Abthorpe
John Riches 01327 857703
ABTHORPE MILLENNIUM CELEBRATION: BACK in 2000, to celebrate the millennium, a fascinating compact disc was produced that was distributed free to all homes in the parish.
As the few that are left have been gathering dust, it has been decided to give them to anyone interested in the life and history of Abthorpe.
Using photographs, sound recordings, maps and text, the disc gives a comprehensive account of our village and its people from pre-Roman times right through to the millennium celebrations in 2000.
Bill Kendall, a parish councillor for over 40 years, has recorded an account of how the parish succeeded in claiming its own village green.
In 1910, Dorothy Holton was appointed as a probation monitor at Abthorpe School.
Around that time the village had two pubs, The Stocking Frame and The New Inn, plus a blacksmiths and a wheelwrights.
Employment, in addition to farm labouring, was described as being centred round two businesses.
One made pillow lace for a Leicester buyer while the other undertook outwork for the Northants shoe trade.
Anyone who would like to receive a free copy of the disc should e-mail me at john.riches@abthorpe.net or leave their telephone number on my answering machine and I'll get back to them.

Akeley
Sherri Holland 01280 860486
FREE PLAY AROUND THE PARISHES: TEAMS of playworkers, along with staff from the Sure Start Children's Centres, will be providing a wide range of play activities for one- to 11-year-olds this summer.
Activities include arts and crafts, sports and games as well as bouncy castle and inflatables.
Parents must accompany their children and please bring your own refreshments.
There is no need to book, just turn up.
Some villages have indoor areas if wet but some sessions may be cancelled if the weather is poor.
For further details please telephone 01296 585210.
Activities in Akeley are on Wednesday, August 27, 10am to 12.30pm.
AVDC MOBILE SKATE PARK: THE session on the afternoon of Saturday, May 3 was very successful with an estimated 50 children taking part.
Another session has been booked for Saturday, August 30.
More details nearer the time.
VILLAGE SHOW: THE Village Show is being held on Saturday, September 6.
This year the show will be a village show with all classes open to anyone who lives in the village. Children's classes, as usual, are also open to children who attend the village school.
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH: NICOLE Bruce, our local PCSO, has arranged a meeting on Wednesday, September 17 at 7.30pm in the village hall to relaunch our local neighbourhood watch scheme as it is several years since it was originally set up.
WORLD'S BIGGEST COFFEE MORNING: THIS event is being held on Saturday, September 27 at the village hall from 10.30am to noon.
If you have any books for us to sell please contact Sherri on 01280 860486.
AKELEY GARDENING CLUB: THE club is staging a visit to RHS gardens, Wisley, on Sunday, October 5.
Treat yourself to a day out with us to this wonderful RHS garden for only £10 which includes entry to the gardens.
There is a free picnic area, a licensed restaurant and full facilities for the disabled, as well as a shop and plant centre.
Please contact Sherri on 01280 860486 to book your seat.

Chackmore
Jennifer Beckett 01280 813448
CHACKMORE ANNUAL FLOWER SHOW: AFTER a gap of two years the fine weather returned for the Chackmore Show, enabling teas to be served in the garden of Hambledon Lodge by kind invitation of Mr and Mrs Shane Aris.
Entries were up on last year and we were pleased to welcome a number of new exhibitors.
First-prize winners ranged in ages from two-and-a-half years to 90 years.
At the end of the afternoon, trophies were presented by the show president, Norman Sartin, assisted by the chairman, Keith Hawkins.
A special presentation was made to Mrs S Hazelwood who has been associated with the show for many years and will shortly celebrate her 90th birthday.
Malcolm Beckett, show secretary, thanked exhibitors, judges, visitors and all those who had contributed in any way towards making the 64th Annual Flower Show such a success.

Croughton
Jean Coles 01869 810473
MEETING: A SPECIAL general meeting of Croughton Village Club is to be held on Tuesday, August 26 at 8pm.
It has been called to consider constructive suggestions for the future of this valuable village asset.
CROUGHTON ALLOTMENTEERS: THE Flower and Vegetable Show is being held tomorrow, Saturday, in the village hall, admission 25p.
This is a family-friendly show open to everyone.
Staging of the exhibits is from 10am to noon, 20p per exhibit. Judging will be at noon, behind closed doors.
It is open to the public 2pm–4pm, there will be refreshments and a raffle.
Exhibitors and children get free entrance to the show.
For more information and entry forms telephone Richard on 01869 810862 or Steve on 01869 810066.
Entry forms are to be received by 6pm today, Friday.
HISTORY GROUP: THERE will be no History Group event in August.
The next one is on September 23.

