THE MAIN PRESENTATION at the Residents' Association was given by Jo Oliver. Jo is the Community Safety Partnership manager for Wycombe District Council. Although the meeting was some weeks ago, it needs to be covered since there were implications for most of us in the valley.

While Community Safety is primarily a fire service function, it is clear that recent years have brought together significant responsibilities of police, ambulance and other community functions including council planning and even welfare services, to ensure that everyone can enjoy an equal level of security. Obviously, police get involved with fire incidents and the fire brigade with road accidents, but safety officers can monitor new building developments, road layouts and other aspects of community facilities to ensure that individuals are not disadvantaged by the way our society is ordered.

In principle the service can offer free smoke alarms and home fire risk checks, although at present they will be limiting free devices to vulnerable groups due to the high demand. Leaflets will be distributed in allocated areas at the time the service is extended. However, any readers who require smoke alarms and home fire risk checks should still contact the Fire Service; you may warrant an alarm now, and fire checks are already more generally available. In cases of greater need or personal risk, more elaborate facilities, such as sprinkler systems, can be considered.

On the less private domestic side of their work, the service is considering what can be done to lessen the risk caused by inconsiderate parking in narrow residential roads. A family car may negotiate a tight chicane, but a fire engine cannot; but it can physically barge a poorly parked car out of the way, if necessary.

New residential and commercial road developments nearly always get the safety check-out before they are built.

Jo's pitch made it obvious there's much more to community safety than blues, twos, and big red machines, and she has promised to keep me posted on the way services get extended in this area.

TENOR SAX, world fame and an OBE are key features at TJ's jazz meeting next week. Marlow Jazz Club are advertising it as their biggest booking of the year so far; On Tuesday Danny Moss plays at TJ's. Rated as one of the finest tenor saxophonists in the world, and one of the best known and best loved British jazzmen, his long career has included the bands of Ted Heath, Johnny Dankworth, Woody Herman, Maynard Ferguson, Humphrey Lyttelton and Alex Welsh, plus many groups under his own leadership. For a long while he was regular choice to back Tony Bennett and has also appeared with Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. He was awarded the MBE for services to music in 1990.

Now based in Australia with his wife, top vocalist Jeanie Lambe, Danny tours Europe every summer and Michael Eagleton's club is delighted to have secured a date. That big and sumptuous tenor sound influenced originally by both Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster will be backed by the resident Frank Toms Trio. Music starts at 8.30pm with £6 admission.

RECENTLY the valley's WI Country Market was an outstanding success. The WI customarily does not publish details of the proceeds of its events, but I thought the lady treasurer I saw next day on the way to the bank displayed a distinct list to starboard. More seriously, the day was a great social success too. The afternoon craft session was well attended. The change, a couple of summers back, away from pressured Saturday mornings to a mid-week date in half-term seems to have paid off. Most of the tables laid out for coffee in the Village Hall were full and there seemed to be vigorous business at the stalls. But valley life-styles must be changing there were actually one or two cakes left at the end!

REBELLION'S weekend of taste is now only two weeks away, July 30 and 31. Just be prudent and don't put other lesser bookings in your diary.

COMMUNITY waste and recycling facilities at Booker are about to change. The modifications are due to be very substantial and will take several months. The current site with the skip ramps will close during the time that work proceeds, with a temporary facility being opened in the enclosure which currently houses fridges awaiting processing. That enclosure is on the opposite side of the access road from the current arrangement. It's reasonable to assume that the temporary arrangements are going to be less extensive and probably with less convenient access, so make allowances when you time your visits. Weekends in summer and autumn are bound to be busy.

The whole site will be closed for the day on Wednesday, July 27, opening again with the temporary area the next day. It would be equally rational to assume that days either side of those dates are likely to be congested.

The completely re-constructed site, with better and more extensive facilities, is not likely to open until near Christmas.

PANTO TIME IS HERE - oh, yes it is - if you're a producer or prospective member of cast, that is. Lis Wilks, who chairs Marlow Entertainers, the group whose pantomime proceeds help local charities, is eager to get as many people as possible to come to her auditioning session on Sunday. The place is Liston Hall and it all starts at 7pm. Sorry about the short notice; I was on holiday last week when Lis rang. The show this year is "Sinbad", written by Ray Wilks, and it starts on November 30 and lasts through the first week of December.

If your interests are back-stage or in some other supporting role, Lis needs you just the same as budding actors and singers. Just turn up on Sunday.

MARY BLOW'S Romanian charity Street Children Aid Pro Deo is filling another lorry for despatch within days. Mainly, it's rice, pasta, flour, sugar, biscuits, coffee, pulses, salt and cooking oil that's needed oh, and did I mention money? The latter is needed to pay of the lorry and also because it's often easier to get money into some areas served rather than goods. Ring Mary on 01628 890840.