HEALTH is a major topic of interest for this week, although Handy Cross (Shambly Cross, as it is irreverently known by some in the village) does get a mention thanks to BCC induced confusion on the C100. Health, in the following context, is not even restricted to humans.

EXPERIENCES of using the Minor Injuries and Illness Unit (MIIU) at Wycombe Hospital, or Accident and Emergency department at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, are being sought to be aired at a public listening event at 7 pm on Wednesday, October 15, at Bucks New University.

The public listening event is being held by the council as part of a review into the state of urgent health care in the Wycombe district. The primary focus of the event is to hear from residents how well they think the current urgent care arrangements work for them.

Following the event, the aim is to produce some practical recommendations to the relevant agencies to ensure that local people get the best health care treatment they can, as quickly as possible.

People must register in order to attend and places can be booked via the WDC website www.wycombe.gov.uk. or phone 01494 421 210. Most public organisations (Parish, Neighbourhood Watch and others) are vigorously encouraging everyone to attend.

This is the first time I can recall such groups being sufficiently motivated to be prepared to take action to influence the health administrators to be more attentive to local needs.

As a stark comparison, the overall population of High Wycombe is slightly greater than that of any of the following towns – Swindon, Huddersfield, Middlesbrough, Blackpool, Bolton, West Bromwich, Stockport, Slough or Reading. I wonder how many of them lack A&E facilities.

THIRTY-EIGHT Degrees, the website of the national protest organisation is also requesting your support in getting A&E restored at Wycombe, and is also publicising the WDC public listening event. 38 Degrees has often been very successful in getting changes made to unpopular decisions, national or local. As ever, it is a complex web address you need to visit, but it may well help our cause. https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/bring-back-a-e-to-wycombe-hosptial.

HEARING dogs for deaf people was the subject of a talk at this week’s Valley Plus meeting. The service can have a marked influence on the health of the severely or profoundly deaf. The charity is growing in strength and importance; from 100 dogs trained in their first year to 1,400 now.

n VALLEY Plus has become a major organiser of highly creditable presentations of considerable public interest. Christine and Harrie Cooke, at this week’s meeting, were praised for their dedication to producing an events programme of great appeal to the large numbers of members. Last week, the focus was on a visit to the central London BBC studios, even including a sit on the lurid green One Show sofas and a practice reading of the weather forecast from the auto-prompter.

STEVE BAKER the MP for Marlow will come for a V+Question Time evening.

This meeting is open to non-members of V+, and will be in the Methodist Chapel on Friday, October 17, at 7.30 pm. Note the unusual day and time (to fit a working Westminster day).

FITNESS and health of trees was discussed at the recent V+ meeting by the valley’s tree warden, Peter Borrows. He is concerned about the dumping of waste in our woods and encroachment by some residents as they filch some woodland into their back gardens.

The Woodland Trust will take action against offenders. Ash die-back infection is being carefully monitored by Peter; he is being attentive to a number of suspect cases in Kimber’s Copse, but diagnosis is not easy among young trees and no specific action will be possible before next spring.

ROADWORKS on the old Marlow Road have caused frayed tempers because BCC Highways have got their public information wrong.

One resident took 40 minutes to get from Handy Cross to home in the valley, because road closure signs were erected for the C100; then he discovered Ragman’s Lane, at the Blacksmith’s Arms, sported a ‘No Access to Marlow Bottom’ sign, thereby leaving the village marooned.

Another resident, approaching from Marlow, met a closure sign before the valley junction. She asked one of the Highways men if the C100 was open at the Ragman’s Lane entry, receiving the reply “What’s the C100?”

Why does BCC get its information signs wrong?