Chesham

CHESHAM'S 27th Carnival takes place on Saturday, June 16. There will be a procession through the town, which will include pupils from eight primary schools. The Carnival Queen competition is not being held this year. The public will line the streets on Carnival Day and then proceed to The Moor.

JIM Whitehead of Belmont Road is an expert on traffic problems. He writes regularly to local papers in Buckinghamshire and in London. He visits London regularly, utilising the Metropolitan Line. He is not a car driver and for years regularly used the last bus from The Broadway in Chesham to his home in Pond Park, to keep the late night service going. He was regularly the only passenger. He laments the lost 336 buses to Chartridge, but is very grateful for the half-hour service in the daytime to his home, although he recalls that 12 years ago there were buses up and down to Chesham every quarter of an hour.

THE success of the French market in Chesham during the early May Bank Holiday means that the market will return before Christmas. There will be more than the 32 stalls in May, and it is hoped to obtain a drinks licence for the next market.

ELGIVA Theatre has an ever-growing band of volunteers who support in a variety of ways reception, theatre ushers and backstage. If you fancy spending a couple of hours helping and having fun at the same time please ring (01494) 582900 or come in for a chat. A continuing thank-you to all those who have helped so far in whatever capacity. The Elgiva is situated in Chesham Town Centre, five minutes walk from the station.

CHESHAM and District Natural History Society is a large, friendly society fostering all aspects of the natural world and its conservation, especially locally. For details telephone (01494) 771264.

CHESHAM Bridge Club meets at the Town Hall every Tuesday. Telephone (01494) 726039.

CHESHAM Town Talk is a free magazine which appears twice annually. This magazine can now be picked up at the library, the White Hill Centre, the Elgiva Theatre, shops, and Chesham Leisure Centre. The magazine carries features by Chesham clubs and societies.

CHESHAM Youth Theatre attracts young members from 11-years. Run weekly, meetings can include theatrical workshops. The group aims to do two productions a year. Telephone (01494) 775460.

JUNE 10 is the next date when Campden Cottage garden is open to the public in the afternoon. 51 Clifton Road is signed from the A416 mid-way between Amersham-on-the-Hill and Chesham, near pedestrian lights. Fine collection of unusual and rare plants; featured in Good Gardens Guide 2001. Admission £1.50, children free.

DOUGLAS McMinn Centre in East Street provides day care for the elderly, including a three-course lunch, morning and afternoon tea, entertainment and hairdressing facility.

THE new Metropolitan Line timetable shows that Chesham trains continue to run every 30 minutes to Chalfont and Latimer, connecting with fast trains to Baker Street; and the two peak hour services between Chesham and Aldgate are unchanged.

2001 Donkey Derby on June 10 at Botley Playing Fields, Botley Road. The fun starts 12.30pm; first race 1.30pm; free parking; all proceeds in aid of local charities Tylers Hill Scout Group and Amersham and Chesham Lions; race programme £1.

FAMILY Fun Day at Blue Pines, Bellingdon, in aid of the Hospice of St Francis, on Sunday, June 17, 2pm to 5pm. Free train rides; craft stalls; home-made cakes; raffle; admission (including cream tea) adults £3, under-16s £1.50, under-fives free. Phone Barbara on (01494) 786040 for tickets.

FIRST Tylers Hill Scout Group provides scouting for approximately 100 local youngsters between the age of 5 to 25-years. Scouting worldwide is undergoing new and radical changes. Scouting aims to help young people achieve their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potential as individuals, as responsible citizens and as members of their local, national and international communities.

The Piranha Venture Unit is looking to recruit new members. They are small in number but big in enthusiasm, so if you are between the age of 15 and 20, why not come along to one of their meetings on Thursday night between 8.30 and 10pm, and see for yourself.

If you would like to know more about 1st Tylers Hill Scout Group or would like to become a leader, helper or sit on the executive committee, please contact Group Scout Leader Ann Trigg on (01442) 833927.

To hire the 1st Tylers Hill Scout headquarters contact Pauline Naman on (01494) 785132.

ODDS Farm Park, Wooburn Green, near Beaconsfield: come see all the animals, ride on a tractor, open daily 10am to 5pm.

GIANT book sale, Beaconsfield School, Wattleton Road, Beaconsfield, on June 10, 10am to 4 pm; hundreds of titles, thousands of books for adults and children.

LEY Hill Summer fete, Sunday, June 17. Noon to 4pm; auction of England shirt signed by Michael Owen; win a helicopter ride around London; beer tent; refreshments, afternoon tea.

