Buckingham and District NWR Group
The Buckingham and District National Women's Register (NWR) Group is currently looking for new members.
NWR is a countrywide network of groups where lively minded women exchange ideas, have interesting discussions and join in social events with their group.
NWR helps you make new friends locally, encourages you to explore broader interests, and meet other local women.
We are a friendly group of women who meet on every other Thursday at 8pm in members' homes during term-time.
We have a varied programme of meetings and events for this term including talks on gardening and the River Great Ouse, an exploration of the ancient art of Tai Chi, and a summer barbecue.
In addition, we regularly discuss books we have read, enjoy walks and theatre outings, and have themed meetings (the next one of these is a Thai Evening). For further details, contact Rachel on 01280 815893.

Buckingham Canal Society
On July 18 and 19 the Lock Ransom Weekend is being held at Cosgrove Lock, Grand Union Canal, Cosgrove. There is no entrance fee. There will be stalls and trade boats.For more details visit the website at www.buckinghamcanal.org.uk or contact Peter Caswell on 07702 668924 or 01908 282589.

Buckingham Acoustic Club
It was Dave's turn to host the evening and it was a busy one for performers who enjoyed performing for the assembled audience.
After Dave did a few opening covers to start us off, it was Henry's turn and he gave us a variety of Elvis including All Shook Up, Stuck On You, then finished with what will probably become one of his standards, King Of The Road.
Next up was Bob from Milton Keynes – new to the club but clearly a seasoned performer. He played and sang a couple of songs before he gave us the best version of Summertime I have ever heard. Just fabulous.
Udo followed and gave us a set in his usual accomplished style, all instrumentals.
Then Alex got up and among his set he played something in the charts – Disturbia by Rhianna! Great stuff.
He was joined by Robert for a stirring version of You Ain't Going Nowhere.
Then Robert went on to sing and play a couple more songs before it was Mike's turn to take to the stage. He gave us a polished set of covers including Streets Of London and Agadoo.
Finishing off the evening was John, who gave us Keys To The Highway and a slow blues song before he finished with the humorous song Typical Man.
A great evening of music and all for free. Speaking of which, we trust the Music in the Market went well last Sunday and you all enjoyed the music and the sunshine. Join us at the Buckingham Acoustic Club any Wednesday you like in The New Inn from 8.30pm.

Brackley and District History Society
The society is holding a local history day at Brackley Town Hall on Saturday, June 6 from 10am to 4.30pm. Various societies from the surrounding area will be there with interesting displays and there will be refreshments available all day.
The highlights will be the attendance, in full armour, of soldiers of the Roman Army, and of members of the Pitsford Home Guard who will be drilling and even skirmishing on the Piazza – perhaps we can stage a battle between the invading Romans and the defending Home Guard. With luck, the Brackley Morris Men will also come to dance.
Everyone welcome. Adults 50p, children free.

Maids Moreton WI
Our May meeting was important in the WI calendar as we were required to vote upon the resolution that will be taken to the annual meeting at The Royal Albert Hall, London, on June 3 by our link delegate.
The resolution is as follows: "Honey bees play a vital role in the pollination of food and crops and in our environment. In view of concerns about the accelerating decline in the UK honey bee population, this meeting urges HM Government to increase funding for research into bee health."
Currently, honey bees are coming under threat from pests and diseases for which treatments are not fully understood or are ineffective.
Many beekeepers have experienced the complete destruction of their hives from such diseases while the UK is losing its bee population at around 30 per cent a year.
The British Bee Keeping Association is extremely concerned. It is calling for an £8million research programme to run over five years, to protect honey bees and stop the continuing decline. It argues it is a small price to pay for the approximately £165million which bees provide every year to the UK's economy.
It was opportune that we had a local beekeeper, Colin Whitehead, come to talk to us on bees to help give us some more information.
At the end of the meeting the institute unanimously voted for the resolution as we all realised how bees are central to our very existence.
On a less serious note, on Wednesday, June 10 our speaker will be Davina Thoragood who will give us a flower demonstration. The competition will be a small flower decoration.