Deanshanger
Jennie Dott 01908 564725
DEANSHANGER VILLAGE PLAYGROUP: NOW that the village playgroup staff and committee have moved all their equipment into the new playgroup building at Deanshanger Community Centre they are holding a special open day on Wednesday, August 27 from 10am until noon and from 2pm to 4pm.
This is being arranged so that residents, children and carers can see this fantastic new facility and get a flavour of the environment in which their under fives can learn through play and a variety of other activities.
This will be the first opportunity for many parents to see the new premises which have been completed as part of the new community centre extension.
Make this a date in your diary and be sure to come along and meet the staff.
MILTON KEYNES CAR SHOW: IS being held tomorrow, Saturday, on Deanshanger Playing Field.
Do come along and look at the cars, enjoy the stalls and the barbecue.
See posters around the village and Milton Keynes for more details.

Gawcott
Susanne Winterbottom 01280 821079
GAWCOTT BEER FESTIVAL: FROM noon to dusk on Saturday, September 13, there will be a beer festival held on The Richard Roper Playing Fields.
Various beers, ciders and Pimms will be on sale, with a barbecue, pig roast, teas and cakes, soft drinks and ice creams also available.
Plus plenty of entertainment for the whole family.
Live music, barn dancing, tug-of-war, sheep races, falconry displays, pony rides, bouncy castle and slide, bungee jumping, Maypole dancing, and arts and crafts stalls.
All proceeds will go towards new facilities for Holy Trinity Church.
NEARLY NEW SALE: GAWCOTT Pre-School is holding their annual children's clothing, toys and accessories sale on Saturday, September 27 from 10.30am until noon.
For a seller's pack (pre-booking essential) please contact Katie on 01280 815840 or e-mail: simkat@tesco.net.

Great Horwood
Patricia Rudkin 01296 712930
CRICKET CLUB: DO remember the cricket club is holding a Village 20:20 Cup this coming Sunday, August 24, at the cricket pavilion. Entrance is free!
Four teams will be taking part in this knock-out competition.
There will be a bar and food available throughout the day!
BEAVERS: URGENTLY needed – new leaders and assistants for our Beaver Scouts.
It is not a huge commitment, one hour per week or every other week with some thinking time between meetings.
Currently, Beavers meet on Thursday evenings from 6pm to 7pm but this can be changed to suit the new leaders.
The role of Beaver Scout leader is open to anyone between 18 and 80 years.
If you are interested or would like some more information contact Paul Ketteridge on 01296 670663.
FOOTBALL CLUB: TRAINING for the new season has started at the football ground in Nash Road on Wednesdays at 7pm.
The club also needs people to 'run the line', so if you are interested contact Sylvia Whitehall, secretary, on 0795 2018988.
Also wanted, someone to wash the football strip every week for the season, approximately 30 matches. A payment of £300 is offered for your help.
Contact Sylvia on the number above if you can help or email secretary@greathorwoodfc.co.uk.
PARISH COUNCIL: THE next meeting for Great Horwood Parish Council is Monday, September 8 at 7.30pm at the village hall.
Meetings are open to all and they include a period of democratic discussion, during which you may comment on agenda items or raise questions of your own.
Meetings are now held every second Monday in the month.
To contact the parish clerk, Duncan Trigg, email dst.parishclerk@tiscali.co.uk.

Hillesden
Richard Murray 01296 730362
ROGATION WALK: THERE will be a summer walk from Padbury to Hillesden on Sunday, August 31 to which all are welcome (including dogs).
We will meet at 2pm at Ox Bow Bridge, Padbury and our destination is All Saints Church, Hillesden, where we will hold Songs of Praise at 4pm followed by refreshments.
Alternatively, non-walkers can meet us at Hillesden for Songs of Praise and refreshments.
There will be a car-share system, so lifts will be available.
For more information contact the Rev Ros Roberts on 01280 813612 or the Rev Jenny Shields on 01280 814474.
HARVEST CELEBRATIONS: LOOKING a little further ahead, the harvest supper will be held on September 20 in the church and our harvest festival service will be at 6pm on Sunday, September 28.

Leckhampstead
Bidie Cash 01280 860412
FLOWER FESTIVAL: LECKHAMPSTEAD will hold a flower festival over this Bank Holiday weekend, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, each day from 2pm to 6pm.
The church will be filled with more than 25 imaginative displays illustrating nursery rhymes.
Tea will be served in the church, there will be stalls selling cakes, produce, preserves, crafts, good bric-a-brac and nearly new books.
There will also be a raffle and competition for the children.
This is a fundraising effort to help complete the rebuild and refurbishment of the village hall.

Lillingstone Lovell
Malcolm Jones 01280 860312
TRADITIONAL RURAL VILLAGE DAY: MAKE a date in your diary to come along to our first Traditional Rural Village Day on Sunday, August 31 from 10am until 6pm.
There will be sheepdog demonstrations, dog agility tests, craft and plant stalls, vintage tractors and demonstrations, craft stalls and demonstrations, as well as a tombola, raffle and much more.
Why not come along and enjoy an interesting day and bring your own dog to compete in the agility test or waggiest tail competition.
Refreshments will be available all day in the village hall.
Entry is free and all proceeds will be shared between the community and Buckingham Hospital.

