MARLOW Town Council is anxious that all senior citizens eligible to attend the Town Mayor's Christmas lunch at Great Marlow School on Saturday week have signified their intention to attend. With the seasonal post unpredictable, the town clerk Howard Bellairs is extremely keen that no resident of Marlow who should attend the lunch be missed out.
The original closing date has passed, but as a valued senior citizen of Marlow, if you are eligible and would like to attend with the Marlow Town band putting on the entertainment and a turkey dinner served up by mayor Councillor Maurice Oram do not hesitate to get in touch with the town council office on 01628 484024 immediately as they need to get your name on the place mats.
DICK Whittington, in the shapely form of Kim Halliday from Burnham, sets out on his/her momentous journey to become Lord Mayor of London at the Shelley Theatre this evening. The curtain goes up on the Marlow Entertainers traditional pantomime at 8pm. There are matinee performances on Saturday and Sunday at 2.30pm.
For the first time on Saturday evening at 8pm the Entertainers are putting on a special gala performance in aid of local charities, including the Macmillan Nurses charity. The mayor, Councillor Maurice Oram, will be present for the occasion and tickets are still available priced £7 with no concessions.
For other performances, tickets are on sale at £6 for adults and £5 for children at the High Street Information Centre and at Court Garden reception. If you would like to support your local pantomime there are also performances next Thursday at 7pm, Friday at 8pm and at 2.30pm and 8pm on Saturday week.
SOME soaring voices are beginning to break and the All Saints Church choir is losing former head chorister and alto specialist Michael Kerr. He is leaving the men and boys choir to concentrate on his educational studies and is now heavily involved with his A levels, in preparation for a career in the RAF.
All Saints is also losing its current head chorister, Stephen Buss, and fellow chorister Philip Shelley.
Stephen won the prestigious Bishops Chorister award last summer after rising through the choir's ranks over the past five years. After two years with the men and boys choir Philip Shelley also bids farewell.
Says Clem Virgo, All Saints director of music: "We thank all three choristers for the great contribution they have made to the work of the choir and wish them all the best for the years ahead".
ANOTHER year and another record for the industrious Liz Habgood and her helpers at the Christmas Cards for Charity shop, which operated again this year at All Saints Church hall on the Causeway. She increased profits by some £1,500 over her 2000 total and is anxious to thank all who helped and contributed to the success, particularly All Saints Church who generously housed the charity for the second successive year after Liz was forced to vacate previous premises in Court Garden.
Buyers heavily supported Macmillan Cancer Relief and this worthwhile charity came out top of the 34 society cards sold in Marlow during the yuletide season. Of the guest charity cards on offer this year, the South Bucks Hospice cards proved much in demand.
LAST month's carol concert organised by the Marlow Choral Society produced £455 for the Fragile X Society and the National Autistic Society in proceeds from the raffle.
WITH Christmas fading, the thoughts of local gardeners turned to spring and Mr Bishop from Stokenchurch was Marlow Horticultural Society's first guest speaker of the new year. He let members into his secrets of cultivating sweet peas at Liston Hall earlier in the week.
TRAINED advisors are at the Area Information office in the High Street every Monday between 9am and 12.30pm to offer free advice on careers and training facilities available. If your career needs a new direction what better time to make contact than at the start of a new year. Appointments are confidential and can be made with a call to 07754 500411.
YOUNGSTERS aged from three to 14 years are welcome, with or without parents, to join the Time Out meetings held at All Saints church hall between 9.30am and 10.30am on the 2nd, 4th and 5th Sundays of each month. The hour is filled with discussion, bible stories, games and music, with the children joining the main church congregation for the last 15 minutes.
IF you received a puppy for Christmas and realise it is for life then the dog training lessons and obedience classes at Liston Hall might come in useful. Ann Leonard on 01628 521604 and Julie Osborne on 01494 445004 enjoy an enviable reputation through the weekly courses they put on every Monday evening in Marlow. Contact Ann or Julie to help get your pet in top condition, obedient, and up to show standard.
TIME is running out if you want to examine the display devoted to Marlow's traffic problems. Bucks County Council's £2 million scheme for Marlow is featured at the Area Information Centre in the High Street until the end of next week. Comment by the end of January.
THE second round of the rose bowl competition takes photographers from Marlow Camera Club to Wantage Camera Club on Tuesday evening. As well as the home team, their opponents will be Chalfonts and Gerrards Cross Camera Club and Witney Camera Club.
LYNN Harrison returns to The Compleat Angler on Thursday evening with her inimitable brand of jazz featuring the music of the great American composers such as Gershwin, Porter and Ellington. Originally a classical singer, Lynne decided to concentrate on jazz after performing with a 16-piece dance band. The Lynne Harrison trio, Paul Styles on tenor sax, Alan Berry on piano and Byron Davies on drums, will entertain dinner guests from 7.30pm until 10pm.
COOINDA, the Happy Place friendship centre, which is run at the Methodist Church in Spittal Street, has changed its opening days and hours. To accommodate local residents, the welcome and drop-in club is now opening on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10.30am until 12.30pm.
CONGRATULATIONS to Colin and Brenda who are celebrating five years behind the bar at the Hogshead in the High Street.
PLOUGH Sunday will be celebrated at St John the Baptist Church in Little Marlow this weekend when the 11am service is to be conducted by Reverend Sue Irwin.
ARE you a good listener? The Chiltern Samaritans are in great need of volunteers, people who can listen and become valued and accepted. Do ring the Samaritans on 01494 432000.
THE Christmas Fair at the Methodist Church in Spittal Street helped raise an impressive £2,380 towards church funds. The Christmas food stand tempted visitors to part with £425 towards the splendid total, with the gifts and toiletries stall and the bric-a-brac contributing £369 and £253, respectively.
AFTER Christmas indulgence, Abigail gently helps the 50s and 60s to get back into trim with her Keep Moving classes at Liston Hall on Mondays. Easy-going fun sessions to music are geared to the 60 plus age group from 12.45pm to 1.45pm, while sprightly 50 year olds and over can enjoy their session for an hour from 2pm. Call Abigail on 01628 483895 if you would like to know more.
STORYTIME for pre-school children introduces them to books and is held on Tuesdays at 2.15pm at the Institute Road library.
MARLOW Folk Dance Club have their first meeting of the new year and meet at Liston Hall this evening at 8pm.
By John Willis