THE visit by Amersham people to Krynica in Poland has been brought forward from June 18 to the beginning of next week to avoid the peak tourist season. Many meetings and visits have been planned to facilitate the twinning between the two towns. Amersham is already twinned with Bensheim in Germany.

The first meeting between the communities of Amersham and Krynica will compare the activities of the two towns in the first half of this year. Then there will be a tour of the Polish town, its 200 years' history will be show, with visits to rest-houses, the pump room, the Parkowa Mountain. The next day will include a visit to local primary and grammar schools. The visitors will be encouraged to participate in the lessons, although Polish is a very difficult language. There will be a meeting with teachers and school heads and a discussion to compare and contrast the Polish and British educational systems. Discussions will include the changes induced by new educational reform in Poland and adapting the Polish education system to European requirements.

Then follows a tour of the Orthodox Churches Route, and a chance to meet people of national minorities. The discussion will range on cultural qualities in the present world, and how to overcome the difficulties. Dinner will be in a regional inn.

The next day's agenda includes an inspection of tourist trade buildings, hotels, rest-houses and the sanatorium. Discussions with the main doctors at the health resort will concentrate on medical treatment, and the adaption of medical treatment for disabled

In the afternoon, there will be a tour of the modern bottling works Mulico in Tylicz, followed by a meeting with local businessmen and the opportunity to discuss the New Europe and the future for small business.

The next day is scheduled for a visit to the town council, to compare and contrast local working methods. There will be a grand session of municipal government and a discussion regarding partnership of twinning towns according to the aspects of the working European Union. Also the problems and benefits of a wider European exchange of children and young people intending to make progress in the English language is on the agenda.

In the afternoon, there will be a tour of sport buildings include the ice-hall. The cable railway will be used to reach the summit of the Jaworzyna Krynica mountain.

In the evening there will be a ceremonial meeting with dinner of the Amersham and Krynica personnel, including the mayors and other dignitaries.

Day five allows free time followed by an afternoon meeting with representatives of Krynica and Amersham. Twinning will be discussed, together with joint plans for the remainder of the year.

The next day is reserved for a visit to Poland's old capital (before Warsaw). Cracow was hardly damaged during the war and has many ancient and historic monuments. At 8pm, there is a farewell dinner before the Amersham delegates return to Britain early the next day.

ACCORDING to a new survey, Amersham is the 30th most profitable place in Britain. Amersham Chamber of Commerce Chairman Eric Springate, said: "This is a dynamic area, with low unemployment."

CHESHAM Bois Parish Council is discussing ways of combating vandalism in the village.

AMERSHAM and District Philatelic Society meets regularly in the Barn Hall at the Amersham Community Centre, Chiltern Avenue, at 8pm. The members evening on June 28 is Fill-A-Frame (or two) with something based on the letter A.

AMERHSAM Bowls Club are seeking financial support towards costs incurred to meet the county standard of green keeping. For the 1999 season, Amersham Bowls Club requested that the ditch be lined with Ditch Fill at a cost of £830 (plus VAT), of which Amersham Bowls Club contributed £550. This rubber foam material was laid on top of sand to reduce the drop and also minimise the bowls from damage when striking the back face of the concrete ditch. At the end of the season it was apparent that grass and weeds had seeded in the sand and were growing into the Ditch Fill material. Some 40 man hours were expended on cleaning the Ditch Fill at the end of the season to ensure its serviceability for the 2000 season.

For the 2000 season the Ditch Fill was laid directly on to the base of the concrete ditch without the sand bedding, and further application of top dressing eliminated. There were no adverse reports at the end of the season.

Amersham Bowling Club have taken over responsibility for the green maintenance for this season and the Ditch Fill was laid on as last year onto the base of the ditch. The County Inspection Team have now failed the green as not meeting county match standards because the drop from the green to the Ditch Fill is nine-to-ten inches instead of the maximum eight inches. Amersham Bowling Club have, therefore, purchased and sited small stones on top of the Ditch Fill to reduce the drop, at a cost of £540.

LAST year, Amersham Old Town were winners in the Best Kept Village competition for urban towns over 3,000 residents. As a result the town is entered for the Cup Winners Cup this year and is in competition with the winners of all categories throughout the county in last year's competition. A special effort is therefore being made this year to promote the town as a pleasant place to visit and to show the town at its best.

Judging takes place without pre-warning in early July. The judges look for floral decorations, cleanliness of streets and public places, bus shelters, shops and pub frontages, etc, and the general ambience of the town.

EFFORTS are being made to make Rectory Hill and Church Street in Old Amersham, safer. A roundabout is needed at the junction with School Lane, speed humps should be introduced in School Lane, and a pedestrian crossing is needed in Rectory Hill.