Akeley
Sherri Holland 01280 860486
VILLAGE WEBSITE: FOR further up-to-date information on events and news in the village please see the parish council website www.akeleyparishcouncil.gov.uk.
PLANT SWAP: AKELEY Gardening Club is holding a plant swap tomorrow, Saturday, from 2pm to 3.30pm at the village hall.
The idea of this event is that when you are doing your autumn tidy up, or dividing plants which are too big or need moving, instead of throwing the remainder on the compost heap you swap them.
As these plants will come out of village gardens they should do well locally.
We are using the village hall again for the occasion.
Any plants for the swap can just be placed in a pot or small carrier bag with their name or description.
While you are there have a look at what other people have left, there might be just the plant you are looking for to fill that difficult gap.
If so, you can give it a good home.
This has been good fun in the past so we hope to see lots of you swapping!
Tea and cakes will be served, so a good chat might be in order as well.
This is open to all villagers so let your neighbours know, or just bring them along.
BEAUJOLAIS EVENING: A BEAUJOLAIS Evening is being held on Saturday, November 22 at 8pm at the village hall.
Tickets now available from Sherri on 01280 860486 or Stan, priced £6, to include a glass of wine and a buffet.
Come along and meet friends and neighbours old and new and if Beaujolais isn't your tipple, don't worry as we have plenty of other wines, beer and soft drinks.

Claydons
Isobel Ashford 01296 730648
FIREWORKS DISPLAY: STEEPLE Claydon fireworks display presents a thriller of an evening in the recreation ground on Saturday, November 1 from 6.30pm.
The Guy competition judging will take place at the pavilion at 7pm and the bonfire will be lit at 7.15pm. Fireworks will start at 7.30pm. Hot food and lightsticks will be on sale.
Tickets in advance at village shops, £5 for adults, £6 on the gate; children under 16 and senior citizens £1 in advance, £1.50 on the gate; under fives free.
For safety reasons please do not bring any sparklers or other fireworks as they will not be permitted in the recreation ground.

Croughton
Jean Coles 01869 810473
BONFIRE & FIREWORKS: CROUGHTON All Saints CE Primary School is holding its bonfire and fireworks night on Friday, November 7 at 7pm in the field at the top of Wheelers Rise.
The bonfire will be lit at 6pm with fireworks at 7pm.
A family ticket is £12, single ticket £3.
Food and refreshments will be on sale.
This fundraiser has been organised by the Friends of the School.
HISTORY GROUP: ON Tuesday, October 28, the Croughton History Group welcomes back Brian Giggins, the senior archaeologist at Milton Keynes Council, to give a talk entitled Smothered in the Bog: A History of the Privy.
The meeting starts at 7.30pm in the village hall, members £1, non-members £3, including refreshments.
PARISH COUNCIL: THE old allotments' pocket park has been successful in winning a Green Flag award.
The long-awaited war memorial renovation has commenced.
CHURCH NOTICES: SERVICES for the commemoration of the faithful departed is being held at Evenley on Sunday, November 2 at 5pm.
A Remembrance Service will be held at All Saints Church, Croughton, at 10.55am the same day.

Gawcott
Susanne Winterbottom 01280 821079
LADIES' FASHION SHOW: GAWCOTT Pre-School is holding a Ladies' Fashion Show on Tuesday, November 11 at 8pm in the village hall.
Branded names from Wallis, Per Una, M&S, BHS, Principals, Next and many others.
A great showcase for recognised high street fashion names.
£5 on the door with a free glass of wine