Maids Moreton
Anita Matthews 01280 814358
CHURCH SERVICES: ON Sunday there is a service of Parish Communion at 10.30am.
WHIST DRIVE: THE next meeting will be held tonight, Friday, in the village hall at 7.30pm.
SOUP LUNCHES: THESE splendid occasions will recommence on Friday, September 10.
ST EDMUND'S ANNUAL CHURCH FETE: THIS long-awaited event will take place on Bank Holiday Monday, kicking off at 12.30pm with barbecue lunches.
What follows will be a plant stall, bric-a-brac, bowling, teas and many more attractions too numerous to mention.
Music arranged by the Vivacious Vera Dance Team.
All are welcome, admission free.
PIE & MASH EVENING: THE pie and mash evening, together with an auction, will take place on Saturday, September 20, starting at 7pm in the village hall.
Tickets are now available at £6 from the box office.

Padbury
Sue Wrigley 01280 814199
A SUMMER WALK: ON Sunday, August 31, the Rev Ros Roberts is organising a walk from Padbury to Hillesden, leaving Ox Lane Bridge at 2pm and having a Rogation Songs of Praise service in All Saints Church, Hillesden, at 4pm, followed by refreshments.
All are welcome, including dogs.
If walking isn't your thing, meet at Hillesden Church for the 4pm service and, ever-conscious of the environment, please share cars.
If you need transport in either direction, please contact either Ros Roberts on 01280 813162 (sorry – a couple of digits were the wrong way round last week) or Jenny Shields on 01280 814474.
PADBURY PRODUCE SHOW: THIS year's Produce Show will take place on Saturday, September 6 in the village hall and, as the schedules were delivered with the last issue of the village magazine, I am sure you will have had a good look through and decided which classes you are going to enter.
There is plenty of scope – vegetables and fruit, flowers and floral art, preserves and cookery (a Guinness cake this time), home-made drinks, crafts and pot plants, and of course children's classes.
Further copies of the schedule are available from Sylvia Nutt who is secretary of the Produce Show Committee and her number is 01280 812333.
Padbury is very lucky still to have a Produce Show thanks to the hard work of the committee and judges but, most of all, it's down to all of you who take part, it can't be done without you!
GARDEN CLUB: ADSTOCK & Padbury Garden Club members reconvene once again on Tuesday, September 9 in Padbury Village Hall (please note change of venue – it says Adstock in the programme) starting at 8pm.
The speaker will be Theresa Wright and she will give a talk about hardy exotic plants, which you may think is a contradiction in terms but is probably the new direction for many gardens.
If your interest is gardening, you are more than welcome to come along, but do give Sue Crook a ring on 01280 816505 for further information.
PADBURY PRE-SCHOOL: PADBURY'S brand-new pre-school opens in September.
It will take children from two to five years old and will operate every morning from 8.50am to 11.50am with an additional lunch club on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays which will run until 12.45pm.
To see if there are any spaces left for September this year or even January 2009, please ring the pre-school on 07504 687059 or email padburypreschool@aol.co.uk.
HISTORIC CHURCHES TRUST RIDE 'N' STRIDE: WHAT better way to see some of our green and pleasant land than to walk or cycle round some of the local churches and raise money to help preserve them.
Choose your own route, make it as long or short as you like, and get your sponsorship forms now from Geoff Harper on 01280 817855.
It's a great family day out.
PADBURY VILLAGE FETE: MAKE a note of the date in your diaries, Saturday, September 20, and pray for good weather (just dry would be good!).
There will be lots of exciting attractions including a dog show, raffle, coconut shy, fancy dress competition, swing boats, crafts, handbags, jewellery, and much, much more.
If you can help in any way or would even like to have a stall, please contact any of the following: Sallyanne Lightbown on 01280 815042, Sara Birch on 01280 821236 or Fred Morris on 01280 816059.
BINGO: THE next bingo session in the village hall is on Friday, August 29 starting at 8pm and the raffle will be for village hall funds.
For any queries or donations of raffle prizes, Shirley Lafford can be contacted on 01280 812535.