Buckingham WI
At their meeting on Wednesday, May 20, members of Buckingham WI voted unanimously to ask the Government to increase funding for research into the decline in the bee population.
Secretary Ann Merriman explained to members that millions of bees were being killed by parasitic mites and a virus.
Bees pollinate all food-producing plants and without their work we would be without fruit, vegetables, cereals and fodder for the animals which provide meat and dairy products.
During the meeting, WI president Janet Eason-Bassett reported on the Bucks Federation Council Meeting in Aylesbury.
Three members had attended a literary lunch at Cheddington, where the speaker, Hazel Jones, an author and lecturer at Exeter University, talked about the role of women in Jane Austen's novels and of Jane's views on marriage.
Several other members had enjoyed lunch together at Buckingham Hotel.
The busy craft group continues to meet on Tuesday afternoons and croquet will begin again today, Friday, May 29 at 2.30pm.
Future events include an afternoon of bowling at West End Bowls Club, a walk around the village of Akeley followed by supper, and a picnic to celebrate the birthday of the Buckingham WI. Members will provide homemade cakes for the stall in Buckingham Market tomorrow, Saturday.
The evening ended with a light-hearted and relaxing Beetle Drive. The next meeting will be on Wednesday, June 17, at 7.30pm in the community centre when members will enjoy Hands On Pottery with Paul Fricker.
New members will be very welcome.

Bicester Local History Society
Bicester Local History Society will be holding its next meeting of the Do You Remember When? oral history recording group at The Pop-In Centre, adjacent to the Crown Walk car park, Bicester, on Monday, June 1 at 7.30pm.
The theme of the meeting will centre on local transport and will look at the forms of transport common in the recent past and the people that owned or used a variety of vehicles for trade, business or recreation that were associated with the town. Entrance to the meeting is free. Further details can be obtained by contacting Pete Chivers on 01869 600109.

Brackley Male Voice Choir
Fritwell Wesleyan Reform Chapel, which was built in 1892, is pleased to announce that Brackley Male Voice Choir is performing at its anniversary concert being held on June 6 at 7pm in the Chapel, North Street, Fritwell.
The audience will be treated to a mixture of traditional four-part harmony and popular songs from the shows, interspersed with piano solos by Jacob Stone and a flute solo from the choir's music director, Trevor Jones. Admission is free.
Brackley Male Voice Choir's next concert will be on Saturday, June 29, at Magdalen School Chapel, High Street, Brackley as part of the Brackley Music Festival.

University of Buckingham
Our next public lecture of the spring term series will take place on Tuesday, June 9.
Dr Glenn Patrick, research physicist at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, will give a lecture entitled The Hidden Universe and the Large Hadron Collider.
Over the last 100 years, great strides have been made in our understanding of the structure of matter and the fundamental forces in the universe.
A new era of discovery is eagerly awaited at the massive detectors surrounding the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN.
This lecture will look at how it is possible to probe this seemingly hidden universe and what particle physics can tell us about its secrets.
The construction of the LHC will also be described along with an insight into how the experiments work.
The lecture is suitable for all, especially those with an inquisitive mind.
Dr Glenn Patrick is a particle physicist at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory near to Oxford and works on one of the experiments at the Large Hadron Collider, studying the differences between matter and antimatter.
He is also a member of the GridPP collaboration building the computing infrastructure needed in the UK to analyse the huge amounts of data from the LHC.
Dr Patrick has also led a number of science communication projects.
This talk will take place in the Ian Fairbairn Lecture Hall, Chandos Road Building starting at 6.30pm. As with other talks, admission to the lecture is free and open to all. There will also be time after the lecture to meet and talk to Dr Glenn Patrick over drinks in the foyer.
For more information, please contact the publicity office on 01280 820213, alternatively you can email publicity@buckingham.ac.uk.
>> A series of charity concerts with cello will be held at the Radcliffe Centre, Buckingham, on June 5, 15, 22 and 29 at 7.45pm.
This series of spectacular concerts will be performed by some of the most critically acclaimed musicians, both local and from around the globe.
The money raised from these concerts will help to support Zimbabwe, which is undergoing a most difficult time in its history.
The genesis of our concert series is an instrument – a very special cello.
Cellist Martin Loveday was born in Zimbabwe and has enjoyed a long association with The Academy of St Martin in the Fields. His cello, built in Naples in 1724, is widely recognised as one of the finest existing instruments of its era with a remarkable amount of its original varnish remaining intact.
Don't miss this opportunity to see world-class performances on your doorstep. Space is limited – in order to reserve places please contact: Primrose Gallimore on 01525 240302 or email primrosegallimore@stewkley5.freeserve.co.uk.

