PATRICK GAUTIER of Les Amis du Jumelage Friends of Twinning, in Marly-le-Roi, was quick off the mark last week, contacting the mayor and Dennis Sargeant of the Twinning Association and expressing concerns about the London bombing and hoping that no one from Marlow had been hurt.

PLANS for an exhibition by the Highways Agency at the Holiday Inn today to discuss the A404/M40 Handy Cross junction improvements has been cancelled.

A BAND OF BELLRINGERS from All Saints Church and neighbouring towers are to attempt to ring 5,040 changes of Stedman Triples next Saturday in memory of Eric Silvey, tower keeper at the parish church for 21 years and steeple keeper for 35 years. The bells will ring out for around three hours.

Eric, who died earlier this year, also maintained and repaired the 170-year-old church clock. Refurbishment of the clock and its striking mechanism will cost £5,000 and, through the parish office, an appeal is being made to raise the money. All Saints clock was originally built and installed by John Moore and Son, a firm founded in 1790, who proudly claimed that they were "Makers to the Queen, the Lords of the Admiralty, and the Honourable Board of Ordinance".

SWAN UPPING, the ancient ceremony of counting and marking the swans along the River Thames takes place next week. The Queen's Swan Marker and Swan Uppers and the Swan Uppers of Vinters' and Dyers' companies arrive in Marlow around 5pm on Tuesday and leave the following morning from Marlow bridge at around 9.15am, heading for Hambleden. Thames cygnets are caught, weighed and ringed to denote ownership. The Crown owns half the swans, with the remainder split between the two livery companies.

SALLY COX, mezzo-soprano, and pianist Marissa Thornton-Wood will provide the entertainment at this weekend's Music For A Sunday Afternoon at All Saints Church. It is at 4pm, is free and tea is available afterwards.

FOXES PIECE SCHOOL in Newfield Road is the venue on Wednesday, August 3 for the launch of the Ranger Service's series of skateboarding sessions, which will be running throughout August. Riders, from eight years old, must bring their own skateboard and safety equipment. Flatbank, quarter pipe, driveway, manual box, fly offs, launch ramps and angle grind box are among the moves the Rangers will supervise. The cost is £2 and the session will go on from 10am to 4pm. Eight other venues are being used in the Wycombe area so do pick up a leaflet from the Area Information Office in the High Street or call the Ranger Service on 01494 421824 or the sports development unit on 01494 421813.

ALL SAINTS CHURCH chalks up a first on Sunday when the girls' choir joins the men for a special end-of-academic year choral evensong. Reverend Gabrielle Smith takes the 6.30pm service, which also celebrates the girls' third anniversary.

ARCHAEOLOGY IN MARLOW members head for Fishbourne Roman Palace and Weald and Downland Open Air Museum on a summer outing on Sunday. Tomorrow the archaeologists will be getting their hands dirty working on the next stage of their Romadam project at Pullingshill Wood.

ONE of the highlights of the year for the town's senior citizens is the river trip that is organised for Age Concern by the Rotary Club. This year it is taking place Wednesday so fingers crossed the good weather continues.

Incidentally, the Marlow branch is very anxious to recruit more volunteers, from drivers to escorts, from cooks to helpers, at their Glade Road centre. Around 70 regular guests visit the centre so if any one can spare a little time on a regular basis Maria Davis on 01628 482883 is the contact.

MAKE A NOISE in libraries, a programme of free activities in association with Calibre and Bucks Association for the Blind, reaches Institute Road next Friday. From 10.30am until 3.30pm there will be talks on gardening for the disabled, local history and the Maidenhead Talking Newspaper. Cookham Hand Bell Ringers will also be on hand to provide music.

AREA INFORMATION OFFICE in the High Street now has paper bags to join the compostable caddy liners for use with the kitchen caddies now used to collect kitchen waste.

METHODIST CHURCH in Spittal Street has become part of the Fairtrade movement and now operates a Traidcraft stall after Sunday services. Traidcraft is a Christian charity that sources and distributes Fair trade goods and they have a wide range, not just tea and coffee. Several shops in the town now offer Fair trade items.

PUPPET THEATRE BARGE, which has been delighting children and their parents for some 23 years, is again visiting Marlow this year and will moor on the Thames opposite Court Garden from August 6 until the 27th. This year's matinee presentation is The Hare and the Tortoise and other tales from Aesop while Joseph Conrad's diary and novella Heart of Darkness will be played out on Saturday evenings. This year matinee prices are £7 for children and concessions and £7.50 for adults. The evening performances are £9.50 for adults, £1.50 discount for concessions.

LITTLE MARLOW SCHOOL has its leavers' service at 2.15pm on Wednesday in St John the Baptist church before breaking up the following day. A summer barbecue is planned for the school this Sunday.

ALSO HOPING for good weather on Sunday are the Marlow Players who are holding a riverside picnic before casting for their autumn production at The Studio next to Liston Hall on Tuesday evening. New members are always welcome by the Players for both on stage and backstage activities.