Syresham
Christina Munsey
SYRESHAM SPORTS AND SOCIAL CLUB: THE Bank Holiday Weekend of Entertainment starts with a visit by the comedian Richard C Parker tomorrow, Saturday, starting at 8.30pm.
On Sunday, August 24 there will be a breakfast barbecue (serving bacon, eggs and sausages) from 11.30am and an afternoon barbecue from 1pm.
At 2pm there will be a cricket match with Syresham playing a touring cricket team from North Down.
On Bank Holiday Monday there will be another breakfast barbecue starting at 9.30am with the annual six-a-side cricket tournament starting at 10am. There will be an afternoon barbecue from 1pm.
Everyone is welcome.
FASHION SHOW: THERE will be a fashion show in the village hall on Friday, September 26, with the latest fashions from Matalan.
More details will be published soon, but if you would like to be a model for the evening please contact Chris on 01280 850596.
BIZARRE BAZAAR: THE village hall is organising a bizarre bazaar on Hallowe'en, October 31.
If you would like a stall, contact Chris on 01280 850596 to book a table.

Tingewick
Joanna Brown 01280 847479
PLAY AROUND THE PARISHES: THE third and last of these events for children will be taking place from 2pm to 4pm today, Friday, either at the recreation ground or on the school field.
Teams of playworkers, along with staff from the Sure Start Children's Centres, will be providing a range of play equipment and activities for one- to 11-year-olds.
Activities will include art and crafts, sports and games, as well as bouncy castles and inflatables.
The events are free and there is no need to book, just turn up on the day.
In the event of bad weather, it may be necessary to cancel the session.
Please note that parents must stay with their children and bring their own refreshments.
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY ANNUAL SHOW: TOMORROW, Saturday, the Tingewick and Water Stratford Horticultural Society will be holding their 84th Annual Show in the village hall.
There will be lots to see including flowers, vegetables, fruit, domestic crafts, flower arranging, photography classes and the very popular junior classes – more than 400 exhibits will be on display.
Judging takes place in the morning and the show is open to the public from 2pm when there will be a tombola, raffle, and teas and cakes on sale.
For more information contact Charles Tanner on 01280 847680.
QUIZ NIGHT: THE Royal Oak on Main Street is holding a quiz night tomorrow, Saturday, starting at 8.30pm.
Contact the pub on 01280 848373 for information.
TINGEWICK CHURCH: THERE will be a family service on Sunday at 11.15am at St Mary Magdalene's Church.
For more information, telephone Anthony Houghton-Brown on 01280 848658.
CONTRIBUTORS FOR VILLAGE NEWSLETTER: THE Tingewick and District News is a lively little publication delivered to all houses in Tingewick each month.
It contains news of events, restaurant reviews, advertisements for services, the activities of the parish council and a letters page.
The editor is always looking for local interest articles to include, either regularly or just now and again.
You don't need to be a linguistic wizard, nor super-duper with PCs, just as long as you have something interesting to say.
To find out more and to talk through some ideas, please contact the editor, John Clucas, on 01280 847822 or email tingewicknews@benclucas.co.uk
MUSIC GIG: JOHN Wesley Harding plus Chris Von Sneidern and David Lewis will be playing at the village hall on Friday, August 29, doors open at 8pm.
Tickets are £10 in advance from The Duke's Music in Buckingham or £12 on the door.
More information on www.empty-rooms.com or email enquiries@empty-rooms.com.
PARTY IN THE PADDOCK: THE Party in the Paddock is being held on September 19 starting at 8pm.
For tickets, £60, telephone 01280 848211 or visit www.partyinthepaddock.co.uk.
All proceeds go to Macmillan Cancer Support, the Florence Nightingale Hospice and the Oxford Kidney Unit.
KARATE: THE Karate Club meets on Thursdays at 6pm in the village hall.
Details from Kath Dearden on 01280 705035.
DANCING: LINE dancing in the village hall on Monday nights at 7.30pm
Call Anna on 01280 847809 for more details.
On Thursday afternoons at 2pm the village Dance Club meets in the village hall.
Contact Hazel Thurlow on 01280 838446 for more details.
RAINBOW & SCOUTS: RAINBOWS meet in the pre-school every Friday from 6.30pm.
Contact Janet Mackay for information on 01280 817052.
Scouts meet every Tuesday at 8pm in the village hall, contact Roger Williams on 01280 847824.
TODDLER GROUP: TINGEWICK Toddlers meet on Thursdays from 1.15pm to 2.45pm, £1 per family group.

Wappenham
Jane Harries 01327 860350
AGM: THE Village Hall AGM is being held on Tuesday, August 26 at 7.30am.
All are welcome.
FETE: CAKES, plants and other home produce are needed for the fete on September 6, both for the teas and the home produce stall.
Please sign the chart at the village shop for cakes and deliver them to the shop on September 5.
Your efforts will be greatly appreciated!
If you would like to buy some raffle tickets, or sell them to your friends or work colleagues, please contact Frank or Fiona Kinner on 01327 860557.
There are many prizes to be won, including an iPod, a family ticket to any English Heritage site, Cadbury's hampers with family passes to Cadbury World, coffee machines and cases of wine.
All in aid of the three village charities – Village Hall, Recreation Association and Friends of St Mary's Church.