MARLOW BOTTOM

Martin started his enterprise in the premises now occupied by the Acorn Therapy Centre, but soon had to move to the current building as the size and scope of equipment left less space for Martin and his fitness clients.

It is gratifying to see local businesses grow, particularly when they are started and run by truly local people Martin's family are long-established valley residents.

Now Martin is married, and his wife Jitka has brought new skills and related services into the business, such as massage and reflexology and she can also offer other fitness disciplines which can be adopted alone, at home or in the studio, or combined with the established gymnastic routines.

Until the end of October, Martin thought it would be appealing to offer his 2005 services to all new clients at 1995 prices. You can try it.

VERY SHORT NOTICE it may be, but for readers who will be home around lunch-time today, the last in the BBC series "It beats working" should be interesting. BBC1, at 12.30pm, tells the story of Jackie Highe who gave up her career as a magazine editor to become a jazz singer. What more appropriate place for some of the scenes to be filmed than TJ's on one of the regular Marlow Jazz Club nights.

ARGENTINEAN SUPERSTAR visits Marlow is the modest claim of Mike Eagleton for next week's booking at TJ's. The virtuoso jazz guitarist Luis D'Agostino is a huge star in Argentina - one of the finest musicians to come from that country. The name has been largely unknown in Great Britain until his very recent relocation to these shores. Now new audiences are being charmed by his brilliant technique on both acoustic and electric instruments. His main influence and original tutor was the legendary Joe Diorlo.

Marlow Jazz Club are delighted to have fixed a date with this outstanding talent. Luis will be at TJ 0'Reilly's, on Tuesday, in the company of the resident Frank Toms Trio who are eagerly anticipating the encounter. A mixture of standards, bebop and Latin compositions is expected, and Luis' new CD "In Between" will be available on the night. Music starts at 8.30pm with the usual £6 admission.

VISAGE KITCHENS is the valley venue for the World's Biggest Coffee Morning on September 30, that's next Friday. But Visage is going one better their coffee morning will last all day. Nespresso, suppliers of distinctly up-market coffee, are providing the coffee, the premises and the forecourt will be given over to the event, it is hoped it will get support from other valley organisations, and Joyce Howard (a relative of another local charity enthusiast, Frankie Vaughan, sadly no longer with us) is getting it all together. Joyce, an allotment enthusiast, is getting produce to sell, a guess the weight of the giant pumpkin competition, and is hoping people may be tempted to offer cakes and other goodies for sale for the cause, which, of course, is the Macmillan Cancer Relief charity.

If you can help with lending garden tables and chairs, produce or displaying posters, please call Stefan at Visage on 0870 750 1363. It's a good cause and the organisers want to make it a really big event.

NAIL & BODY WORKS proprietor, Claire, is off to sunnier climes this weekend. She is going to live in Spain with her three children. The valley style and beauty business had been up for sale, but an anticipated sale didn't happen so, at least for the near future, N & B Works will continue under the management of two of Claire's colleagues and friends, Zena and Louise. So you can still drop in for an artificial tan and a nail do while Claire sorts herself out with the real sun and sand. Good luck to her in her new life. Valley News hopes she may be tempted to become its Iberian correspondent.

SOME PARENTS are still causing some congestion down by the shops by letting children off to walk the rest of the way to school. Remember, TJ's car park is bound to be safer and will not hold up other traffic. The pub's landlord, Ted Rehill, kindly allows use of the car park for this purpose.

MARLOW TOWN COUNCIL was reported in the Free Press last week as having approved expenditure to carry out tests to determine whether selected land is appropriate as a new cemetery for the town.

Residents of Mundaydean have been expressing their disapproval to their own councillors from Great Marlow Parish Council which, of course, also encompasses Marlow Bottom. It appears the designated land, close to the very irregular boundary between the administrations, may in fact be under the aegis of GMPC, not the town. Councillors from Marlow Bottom anticipate that an interesting debate may be in the offing.

EIGHT HOURS it took to get Rebellion's contribution to the Battle of Britain celebrations from their brewery cool store, via a Tri-Star from Brize Norton and into the fridges in Basra. Devouring the beer is believed to have taken rather less than 20 minutes.

MORE FAME in the Free Press this week for the new starters down at the Village Hall Pre-school. Just setting off on their educational journey are Sarah McCall, Joseph Perry, Joshua Stephen, Dominic Bowers, Emma Warmford-Davis, Jevon Carter, Alisha Small, Tristan Rints, Nathan Mayer, Hannah Clayton, Daniel Moynihan, and Stephen Burnett. If a name gives you a feeling of dj vu, remember, at this age it is possible for a child to attend different pre-schools on different days. Good luck to all of them.