Maids Moreton Pre-school
It has been a busy half term.
The children have been sowing seeds in the raised vegetable beds, planting out strawberries, and starting off flowers in pots.
They have been looking at animal babies, had a visit from the community police officer, and have been enjoying a new collection of multicultural musical instruments during Betsy's regular music sessions.
The new computer tables are working out a treat (thank you, Buckingham Town Council).
The children have also had the chance to test out their wonderful new outdoor classroom in a diverse range of weather conditions, sometimes needing the sides to go up and down several times all on the same day!
Whatever the weather, the shelter and shade have been welcome.
There are lots of events coming up after half-term.
We have open days on June 3 and 10, 9.30am to 11am, when prospective families and visitors are welcome to drop in; no appointment needed.
The annual quiz night is on Saturday, June 20, at Maids Moreton Village Hall.
Maids Moreton CE School have their summer fair on Sunday, June 28, and the pre-school will have the connecting garden gate open for cream teas under the shelter, as well as their usual filled pots stall.
Finally, we mark the end of term with a family fun garden party at the pre-school on Saturday, July 18; all welcome.
The garden should be well in bloom by then, so why not call in and see what the children have been growing, enjoy our elegant surroundings and have a cream tea while the children play?
Maids Moreton Pre-school is in Avenue Road (off Moreton Road), Maids Moreton, just a mile from the centre of Buckingham.
For more information, or to arrange a visit, please contact Alice McVeigh, lead practitioner, on 01280 824989. Or search for 131130 on Ofsted's website to read our outstanding report.

The Film Place, Buckingham
The Film Place in Buckingham is showing Let's Talk About The Rain (12A) today, Friday, at 8pm.
It's a wet August in Provence but the rain isn't the only thing that's dampening the spirits of the motley ensemble of characters in this wryly-observed comedy of manners by French director Agnes Jaoui.
On hearing that Agathe Villanova, a celebrated feminist writer turned politician is returning to her family home, local film-maker Michel Ronsard asks if he can make a documentary about her.
He is assisted by Karim, a former student, whose Algerian mother, Mimouna, works as housekeeper to Agathe's sister Florence and her husband, Stephane.
Tomorrow, Saturday, you can see Frost/Nixon (15) at 7.30pm.
Swords and sandals they don't have but the Frost/Nixon interviews have blood and guts a plenty in this dramatic confrontation.
Perfectly crafted by Peter Morgan first as a stage play, he has equally skilfully adapted the drama to the big screen.
And, in the hands of Michael Sheen and Frank Langella, the dialogue just seems to have got sharper and deeper with a greater range of emotional punches.
Films can be seen at the Ian Fairbairn Lecture Hall, Chandos Road Building, University of Buckingham.

NGS Open Gardens
The owners of 3 Jubilee Cottages, Verney Junction, are opening their garden for the NGS Garden Scheme tomorrow, Saturday, and also jointly with The Old Vicarage & Inglenooks, East Claydon, on Sunday, May 31.
Gardens will be open from 2pm to 6pm, and there will be teas and two plant stalls.

Bicester U3A German Conversation Group
Do you know a little German or would you like to learn? This is a friendly group in which we try to speak a little, or just listen, and follow an interesting story, reading in turn, if able.
We welcome new members and meet fortnightly on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 10.30am. The subscription to the U3A is £12 a year.
There is a newsletter giving other activities also.
The minimum age to join is 50. Please ring Dora Polter on 01869 249094.

Ardley & Fewcott Gardening Club
The club's annual meeting and membership renewal evening will take place on Wednesday, June 24 at 7.30pm at the community hall, Ardley.
New members will be made very welcome.
Annual subscription is £5.
On Sunday, July 19, there is a coach outing to David Austin Roses, Wolverhampton, to include a guided tour of the gardens and breeding houses plus afternoon tea.
Seats cost £20, to be paid at the time of booking.
The coach will depart from Bicester at 11am.
Bookings are required by June 13 and non-members are very welcome.
The annual flower and produce show will take place on Saturday, August 29 at the community hall, Ardley, schedules will be available from early August.
We are taking bookings for our April 26-30, 2010, trip to Scotland. The price is £325 per person, optional insurance £25.
Contact Jean McGarry, secretary, on 01869 345581 for further details on any of the above.

Inner Wheel Club of Buckingham
The speaker at the May dinner meeting was Alex Stanyer from Puzzle Centre, formerly known as Puzzle Pre-School, a specialist nursery for children with autistic spectrum disorders and/or communication difficulties.
Puzzle Centre not only provides specialist approaches for young children but also provides regular training workshops for parents and early years professionals.
Puzzle costs just under £300,000 to run each year and has to raise over half of these costs through grants, trusts, donations and other fundraising activities.
The centre is also used as a resource centre, having a library of books and DVDs which are available to view and borrow.
It is situated at Middle Claydon and visits are welcome from interested parents and professionals, by appointment.
Alex is keen for local people to help and become involved in this essential and valuable work in a number of ways: working with the children, becoming a trustee, helping with fundraising, making a donation and company sponsorship. Anyone interested in helping in any way should make contact with the centre.
Inner Wheel as a group have taken a keen interest in Puzzle and have made two donations to help towards the continuation of the specialist work for our local young children, their families and early years professionals.