The Film Place
THE Film Place is showing Changeling (15) today, Friday, at 8pm.
It's a horrifying true story of a single working mother in Los Angeles, 1928.

Christine Collins leaves her nine year old son Walter 'home alone' for a day.

Every parent's worst nightmare is realised when she returns to find him missing.

But this is no ordinary story of a hunt for a missing child.

Despite apparent indifference from the police, Christine knows Walter has not run away and she fights to keep the case in the public eye.

Five months later, a boy is found who the police claim is the missing Walter.

Christine knows instantly that this is not her son but, try as she might, she cannot break through the wall of officialdom.

Her increasingly distressed arguments are met with cruel indifference and finally, taking advantage of her vulnerability, the police commit her to an asylum.

Tomorrow, Saturday, Bedtime Stories (PG) can be seen at 6.30pm.
Skeeter Bronson has not been lucky.

Not only was he saddled with an outlandish name, but his father sold out the family hotel to business magnate, Barry Nottingham.

Skeeter – a sort of 'Cinderella' figure – now works as the hotel handyman.

He takes on the role of babysitter to his sister's children and discovers an uncanny skill for telling stories – stories that are embellished by the children, whose imaginative twists have a way of becoming reality.

It dawns on Skeeter that he might harness these events into furthering his ambitions of becoming the manager of a new hotel.

All he has to do is to come up with a better theme than his rival, Kendall – child's play when you have the possibility of knights in armour, gladiatorial combats, cowboys and spacemen at your disposal!

A delightful family film with real appeal to the pre teen audience, a star-studded cast and pacey direction from Adam Shankman.

Films can be seen at the Ian Fairbairn Lecture Hall, Chandos Road Building, University of Buckingham.

Bicester U3A
IN March our group had a talk by David Howe on his Entertainment Scrapbook 1934 illustrated by musical excerpts which brought back many delightful memories.

He had rare recordings of bands, singers, conductors and orchestras who were helping us out of the Great Depression – Henry Hall, Jessie Matthews, George Robey, Sir Thomas Beecham, the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and then Gracie Fields were but a few. It was a delightful afternoon.

In April, our speaker was Peter Chivers on a more serious, but most interesting, note.

He traced the history of the Bicester area from the Jurassic age, showing us how the landscape itself had changed long before there was any hint of a town and how it has now developed.

Our May speaker will be Ben Jackson talking about My Son and Other Children.

We meet at Wendlebury Village Hall on the fourth Tuesday of the month at 2pm and new members are always welcome.

The Royal British Legion Women's Section, Winslow

ON Saturday, May 9 between 10am and noon, the ladies will be holding a coffee morning in the Royal British Legion Hall, Elmfields Gate, Winslow.

Please come along and help us to raise funds for the Royal British Legion.

We are also in need of members to come to our monthly meetings to keep our section going.

RBL Club has bingo on Wednesday and Sunday evenings, also entertainment most weekends for members and guests.

Winslow and District Arts Society

WE anticipated a dramatic and exciting evening at our March meeting when Rory Browne was our guest demonstrator and he did not disappoint us.

His chosen subject, a mountain scene in watercolour painted on a 6ft by 4ft canvas, was tackled with energy and lots of paint. Members had been warned not to sit too close.

A stunning and dramatic image miraculously appeared at the end of a wonderful evening.

A more careful and considered approach was taken by Jill Winch at our April meeting for her botanical subject.

Jill first does a detailed drawing then carefully selects her colours before starting to lay pale watercolour washes and gradually building up the depth of colour and texture. We all rushed to get a front row seat for this demonstration.

On a bright sunny day at the end of April a group of WADAS members spent a delightful afternoon painting in a local bluebell wood.

We enjoyed this experience so much that we have arranged a WADAS group painting day on May 26 at Evenley Wood Gardens – 60 acres of gorgeous vistas to explore and paint.

Our next outing is on May 13 to Jane Austen's House, a charming small manor house when she lived while writing her six great novels.

The afternoon will be spent at nearby Hinton Ampner, an elegant country house which boasts a wonderful garden.

WADAS is always pleased to welcome new members, those who like to paint and those who have a broad general interest in the arts.

To learn more about WADAS please call the secretary on 01280 813733 or visit our website at www.freewebs.com/bucksart

Buckingham and Winslow Scouts

Some 60 Cubs Scouts from Winslow, Maids Moreton, Gt Horwood and Steeple Claydon joined Cubs Scouts from across Buckinghamshire for an activity packed May Day Bank Holiday Weekend at Phasels Wood Scout Camp site in Hertfordshire.

Arriving on Friday evening and a little late to bed did not discourage cubs from giving their leaders an early morning alarm call at 5am on Saturday eager to start their action packed days.

It was a 'doing things' weekend with a chance to experience being roped up and helmeted to wall climbing and abseil, be coached and guided in the skills of archery and air rifle shooting, to experience the underground crawl of potholing and trying not to get lost on an orienteering course around the camp site – not to mention the many craft creating challenges available.

Suffice to say that on Sunday morning the alarm call was from the leaders to the cubs who after an action-packed Saturday slept well but still had the energy to continue round all the activity bases on Sunday. Supported by more than 20 leaders and parent helpers, the cub scouts of our district had a wonderful and enjoyable weekend.

If you would like your son or daughter to experience the many challenges offered by today's scouting or would like to be part of our adult support team that helps and provides our young people with these opportunities please contact our district commissioner on 0845 838 2847.

