Wycombe Sports Centre is being hunted by police. Senior staff and police are studying CCTV footage of the man who fled the Handy Cross centre when confronted by the 12-year-olds
STUDENTS have expressed disappointment after learning of a failed bid by Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College to acquire university status. On Thursday, June 2, academics at the High Wycombe centre revealed efforts to drop "college" from its
ATTEMPTS by the Free Press to publish details of mobile speed cameras on Marlow Hill, High Wycombe have been prevented by road safety bosses. Many concerned motorists have contacted us to complain about the mobile cameras operated by Thames Valley Safer
BURGLARS plundered a High Wycombe business and stole laptops containing a ground-breaking software package designed to overcome speech disabilities. Months of work could be lost and thousands of potential patients could miss out on the revolutionary
AROUND 15 boys from First Bourne End Beavers visited Bourne End Marina last Monday, where they were split into two groups and taken on boat rides up the river. They were also shown how boats were loaded into the water and raised out of it. Marina manager
AN ANGRY motorist from Princes Risborough who is fed up with tailgaters has produced a car sticker to warn any trailing cars to back off. Chris Brooks, from Picts Lane, started to slow down after picking up nine points on his licence for a series of
MEMBERS of Chalfont St Peter and Gerrards Cross Probus group got an authentic look at the life of the suffragettes. Actress Louise Reed, performing in front of guests at Gerrards Cross Memorial Hall for a second time, gave a star turn dressed as the
FLACKWELL Heath residents have defeated a plan by Michael Shanly to build a "monstrous" three-storey block of flats in the village. Villagers opposed the developer's plans for 13 homes, including ten two-bedroom flats, one flat with a single bedroom
A BASE for specialist firefighters equipped to deal with major national emergencies and disasters is set to be built on land near junction two of the M40 at Beaconsfield. Twenty of the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) centres are being set up in England
A BRAVE employee thwarted an attempted armed robbery at a newsagents after a man entered the store wielding a knife. The Forbuoys worker was threatened by a slim, white man in his 20s, who brandished a 12-inch blade, as he demanded money at around 7.30am