Great Horwood
Patricia Rudkin 01296 712930
QUIZ NIGHT: GREAT Horwood Football and Cricket Club are holding a quiz night in the cricket pavilion today, Friday, at 8pm.
Entry is £10 per team of four.
Entries to Lynda on 01296 713387 or Sylvia on 01296 713804.
GREAT HORWOOD PRE-SCHOOL: OUR new opening hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9am to 2.30pm (2.45pm on Fridays).
If you are interested in a place for your child then please contact the leader, Wendy, on 07999 806961.
THE RIDGEWAY CLUB: THE Ridgeway Club is an after-school club and is open Monday to Friday 3.15pm to 6pm, during term time, in the village hall.
You can use the club on a regular basis or for those one-off occasions.
If you would like to book a place or would like some more information, please contact Jo on 01296 714063.
WINSLOW COMMUNITY BUS: WINSLOW Community Bus is holding a coffee morning at the British Legion Hall, in Elmfields, in Winslow, on Saturday, November 22, between 10am and noon.
Please come and support your local community bus.
Donations welcome.
Please ring Sue on 01296 715786 if you have anything to be picked up.
If you would like to know more about Winslow Community Bus, details of hire, becoming a volunteer driver, or places we visit, telephone Sue on 01296 715786 or e-mail wdcbenquiries@btconnect.com.
JOKERS WILD: ARE very busy rehearsing for their next event which is a comedy called Stage Struck by John and Yvonne Eddleston.
This play is an hilarious comedy about a theatrical agency and a detective agency which are in the same building and, to add to the fun, have offices right next door to each other!
The similarity of the company names causes a gang a real headache when they mistakenly hide stolen goods in the wrong office.
This event takes place in the village hall on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, November 6, 7 and 8.
Doors open at 7.30pm.
It will be cabaret-style seating, so space is limited.
Get your tickets early from Ian Lamberton on 01296 715968, priced at £6.50.
ALLOTMENTS 2008/2009: ALLOTMENT payments are now due.
Please make payments to Duncan Trigg, parish clerk, on 01296 715177.
The yearly rent for the allotments is going up from next year, so enjoy the coming season at the old rate.
If you no longer wish to cultivate your allotment, please let Duncan know as soon as possible because there is a waiting list.

Maids Moreton
Anita Matthews 01280 814358
CHURCH SERVICES: ON Sunday there is a service of Village Worship and Holy Communion starting at 10.30am.
Searchlights should meet at Maids Moreton School.
WHIST DRIVE: THERE is a whist drive tonight, Friday, at 7.30pm in the village hall.
To make up for the recent cancellation there will be an extra whist drive next Friday, October 31.
QUIZ NIGHT: THE Maids Moreton Allotment Committee invite you to a quiz night at the village hall on Saturday, November 1 starting at 7.30pm.
There will be teams of four.
Tickets are only £5 per person and include a delightful light supper.
Remember to bring your own drinks and glasses.
For tickets and other information call Chris on 01280 812613.
MERRYMAKERS: THE popular summer trips have now come to an end for this year.
The indoor meetings start on the first Wednesday of each month commencing in November when there will be a bring-and-buy sale.
Please do come along and support your club.
Also at this meeting the Christmas Party tickets will be on sale for members only, at £6 each, which will include a two-course meal and wine.
Entertainment will be from the renowned Billy Keys.
SOUP LUNCHES: THE next soup lunch will be on Friday, November 21 in the village hall at 12.15pm for 12.30pm.
VILLAGE HALL COMMITTEE: THERE are still a few tickets left for the Big Band Concert presenting The James Goff Band on Sunday, October 26, starting at 7.30pm.
This event will be held at Buckingham Community Centre with a licensed bar and a grand raffle.
Tickets are priced at only £10 and available from 01280 813469 or 01280 822163.
HARVEST SUPPER & AUCTION: AT the recent Harvest Supper and auction over £500 was raised for St Edmund's Church funds.
The organisers would like to express their gratitude for the help and support of all those involved in making the evening an outstanding success.
BONFIRE NIGHT: THIS event will take place on Wednesday, November 5, with a fireworks display and bonfire.
The bonfire will be lit at 7pm and the fireworks display is due to start at 7.15pm.
Sparklers will not be allowed, although glo sticks will be permissible.
MAIDS MORETON CONSERVATION GROUP: THANKS to the 10 people who worked so hard at the autumn clear-up in Scotts Lane last Sunday.
Special thanks to 10-year-old James Hughes who cut back brambles and bushes as part of his citizenship project in Year 6 at school.
James identified another fungus to add to his list.
His older sister Rosie Hughes wielded the rake in a professional manner too.
None of us could explain why a yellow cowslip was flowering so cheerfully in the month of October.
We are pleased to report that the wild flowers planted by Maids Moreton Playgroup are growing well.
VILLAGE VOICE: FOLLOWERS of this column may be interested to know that an unexpurgated version of the Village Voice also appears on the Maids Moreton village website along with additional information relating to the parish council and other activities taking place in the village.