Buckingham Choral Society

Following their very successful and highly acclaimed spring concert under the expert musical direction of Julian Mann in early April, the society's members are now enjoying rehearsing their 'doo ba doos' and 'hey ding a dings' for their summer concert on Saturday, July 4, in Buckingham Parish Church.

This event will be the opening concert of the Buckingham Summer Festival as well as part of the society's 150th anniversary series of celebratory concerts during 2009.

The audience is certain to enjoy the diverse and most enjoyable programme of music – just perfect for a summer's evening! The programme includes Blest Pair of Sirens by Sir Hubert Parry, one of England's most well-known 19th century composers, and well-known modern day choral music recorded and made popular by the Brian Kay and the King's Singers – the Birthday Madrigals written by John Rutter to celebrate the 75th birthday of the great jazz pianist, George Shearing, and Captain Noah and his Floating Zoo by the Austrian composer Joseph Horovitz, with libretto by Micheal Flanders.

This work is a popular and lighthearted oratorio which chronicles the adventures of Noah and his Ark.

Tickets will be available mid-May from The Duke's Music, Market Hill, Buckingham, and Tourist Information Centre, The Old Gaol, Buckingham.
For further information about the society, please go to our website at www.buckinghamchoral.org.uk.

Ardley and Fewcott Gardening Club

Club members have just returned from a very enjoyable week in northern France.

Our hotel in St Martin, Rouen was set in very pleasant and peaceful surroundings.

Tuesday morning saw us leave the hotel for a short drive to Le Clos du Coudray, a chemical-free garden which is home to more than 8,000 plant species.

A stream runs through the garden, and with the warm sun it added tranquility to this very pretty spring garden.

With lunchtime approaching, it was time to board the coach and head for the centre of Rouen where members dispersed to do their own thing, Most enjoyed a leisurely lunch and soaking up the sun at an outside restaurant situated by the magnificent Notre Dame cathedral.

Wednesday and another glorious day was on the horizon. Our first visit of the day was to the botanical garden in Rouen for a leisurely stroll through the very well kept park, where spring flowers were bursting with colour. It was then back into Rouen for lunch, followed by a visit to Montmari and the Jardins D'Angelique.

This garden had been created by the owners in memory of their daughter Angelique, and it was a rather serene, tranquil, reflective setting and ever evocative of someone who is longer there.

Thursday morning saw us heading for the Champ de Bataille estate, a garden recreated from nothing to the splendour it is today. It was then on to Giverny to visit the garden of artist Claude Monet, full of colour from the many wisterias, azaleas, shrubs and spring bulbs and of course its famous Japanese Bridge that inspired the pictorial universe of the water lilies.

Friday arrived all too soon, it was time to say goodbye to Rouen and make our way towards the Channel Tunnel at Calais but not before one final treat, lunch and wine tasting at the Chateau de Cocove.

This was an excellent way to end to our holiday in Northern France.
Many, many thanks to our coach driver Chris Groombridge and to Val Mott for all her assistance and help regarding this trip.

The Hardy Plant Society

The speaker at our meeting on Saturday, May 16 is Pamela Holt.
She is widely experienced in horticulture, and has collected plants in South America for Kew, where she trained with Alan Titchmarsh, and is going to talk to us about plant identification.

If you have any mysteries in your garden this is your chance to solve them.

Pamela has kindly volunteered to look at any samples brought in. The talk starts at 2.15 pm and will be held at the Winslow Centre, Park Road, Winslow. Visitors are very welcome but will be asked to pay £4.
Further details from Paul Radcliffe on 01280 813352.

The Friends of Paulerspury School

TONIGHT, Friday, we are holding a family bingo evening at Paulerspury School.

Doors open at 6.30pm and eyes down is 7pm. Bingo tickets are £1 per book which has ten games in.

There will be a raffle and also refreshments on sale. All money raised goes towards FPS's projects within the school, which help promote both education and play during the children's time at the school.

Contact Paulerspury Primary School on 01327 811674 or email
friendsofpaulerspuryschool@gmail.com
for more information.

Brackley European Association

At its annual meeting last Thursday, 30 members of the association chose their executive committee for the forthcoming year.

Mayor of Brackley, Cllr Kevin Dixon attended, and for a brief period took control of events, acting as president of the association, while the election of officers took place.

Mayors of Brackley automatically take the role of president of BEA as the organisation acts for the town of Brackley on its exchange visits at home or abroad.

Outgoing chair Anita Robbins reported to delegates a very successful year and thanked her committee and members for their assistance at our various functions, including the annual Pancake Day egg and spoon races, attending Brackley Carnival and visits to Montabaur in Germany and from our twins in Pavillons-sous-Bois, France.

Treasurer Graham Archdale told the meeting of a successful year on the finance front and that results gave a good indication as to what are the most successful events for fundraising as despite the attitude of the general public we are not funded by local or national governments.
Officers elected for the year 2009-10 are chair: Anita Robbins: secretary: Jane Pope; treasurer, Graham Archdale.

Having carried out his duties successfully Councillor Dixon handed the meeting back to the re-elected chair for the rest of the meeting.
Top business of the evening was our visit to France at the end of May (Friday May 29 to Monday June 1).

Next BEA gathering will be on Thursday, May 28 (the day before departure to Pavillons), Lower Town Hall, from 8pm.

If you would like more information about twinning phone either Anita Robbins (01295 712388), Jane Pope (01280 70594) or just turn up at one of our meetings where you are assured of a warm welcome.