Marsh Gibbon
Ian Metherell 01869 277620
THE BIG SING: A PROGRAMME of songs from throughout the year from Hymns Old and New will feature the hymns of Graham Kendrick.
The singing will be led by the Swan Group Choir, with a warm-up from 7pm, followed by Words and Music at 7.30pm.
It's at Marsh Gibbon United Reformed Church on Friday, October 31.
Admission is free but donations can be made to support the local air ambulance.

Padbury
Sue Wrigley 01280 814199
AVON COSMETICS CHRISTMAS PARTY: SUE Paxton is helping to organise an Avon Cosmetics Christmas Party this Sunday, October 26, in the village hall from 1.30pm to 5pm.
A wonderful range of Christmas gifts will be available, including make-up, bath and body, and fragrance gift sets, and also children's clothing, alongside Avon's breast cancer aware display.
For more information contact Gail Miskimmon on 07895 162905 or at the above address.
WINSLOW & DISTRICT ARTS SOCIETY: THE WADAS Annual Winter Exhibition showing recent works by members will be held on Saturday and Sunday, November 1 and 2 at the Winslow Centre from 10am to 5.30pm.
Entry is free, there is ample free parking and lots of interesting art will be on display.
To learn more about WADAS please call the secretary, Alicia Vaux, on 01280 813733 or visit their website on www.freewebs.com/bucksart.
ALI'S DREAM SUPPER: SUE Farrington Smith from Ali's Dream is putting on a Cooking Up A Cure supper on Thursday evening, November 6, not only for the purpose of raising funds for Ali's Dream, but also giving you an opportunity to choose your Christmas cards, wrapping papers and so on.
Tickets, £10 a head to include supper, can be obtained by ringing 01296 730230 as soon as possible please for catering purposes!
VILLAGE HALL COMMITTEE AGM: THIS is being held on Thursday, November 6 in the village hall at 8pm.
David Johnston will be standing down, so the post of chairman needs to be filled.
If you are the representative of a club or society which uses the hall on a regular basis, your voice needs to be heard, if not as the new chairman, at least as a help towards the running of the hall, so please make every effort to attend.
If you really can't make it then do give your apologies please to Shirley Lafford on 01280 812535.
SAFARI SUPPER: THE next Safari Supper is scheduled to take place on Saturday, November 15.
The evening starts at the New Inn and then people divide off for the various courses in different houses.
New hosts would be more than welcome and obviously their costs are refunded.
Tickets are £15 a head available from Sue or Nick Fane on 01280 823976 and they will be able to give you further information about the evening.
BINGO: THE next bingo session will be today, Friday, in the village hall when the raffle will be for village hall funds and the evening will start at 8pm.

Thornborough
Chrissie Vernon 01280 813073
THORNBOROUGH METHODIST CHURCH: YOU are invited to a slideshow on Friday, October 31 at 7.30pm.
The theme is Thornborough Remembered and will be of interest to younger people as well as the elderly.
There will also be a talk on how things have changed in the village of Thornborough over the years.
Admittance is £3 including tea, coffee and biscuits.
All proceeds to the extension fund.
BINGO: THE next bingo in the village hall is tomorrow, Saturday, at 7.30pm.
This is an extra one to the usual monthly ones. The next monthly one is scheduled for Saturday, November 15 at 7.30pm in the village hall.
GARDENING SOCIETY AGM: THE AGM of Thornborough Gardening Society is being held on Thursday, November 6 at 8pm in the village hall. All are welcome to attend.
CHURCH MINI MARKET & COFFEE MORNING: TOMORROW, Saturday, in church between 10am and noon, a selection of organic vegetables, cakes, eggs, jams and local cards will be on sale.
Also tea, coffee and biscuits will be on offer.
This is to be a monthly event on the last Saturday of each month, so come along to the new-look cake stall.
TRADITIONAL GUY FAWKES NIGHT: THORNBOROUGH'S bonfire and fireworks display on Saturday, November 1, is open to everyone.
The gate, at the junction of Back Street/Lower End, opens at 7pm but all are invited to join the traditional village torchlit procession leading to the bonfire.
The procession starts at 6.30pm from the Two Brewers, High Street, and winds its way past the chapel, pond, church, village hall and school.
Please bring a torch.
There is plenty of room for parking along the High Street and by village greens.
For safety reasons parking is prohibited in Lower End and Back Street, close to the bonfire.
Entry is £4 for adults, £2 for senior citizens and children.
The fire will be lit at 7.15pm and the aerial fireworks display starts at 7.30pm, to finish by 8pm.
We will, as usual, be holding competitions for the best Guy and all Guys will be thrown on to the bonfire, so don't use dad's best cricket pullover!
There will also be a competition for the best pumpkin/turnip lantern, with prizes for all entrants in both competitions.
Also, for children, we will be selling soft drinks and more.
In case shelter is required, there will be a marquee on the field where hot pork rolls, soft drinks, mulled wine, hot dogs and more will be on sale.
This event has been organised by the Thornborough Sports & Social Club and more information can be obtained from Bernard Garbe on 01280 814434 or email bernard.garbe@vitalograph.co.uk.

Tingewick
Joanna Brown 01280 847479
CHARITY DINNER & AUCTION: BUCKINGHAM Ladies' Circle is holding a black tie dinner and charity auction to raise money for a foetal monitor at the Horton Hospital in Banbury and the Stillborn and Neonatal Death Society.
Expected items up for auction include signed Formula 1 memorabilia, a dinner party donated by the Buckingham Deli and much more.
The event is in memory of Emily Collyer, daughter of Corrine and Andrew Collyer from Tingewick, and will take place on November 2.
Tickets are £35 (to include a three-course meal) and are available from Mrs Collyer on 01280 847059.
CHURCH SERVICES: THERE will be a Family Service at St Mary Magdalene's starting at 11.15am this Sunday.
Songs of Praise will be held at 5pm on the same day.
POLICE CLINIC: THE neighbourhood police officer and police community support officer will be available to discuss matters relating to the village on Monday, October 27, starting at 5pm.
This is an open clinic for Tingewick and surrounding villages.
For more information contact PC Nicki Tipping on 0845 8505505 or Charles Tanner on 01280 847680.
MOBILE LIBRARY: THE mobile library will be in Stowe View at 3.20pm on Thursday, October 30.
QUIZ NIGHT & HALLOWE'EN DISCO: THURSDAY, October 30 is quiz night at the Royal Oak.
The following night (Friday, October 31) is the Hallowe'en disco with optional fancy dress, eerie cocktails and a prize for the best costume, starting at 8.30pm.
Telephone the pub on 01280 848373 for more information.
DEADSTRING BROTHERS: WE just can't get enough of the Deadstring Brothers and they are returning to the village hall tonight, Friday, at 8pm.
Tickets are £12.50 in advance from The Duke's Music in Buckingham, or £15 on the door.
Go to the website www.empty-rooms.com for more information.

Wappenham
Jane Harries 01327 860350
HALLOWE'EN: WAPPENHAM Recreation Association invite all Wappenham children to a Hallowe'en party at the village hall on Friday, October 31.
It starts at 6.30pm and ends at 7.30pm, with fancy dress and best carved pumpkin competitions, and will be followed by an organised trick or treat.
Parents must accompany children and the cost is £3 per child.
DRAMA CLUB: THE Lois Weedon and Weston Drama Club (with much participation by Wappenham – it's just too long a name to add us as well!) – is going to do The Wizard of Oz as their February pantomime.
It is holding a first meeting about it for anyone interested, whether on stage or to help behind the scenes.
Both are needed, so if you'd like to see what's involved, come along tomorrow, Saturday, to Lois Weedon Village Hall at 10am (children) and 11am (adults).